The Dallas Cowboys will be looking to get back to being a playoff participant after missing out on the postseason a year ago, but the Boys will have a different look and feel to them after losing likely future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten and former star wide receiver Dez Bryant this offseason. Things are looking up in a big way for the San Francisco 49ers as they get set for the 2018 regular season under new franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and a revamped roster under now, second-year head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Now, with both teams looking to improve this coming season, let’s find out which one of these NFC-based playoff hopefuls is offering the best betting value in their NFL preseason Week 1 matchup when it goes down in Frisco on August 9.
Cowboys vs 49ers 2018 NFL Preseason Week 1 Odds
When: Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 10:00 PM ET Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California Live Stream: NFL Game Pass NFL Odds: San Francisco -3.5 / Total: 35
Why Bet on the Dallas Cowboys?
Why should you bet on the Cowboys in this Week 1 preseason matchup? The best reason to bet on Dallas is that they probably want to get rid of the bad taste left in their mouths from last season and Jason Garrett probably wants to get as many victories as possible and the Cowboys went 3-1 in the scrimmage season a year ago. The bad news is that Garrett is just 12-17 in the preseason and backup quarterback Cooper Rush is inexperienced after seeing very little time as a rookie last season. Rush got into two games in 2017 and completed one of three passes for two yards while rushing for 13 yards on two carries.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 22.12
- Total Yards: 332
- Pass Yards: 196.38
- Rush Yards: 135.62
- Average Score Against: 20.75
- Total Yards: 318.06
- Pass Yards: 214.06
- Rush Yards: 104
Why Bet on the San Francisco 49ers?
Why should you bet on the Niners in this Week 1 preseason showdown? The best reason to bet on the Niners is that they have the better head coach in this contest and much better backup quarterback. Kyle Shanahan went 2-2 in the preseason a year ago in his first year as a head coach and third round 2017 draft pick C.J. Beathard is pretty good as he completed 54.9 percent of his passes while throwing six touchdowns and four interceptions while leading the Niners to a Week 10 win over the Giants
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 20.69
- Total Yards: 349.31
- Pass Yards: 245.31
- Rush Yards: 104
- Average Score Against: 23.94
- Total Yards: 351.56
- Pass Yards: 235.25
- Rush Yards: 116.31
Cowboys vs 49ers Expert Analysis and Prediction
San Francisco is playing at home and they’ve got the better quarterback and head coach in this Week 1 preseason showdown. The Niners just have a lot of positive energy surrounding their franchise and a ton of young guys looking to impress Kyle Shanahan and the rest of the coaching staff. The Favorite in this rivalry is 4-0-1 ATS in the last five meetings and for me, the Niners are the really easy pick to win and cover the chalk.
NFL Preseason Week 1 Pick: San Francisco -3.5
