Texans vs. Cowboys odds, prop bets, ATS predictions for MNF: Dallas puts Houston on upset alert

The Dallas Cowboys attempt to end their gruesome four-game home losing streak when they face the AFC South-leading Houston Texans on Monday night (8:15 ET, ESPN/ABC).

Dark clouds have been hanging over the Cowboys (3-6), and they got darker two weeks ago with the season-ending hamstring injury to star QB Dak Prescott. It's now up to backup Cooper Rush to lead the way.

DraftKings prices the Cowboys at +4500 odds to make the NFL Playoffs, which translate to a 2.2% chance of advancing. 

The Texans (6-4) have been struggling, too, having lost three of their past four, but they have a 1.5-game division lead over Indianapolis. It remains to be seen whether their collapse at home against Detroit last week leaves a mark. Houston blew a 23-7 second-half lead in falling 26-23 on Sunday night.

MNF odds for Texans vs. Cowboys: Spread, total, moneyline for NFL Week 11 clash

Houston opened as a 7.5-point favorite last Sunday night in Las Vegas. The line dipped to -7 plus added juice at top NFL betting sites. The over/under has hovered in the 41-41.5 range during most of early wagering, after sitting as high as 42 points.

Here are live odds from top online sportsbooks for the Texans vs. Cowboys game. 

The Texans are 4-5-1 against the spread. The Cowboys are 2-7 ATS. On the O/U chart, Dallas games have gone OVER in five of nine outings. Texans games have gone UNDER in eight of 10.

Shop around: Best sportsbook promos 

Texans vs. Cowboys trends to know

1. Houston QB C.J. Stroud has been sacked 34 times this season, second most in the league. Twelve have come the past two weeks.

Dallas' pass rush, meanwhile, came on strong last week with the return of LB Micah Parsons (ankle) and the play of rookie LB DeMarvion Overshown. They had two sacks apiece, harassing Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts, who went down five times. That was particularly impressive since the Eagles were operating with both first-team tackles for the first time in five weeks. Philly still won, 34-6.

2. The Texans lost last week to Detroit despite having a plus-3 turnover advantage. Only three weeks earlier, Houston also had a plus-3 edge and fell to Green Bay.

In all other games this season, teams with a plus-3 TO advantage have gone 14-0.

3. Dallas holds the series lead against the Texans 4-2, including its last-minute 27-23 victory against visiting Houston in 2022. 

Three things to watch: Will Rush let it fly?

1. Rush, 5-2 in his career as a starter, was 13-for-23 passing for only 45 yards last week. Things probably aren't going to improve much if he keeps throwing to receivers one yard down field.

2. The Texans this week get back WR Nico Collins, their biggest deep-threat receiver. He missed the past five games with a hamstring injury.

Collins' average of 113.4 yards a game is tops in the league. His return is especially important in the wake of the injury to WR Stefon Diggs (knee) in Week 8. 

3. The Cowboys rank 31st in rushing yards. But RB Rico Dowdle could find running room against a Houston line that is missing DT Folorunso Fatukasi (foot) and last year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, DE Will Anderson Jr (ankle).

Houston RB Joe Mixon could find running room, too, as Dallas' rush defense also ranks 31st. But last week, he averaged only 1.8 yards on 25 rushes against Detroit.

Texans vs. Cowboys prop bets and anytime TD scorer odds

For bettors seeking additional action besides who wins and by what score, there are many options. Here are prop bet offerings from top sports betting apps, including DraftKings, BetMGM and FanDuel. Caesars and Bet365 also have lots of prop markets

Anytime TD (DraftKings)

• Texans RB Joe Mixon: -170
• Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle: +135
• Texans defense/special teams: +280
• Cowboys defense/special teams: +450

Passing yards (DraftKings)

• Texans QB C.J. Stroud 250-plus: +125
• Cowboys QB Cooper Rush 250-plus: +650

Team to score in all four quarters (FanDuel)

• Texans: +145
• Cowboys: +460

Team sacks (FanDuel)

• Cowboys 5-plus: +280
• Texans 5-plus: +850

Team victory margin 25-30 points (BetMGM)

• Texans: +1200
• Cowboys: +10000
• (Dallas already has lost home games by 25 and 28 points)

Texans vs. Cowboys betting predictions: Dallas is the choice as home underdog

It's about time the Cowboys put on a good show at home and not cause stadium work crews to have to child-proof the owner's box. 

Despite getting pummeled by the Eagles, the Cowboys defense had Hurts flustered early in last week's game. They also held running sensation Saquon Barkley to 23 yards on six carries in the first half. There's hope the unit has improved with Parson's return and now can play a complete game.

Prediction: Cowboys +7; Under 41.5 points