Dallas Cowboys vs Houston Texans Picks and Predictions November 18th 2024

Cowboys vs Texans November 18th 2024

ESPN will televise the week 11 non-conference matchup between the Texans and Cowboys, which will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The Texans are the heavy favorite with a money line of -364, and they are favored by -7.5 on the road. The game is set to kick off at 8:15 ET, and the over/under line is at 42 points. The Cowboys’ money line odds are +288.

Houston vs. Dallas Key Information

With a 6-4 record, the Texans hold a 94.8% chance of making the playoffs and a 92.6% chance of winning the AFC South. Despite their two-game losing streak, they remain 1st in the division, thanks to a 3-0 record against divisional opponents. They are 5-1 in conference play and 4-1 at home, but just 2-3 on the road.

Houston ranks 13th in our power rankings heading into week 11. They have an average scoring margin of -0.2 points per game and are 4-6 against the spread. Their O/U record is 2-7-1, with their games averaging 45 points compared to a 45.6-point line.

Heading into week 11, the Texans are 18th in our offensive power rankings, averaging 22.4 points per game, which ranks 14th in the league. They are 15th in passing yards per game (218.7) and 10th in passing attempts. On the ground, they rank 18th in rushing yards per game, with 119.4, on 28.4 attempts per game. Houston is 15th in the NFL in 3rd-down conversions, with a 38.6% success rate, and they rank 24th in red zone conversion percentage, despite being 6th in red zone attempts. They have been strong in the 1st quarter, averaging 6.0 points, which ranks 4th in the league.

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In week 10, the Texans scored 23 points in a loss to the Lions, with all their scoring coming in the 1st half. C.J. Stroud threw for 232 yards, completing 19 of 33 passes, with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Joe Mixon had 25 carries for 46 yards, and John Metchie III led the team with 5 catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. Stroud has been sacked 14 times over the last 3 games, including 4 times against Detroit.

In their most recent game, the Texans’ defense allowed the Lions to convert on 58.3% of their third down attempts. Despite forcing five interceptions, the Texans still came up short, losing 26-23. The Texans gave up 240 passing yards on just 15 completions and allowed two passing touchdowns. Houston’s defense struggled to generate pressure, as they did not record a sack and had a -6 differential in tackles for loss.

The Texans’ run defense held up better, allowing just 105 yards on 32 attempts. Overall, the Texans gave up 345 yards in the game. Even though the defense came up with five takeaways, the Texans’ offense was only able to turn those into 10 points.

Heading into week 11, the Cowboys are on a four-game losing streak, which includes a 34-6 home loss to the Eagles in week 10. This dropped their record to 3-6, and they now rank 32nd in our NFL power rankings. Dallas has struggled at home, going 0-4, but they are 3-2 on the road. In division play, they are 1-1, and they have a 1-5 record against NFC opponents.

Our projections give the Cowboys just a 0.9% chance of making the playoffs and a 0.1% chance of winning the NFC East. Against the spread, they are 2-7, and they have failed to cover in four straight games. Their O/U record is 5-4, with the under hitting in their last two games.

Heading into week 11, the Cowboys are 25th in our offensive power rankings. They lead the NFL in passing attempts per game (39.4), resulting in 231.3 yards per game, which ranks 10th. On the ground, Dallas ranks 27th in rushing attempts and 31st in rushing yards, averaging 83.7 per game. They are 21st in the league in 3rd-down conversions, with a 35.9% success rate, but have been efficient in the red zone, converting 66.7% of their opportunities, ranking 2nd in the NFL.

Dallas has struggled to score early in games, averaging 3.6 points in the 1st quarter, which ranks 20th. In week 10, they scored just 6 points, all coming in the first half against the Eagles. Cooper Rush threw for 45 yards on 13/23 passing, while Rico Dowdle led the team with 53 rushing yards, and Jake Ferguson had 4 catches for 24 yards.

In the Cowboys’ 34-6 loss to the Eagles, the defense allowed 187 rushing yards on 38 attempts, with Philadelphia finding a lot of success on the ground, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt. Despite this, the Cowboys’ defense did manage to sack the quarterback five times and held the Eagles to 36.4% on third down.

In the passing game, Dallas allowed just 161 yards on 15 completions but did give up two passing touchdowns. They also forced one interception and allowed the Eagles to complete 68.2% of their passes.

For this week 11 matchup between the Cowboys and Texans, we have the Cowboys as 7.5-point favorites at home. However, our pick against the spread is to take the Texans to pull off the upset, with a final score prediction of 26-20 in favor of the Texans.

As for the best way to bet this game, we like taking the Cowboys to cover as home underdogs. Even though they are the favorite, we have the point spread at 42 points, and with our projections pointing towards 46 combined points, we like the over for this one.

Texans Seek Improvement from C.J. Stroud vs. Scuffling Cowboys

The Houston Texans are hoping to rediscover their early-season success as they prepare to face the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. After a promising start, the Texans have dropped three of their last four games, with quarterback C.J. Stroud struggling to replicate his stellar rookie form.

Despite their recent slump, Houston (6-4) still holds a two-game lead in the AFC South. However, Stroud’s performance has dipped significantly. Over the past four games, he’s completed only 53.7 percent of his passes and has been sacked 18 times, contributing to Houston’s recent skid.

Last week’s 26-23 loss to the Detroit Lions was particularly disappointing for the Texans, as they squandered a 16-point halftime lead. Stroud threw two costly interceptions in that game, raising concerns about his decision-making under pressure.

“I try to not only make plays but take care of the football and do the right things that win the game,” Stroud said. “Sometimes it goes our way, and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Stroud’s struggles have been evident since mid-October. In a loss to the Green Bay Packers, he posted a career-low 86 passing yards. On October 31 against the New York Jets, he was sacked eight times and completed just 36.7 percent of his passes.

Ryans Emphasizes a Team Effort

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans stressed that the team’s issues are not solely on Stroud’s shoulders.

“Nobody can shoulder all of the responsibility,” Ryans said. “It’s 10 other guys around him, but everyone, including C.J., has a job to do. If everyone executes properly, we’ll be fine.”

Stroud’s six interceptions this season already surpass the five he threw during his impressive rookie campaign. Getting him back on track will be crucial for the Texans as they look to solidify their playoff position.

Cowboys’ Quarterback Woes

While Houston is trying to get Stroud back in form, the Dallas Cowboys (3-6) are dealing with even bigger issues under center. Starting quarterback Dak Prescott is out for the season with a hamstring injury, leaving backup Cooper Rush to take the reins.

Rush struggled in his first start last weekend, a 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He completed just 13 of 23 passes for 45 yards, with his longest completion going for only 10 yards. Backup Trey Lance came in late, throwing for 21 yards and an interception.

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Dallas receiver CeeDee Lamb had a quiet outing, managing only 21 yards on six catches.

“The work is going to get done,” Lamb said. “I take full responsibility in getting in sync with Rush. We’re going to ride this thing out through the rest of the season.”

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged the need for more downfield plays after the team’s average of 3.9 yards per reception against the Eagles.

“Ball didn’t go down the field enough, that’s for sure,” McCarthy said. “We’ve got to figure out how to create those opportunities.”

Injury Concerns for Both Teams

The Cowboys have been hit hard by injuries. Cooper Rush is nursing a neck injury but participated fully in Thursday’s practice. However, several key players, including star guard Zack Martin (shoulder) and cornerbacks DaRon Bland (foot) and Jourdan Lewis (neck), missed practice.

The Texans are also dealing with significant injuries. Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (ankle) missed Thursday’s practice after sitting out last week’s game against the Lions. Cornerbacks Kamari Lassiter (concussion) and Derek Stingley Jr. (hip) are also on the injury report, along with defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi (foot).

Head-to-Head History

The Cowboys have the upper hand in the all-time series, winning four of their six meetings with the Texans. In their last matchup on December 11, 2022, Dallas secured a narrow 27-23 victory.

With both teams grappling with injuries and inconsistencies, Monday night’s game will be a critical test for the Texans as they look to maintain their division lead and for the Cowboys as they try to salvage their season.