Will Dallas Cowboys Clinch NFC East Title with Week 18 Win Over Washington Commanders?

The NFL schedule makers have done it again. Entering Week 18, the regular season’s final slate of games is chock full of matchups with big-time implications. That includes the NFC East clash between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders on tap for this Sunday evening:

What: Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024
Time: 4:25 p.m. eastern standard time
Where: FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland
Point Spread: Cowboys (13.5), Commanders (+13.5)

Though the Cowboys have already locked up an NFL playoff spot, the NFC East Division title is still on the line. Dallas clinches the crown with either a win or a Philadelphia Eagles Week 18 loss to the New York Giants. Will the Cowboys put their best foot forward in the final game of the season to chase the division throne? The latest NFL online betting odds sure seem to think they will:

Favorite			Underdog
Dallas Cowboys	-900	+610	Washington Commanders

Please continue double-checking these online NFL betting odds until you actually submit your wager. Our Commanders vs. Cowboys betting odds are accurate entering Tuesday, January 2. That gives the best NFL online betting sites plenty of time to make adjustments leading into opening kick-off on January 7.

For this matchup specifically, though, we wouldn’t expect much movement. The Cowboys’ injury report appears to be relatively clean. Granted, last-minute scratches are always an ever-present danger in the final week of the NFL regular season. But the Cowboys have something to play for, and they also won’t know the result of Eagles vs. Giants beforehand. Both NFC East head-to-heads are kicking off at the exact same time.

So, should you go ahead and bet on the Cowboys to beat the Commanders? Or are there any unexpected curveballs you should be on the lookout for?

The Dallas Cowboys Week 18 Moneyline Betting Odd are Telling Zero Lies

The Dallas Cowboys moneyline in Week 18 tells you everything you need to know about this matchup. You would have to wager $900 just to win $100.

Sometimes, there can be red flags for this type of heavy favorite. That’s particularly true so late in the season, when lineups can be wonky and odds to make the NFL playoffs have settled. But the Cowboys still need a win to clinch the NFC East. And though there’s a chance they rest their starters later in the game depending on what the Eagles are doing against the Giants, they likely only do that if they’re out to a big lead.

Playing on the road could inject some uncertainty into the equation. Dallas is 3-5 away from home on the season. But most of those road losses have come against playoff teams. The Commanders could not be further from a playoff team.

Washington enters Week 18 on a seven-game losing streak and has no incentive to attempt ending it now. They are still locked in a battle for NFL draft positioning. This isn’t to say they will lay over. Players don’t lose on purpose. But the Commanders will remain at a monstrous talent deficit. Washington continues to have the league’s worst defense, which should be catnip for Dallas’ usually high-octane attack.

Even if the Cowboys wind up finishing the game with their second-stringers, we would be floored if they didn’t snag a win here.

OSB Prediction: Dallas Cowboys (-900)

Dallas Cowboys To beat the Washington Commanders

-900

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Don’t Just Assume the Cowboys will Bag a Blowout Victory Over the Commanders

While the Cowboys were seemingly blowing out opponents every week for some time, they’ve most recently been involved in some nail-biters. However, that doesn’t appear to have impacted the Dallas vs. Washington point spread betting odds for Week 18:

Dallas Cowboys, -13.5 (-110)
Washington Commanders, +13.5 (-110)

Two-touchdown spreads are always difficult to wrap your head around. But if you’re looking to juice up your return outside the moneyline of this one, you need to at least consider the above numbers.

Dallas, of course, is no stranger to winning by double digits. Eight of the Cowboys’ 11 victories on the season have come by double figures. And many of those have come by more than two touchdowns.

Still, Dallas’ shaky play on the road as well as their recent lower offensive totals leave us a little skittish. And there’s also a chance they fail to drive up the margin of victory if guys like Dak Prescott don’t play the final quarter or two.

OSB Prediction: Washington Commanders, +13.5 (-110)

Washington Commanders To cover the point spread against the Dallas Cowboys

-110

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Could Dallas vs. Washington be Quieter Than Oddsmakers are Projecting?

Score totals tend to be repressed in the final week of the NFL season due to all the lineup and availability question marks. But the latest over/under betting odds on Cowboys vs. Commanders show very little signs of restraint:

Over 44.5 (-105)
Under 44.5 (-115)

Public action has so far favored the “under.” At first glance, this feels like a smart call. The Commanders offense can sputter and fizzle out on a regular basis. In fact, over their past six games, they have eclipsed 20 points just once. Life shouldn’t get any easier for them against the Cowboys defense, which ranks fifth in points allowed per game and sixth in the share of opponent possessions that end in a turnover.

Granted, Dallas’ offense has at times proven capable of clearing this score total on their own. That’s something to consider. Especially when they’re facing the NFL’s worst defense. And let’s not forget: The Cowboys scored 45 points against the Commanders back in Week 12. The same thing could happen again.

Once more, though, we find ourselves buying into the weirdness incumbent of the regular season’s final week. We really don’t expect the Cowboys to have their foot on the gas for the entire game.

OSB Prediction: Under 44.5 (-115)

Commanders and Cowboys To score under 44.5 combined points

-110

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