Expert NFL Betting Picks for Best Props for Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys

Seattle Seahawks @ Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium, 8:15 p.m. EST. Jan 5, 2019.

The Dallas Cowboys were all but written off after starting their season 3-5. One Amari Cooper trade later, and the Cowboys are NFC East champions and hosting a playoff game for the second time in the last three seasons. The Cowboys got to this spot by winning seven of their last eight games and should have some momentum on their side as they have put up 65 points in their last two wins.

I'm not saying the offense has been completely revamped, but the Cowboys now have a formidable attacking unit, with Dak Prescott under center and playing well, Ezekiel Elliott running the ball and the aforementioned Cooper out wide catching passes. However, the question begs to be asked: can the Cowboys play to their full ability against a good defense and in a meaningful game? It's one thing to put up more than 27 and 36 points on Tampa and New York, but the Seahawks are a team with legitimate defense and an offense that can lull you to sleep with their run game.

As of writing this, the Dallas Cowboys are one-point favorites and the total is set at 43.5. Based on what we've seen from these two teams over the last month or so of the regular season, I believe the total is a little low, which means I would side with the over. As for the spread, how Russell Wilson is playing of late and the Seahawks run game should make the difference here. I expect them to run, run and run some more and keep the Cowboys offense on the sideline. Even so, the Cowboys offense has been far from inspiring over the last three weeks, so I would be hesitant to lay the points with them.

Instead of focusing on the point spread, I have keyed a few prop bets I expect to hit and make us some money. All lines are courtesy of Sports Interaction

Team Total Points

Dallas Cowboys - "Over" 22.5 -118, "Under" 22.5, -118

As I mentioned above, it's one thing to put up a boatload of points against teams with poor defenses late in the season, in essentially meaningless games. It's another thing to put up points on the 11^th-ranked scoring defense in a winner-take-all playoff game. The Cowboys have shown the ability to take what the defense is giving them and move the ball methodically downfield. However, we already know what kind of team Cowboys are, and that's a run-first team behind Elliott.

We already know what kind of team the Seahawks are, and that's also a run-first team, which leads me to believe that both teams will want to establish the run (obviously), but that also means the clock will continue to run and the game will be done in just over two hours. The total is extremely low for a reason, and because of that I just don't see a way Dallas gets to 23 points. When the Seahawks have the ball, expect Pete Carroll to dial up run play after run play and keep the Cowboys offense on the sideline. I do not see the Dallas defense coming away with a defensive score. Therefore, with limited offensive possession, I don't expect the Cowboys to crack the 20-point mark.

Team with Highest-Scoring Quarter

Seattle Seahawks -120, Dallas -120

I really do believe the game plan for the Seahawks coming into this game is to run, run and run some more. This will keep Dallas off the field, and it will allow them to dictate the pace of the game before they take their shots downfield and put up points. The Cowboys offense has shown signs of life over their last two games, but they are still as inconsistent as ever, and we simply do not trust Prescott in this must-win game. The way we win this bet is by taking Seattle here and hoping they go on one of those 15-play drives that take up seven or eight minutes of game clock and put up seven points, possibly even 10 if they can force Dallas to a three-and-out. It's one of the riskier prop bets we will cover, but the Seahawks are the play in this spot.

Winning Margin

Seattle Seahawks to win by 6-10 Points +700.

The Seahawks have already beaten the Cowboys once this season, back in Week 3, by a score of 24-13. I see no reason why they can't do something similar again this week. In Week 3, Seattle was still trying to figure out who they were as a football team, and Dallas was doing the same. Since then, I believe Seattle has made the biggest strides in terms of identity, and this will be the key to victory this weekend. Dallas will struggle to move the ball up and down the field, and Prescott will once again raise questions about whether he is consistent enough to lead this team to the promised land in the years to come. Seattle's defense will do just enough to put the offense in great positions to score points, and at the end of the day I can see the Seahawks duplicating a similar scoreline, this time around the mark of 24-17 or 20-13.

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