Cowboys vs. Browns prediction, odds, pick for NFL Week 1
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys hit the road as they face the Cleveland Browns. It is time to continue our NFL odds series with a Cowboys-Browns prediction and pick.
It was a solid 2023 for the Dallas Cowboys. Mike McCarthy led the Cowboys to a 12-5 record in the regular season. They would win the NFC East, and play in the Wild Card round of the playoffs at home against the Green Bay Packers. They would fall to the Packers 48-32 though. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has moved on to be the head coach of the Washington Commanders, resulting in the Cowboys bringing back former defensive assistant and coordinator Mike Zimmer.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns were also a playoff team last year. It was an 11-6 record under head coach Kevin Stefanski. That would be good for a second-place finish in the AFC North and a Wild Card birth. They would play in the Wild Card round on the road against the Houston Texans, falling 45-14.
Here are the NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Cowboys-Browns Odds
Dallas Cowboys: +2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +118
Cleveland Browns: -2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -136
Over: 40.5 (-118)
Under: 40.5 (-104)
How to Watch Cowboys vs. Browns
Time: 4:25 PM ET/ 1:25 PM PT
TV: FOX
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Cowboys Could Cover The Spread/Win
Dak Prescott will lead this Cowboys offense this year. He completed 69.5 percent of his passes this year, throwing for 4,516 yards and 36 scores last year. He also threw just nine interceptions last year. He is expected to have his top receiver back as well, with CeeDee Lamb signing a new contract. Lamb brought in 135 receptions on 181 targets last year. That was good for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns last year.
Prescott will get all three of his top targets back overall. Jake Ferguson will be the primary tight end for the Cowboys. He brought in 71 receptions last year, going for 761 yards and five scored. Meanwhile, Brandin Cooks is back as well, after having 54 receptions for 657 yards and eight scores. Meanwhile, the running game will look different than last year, but still be familiar. Tony Pollard is off to the Titans, so Ezekiel Elliott is back with the Cowboys. He ran for 642 yards and three scored with the Patriots last year. Rico Dowdle and Davlin Cook will be behind him. Dowdle ran for 361 yards and two scores last year for the Cowboys.
The Dallas defense does return their top playmaker. Micah Parsons is back after having 14 sacks plus 18 tackles for a loss last year. Parson also forced a fumble and recovered last year. They will be without DaRon Bland though. Bland is starting the year on the IR after a year in which he intercepted nine passes and brought five of those back for touchdowns. With Stephon Gilmore also gone, Trevon Diggs and fifth-round pick Caelen Carson will be the corners. Diggs played in just two games last year.
Why The Browns Could Cover The Spread/Win
For the Browns, they will welcome back Deshaun Watson at quarterback. Watson played in just six games last year, completing 61.4 percent of his passes for 1,115 yards. He also had seven touchdowns but did throw four interceptions. Further, he was sacked 17 times in the six games. This could be an issue again for Cleveland, as both starting tackles are currently listed as questionable to the game.
In the backfield, Jerome Ford will once again lead the way. He ran 204 times last year for 813 yards. Still, he scored just four times last season. With Nick Chubb still out, Pierre Strong will be the other back. He ran for just 291 yards and a score last year. Watson does have the top targets from last year back. Amari Cooper returns who had 72 receptions for 1,250 yards and five scores last year. He will be joined by Elijah Moore at receiver. Moore had 640 yards on 59 receptions with two scores last year. Jerry Jeudy joins them, coming in from the Broncos. He had 54 receptions for 758 yards and two scores last year. Finally, the Browns also return tight end David Njoku. He brought in 81 grabs last year for 882 yards and six touchdowns.
On defense, the focus will be Myles Garrett. Garrett had 14 sacks last year while also having 17 tackles for a loss and forcing four fumbles. On the other side of the line will be Za’Darius Smith. Smith had five sacks last year with six tackles for a loss. They also bring back Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. He led the team last year with 20 tackles for a loss, while also having 3.5 sacks. Martin Emerson Jr. also returns at safety, after having 14 pass breakups and four interceptions last year.
Final Cowboys-Browns Prediction & Pick
The Browns were solid last year, even with four different quarterbacks throwing for over 100 passes for the team. This included 38-year-old Joe Flacco, who led them into the playoffs. With DeShaun Watson back, the offense should be solid. On the other side, the Cowboys may be one-dimensional. Their top back is a diminished and aging Ezekiel Elliott, who the Cowboys let walk in favor of Tony Pollard just a year ago. Expect the Browns to take advantage of that, and get the win in this one.
Final Cowboys-Browns Prediction & Pick: Browns ML (-136)
The post Cowboys vs. Browns prediction, odds, pick for NFL Week 1 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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