Betting Picks

Cowboys at Texans: SNF NFL Week 5 Betting Preview and Pick

The Week 5 Sunday night game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans in Houston looked like a marquee matchup back in August. Now? It’s two mediocre clubs with head coaches – Jason Garrett in Dallas and Bill O’Brien in Houston – on a very hot seat. What about the SNF NFL Week 5 betting line for this game?

The Texans are 3.5-point favorites, according to NFL odds, and our pick against the spread. The total is 45. It’s only the fifth regular-season meeting between the teams and the first in four years.

Why Houston will cover the SNF NFL Week 5 betting spread

It’s very rare for an 0-3 team to reach the playoffs, but the Texans at least gave themselves a minor chance by avoiding 0-4 with a 37-34 overtime win Sunday at Indianapolis. That might have saved the job of O’Brien, because he was really gifted the victory by Colts coach Frank Reich and his baffling fourth-down decision late in the overtime that all but handed the win to Houston.

The good news from that one was 375 yards passing and two scores from Deshaun Watson, as well as big games from DeAndre Hopkins (10 catches, 169 yards, one TD) and rookie Keke Coutee (11 catches, 109 yards), who will be a popular fantasy football pickup this week. The bad was Houston allowing Watson to be sacked seven times and giving up 478 yards of offense. Also, starting WR Will Fuller left with an injury, so that’s partly why Coutee shined. His 11 catches were the most by a receiver making his NFL debut since 1970.

Dallas betting notes for Sunday

The Cowboys avoided a 1-3 start with a 26-24 win over Detroit on Sunday. Dak Prescott, who isn’t having a very good season, led his team on a 55-yard drive after the Lions had rallied for a 24-23 lead. That drive was capped by Brett Maher’s 38-yard winning field goal as time expired. Prescott topped 200 yards passing (255, two TDs) for the first time this season, but the workhorse on offense was Ezekiel Elliott with 152 yards rushing and four catches for 88 yards and a score.

Defensively, DeMarcus Lawrence had the second three-sack game of his career. He leads the NFL with 5.5 sacks. Dallas will get another key defender back this week with end David Irving now eligible off a four-game suspension. Irving had seven sacks in just eight games last year.

Houston vs. Dallas line movement

This SNF NFL Week 5 betting line opened at 3 points at many books – meaning those who plan to back the Cowboys should pounce while this is 3.5. The total opened at 42 at some books

Houston vs. Dallas matchup trends

• The total has gone under in the Cowboys’ past six games away from home.
• The over is 10-1 in Houston’s past 11 October home games.
• The Texans are 5-2 SU and against the spread in their past seven at home against NFC foes.