Desperate times in the state of Texas these days as both the Cowboys (1-2) and the Texans (0-3) are in near dire situations as the two teams get set to meet Sunday in Houston.
The Cowboys are looking to rebound following a painful loss in Rio to the Baltimore Ravens last weekend. Dak Prescott and co. scored the game’s first ten points, led 28-24 in the fourth quarter, and tied the game with seven seconds left…only to lose 31-28 on the game’s final play to a 56-yard Tyler Loop field goal. The stats were impressive enough as Prescott threw for 276 yards and a touchdown and Javonte Williams rushed for 98 yards and a score, but Dallas’ final drive was mismanaged by the coach and the quarterback. As a result, the Cowboys are looking up in the NFC East at both the Giants and the Eagles.
The Texans are one of five teams still without a win this season. This past Sunday, Houston fell to 0-3 with a frustrating two-point loss at Indianapolis. After opening the season with losses at home to Buffalo and at home to Cincinnati defeats to Buffalo, the Texans led late in the fourth only to give up a field goal with under two minutes to play to ultimately lose, 19-17. Quarterback C.J. Stroud has piled up 794 passing yards, but Houston’s offense has not translated that production into points consistently as the Texans are averaging just 18 points per game. More alarming is Houston’s defense that has not been the dominant force it has been in previous seasons. Will Anderson is among the NFL leaders with four sacks, but the defense has been unable to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks and has been susceptible to the big play.
These teams last met in November of 2024 with the Texans rolling to a dominant 34-10 win in Houston. In their last two completed meetings, the Cowboys are 1-1 straight up and 0-2 against the spread, with an over/under split of 2 Overs and 0 Unders.
Let’s dive into the numbers and see if we can’t find an additional sweat or two.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Cowboys vs. Texans
- Date: Sunday October 4, 2026
- Time: 1PM ET
- Site: Reliant Stadium
- City: Houston, TX
- TV/Streaming: FOX
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Latest Game Odds for Cowboys vs. Texans
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Dallas Cowboys (+120), Houston Texans (-142)
- Spread: Texans -2.5
- Total: 47.5
The spread and the total sit exactly where they opened at DraftKings.
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Rotoworld Bet Best Bets
Expert picks & predictions for Cowboys vs. Texans
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NFL calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, betting trends, and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Sunday’s game between the Cowboys and the Texans:
· Moneyline: NBC Sports is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
· Spread: NBC Sports is leaning towards a play on the Texans ATS.
· Total: NBC Sports is recommending a play on the Total OVER 47.5.
The Cowboys rank dead last in EPA/Play and success rate while allowing 6.0 yards per play. Houston’s defense is 19th in EPA/Play and 18th in yards per play allowed. Fatigue also factors in this play. The Cowboys’ travel situation is unprecedented — they’re the first team in NFL history to fly at least 5,000 miles for a game and not get extra rest, and the historical precedent shows teams in that spot get outscored badly early. Another factor to consider is the head-to-head history between these clubs. It has produced an average combined score of 47 points. This game features arguably the worst defense in football that has to be fatigued as well as what has been at best a mediocre defense this season that is charged with trying to slow one of the NFL’s top-tier offenses. This has all the makings of a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair.
Cowboys vs. Texans: Betting Trends and Stats
- The Cowboys are 2-1 against the spread this season
- The Texans are 0-3 against the spread last season
- Dallas is 3-0 to the OVER this season
- Houston is 1-2 to the OVER this season
Cowboys vs. Texans: Quarterback Matchup
- Dallas: Dak Prescott
2026 Statistics: 3GP, 730 Passing Yards, 7 TDs, 1 INT, 80.0 Passer Rating - Houston: C.J. Stroud
2026 Statistics: 3GP, 794 Passing Yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 87.3 Passer Rating
Cowboys vs. Texans: Top Playmakers
Cowboys
- WR CeeDee Lamb
2026 Statistics: 3GP, 20 Receptions on 25 Targets for 309 Yds, 3 TDs - TE Jake Ferguson
2026 Statistics: 3GP, 9 receptions on 11 targets for 72 Yds, 3 TDs - RB Javonte Williams
2026 Statistics: 3GP, 43 carries for 169 Yds, 1TD / 10 receptions on 12 targets for 56 Yds, 1 TD
Texans
- RB David Montgomery
2026 Statistics: 3GP, 37 carries for 103 Yds, 2 TDs / 7 receptions on 7 targets for 48 Yds, 1 TD - TE Dalton Shultz
2026 Statistics: 3GP, 19 receptions on 25 targets for 205 Yds, 0 TDs - WR Xavier Hutchinson
2026 Statistics: 3GP, 9 receptions on 21 targets for 120 Yds, 0 TDs
Cowboys vs. Texans: Injury Update
Cowboys
- DT Jonathan Bullard (undisclosed) has been declared OUT for Sunday’s game
- LB DeMarvion Overshown (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- CB Cobie Durant (undisclosed) is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game
- FS Malik Hooker (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- CB Shavon Revel Jr. (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- S Jalen Thompson (hamstring) has been declared OUT for Sunday’s game
Texans
- WR Nico Collins (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- G Ed Ingram (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- DT Mario Edwards Jr. (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- DE Jadeveon Clowney (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
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