Halloween will give us one last treat on Sunday Night when the Minnesota Vikings host the Dallas Cowboys. This has the appearance of a trick for the Cowboys though. Dallas opened as a short favorite per the NFL betting odds and the sharp money has come in on the side of the Vikings. Both teams had last week off in order to get healthy, and that should help Minnesota a little more as Dalvin Cook is such an integral part of their offense.
The Dallas Cowboys will head to the North Star State to take on the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, October 31, 2021, at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
NFL Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Dallas Cowboys -1
Minnesota Vikings +1
Total 54.5
There are concerns about Dak Prescott’s health coming into this game. Prescott is dealing with a calf injury, and Mike McCarthy told the media on Wednesday that "He's going to practice and he's going to go through the individual part of it and he's in the game plans. He's preparing to play. He's got to cross the threshold to make sure he's full-go."
That isn’t a ringing endorsement that Prescott will see the field. He is considered questionable to play, and either Cooper Rush or former Carolina signal caller Will Grier will get the start if Prescott is unable to play on Sunday night. This offense would certainly take a big hit without Prescott, as he is completing 73.1% of his passes for 1,813 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Dallas has one of the best ground games in the NFL with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard leading the way. Elliott has run for 521 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 5.1 YPC, while Pollard has run for 366 yards and a touchdown, averaging 6.0 YPC. They are running behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, but they won’t be nearly as effective if Prescott can’t play on Sunday.
CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Dalton Schultz could all reach 1,000 yards this season. They have been Prescott’s top targets all year, and each player has at least 30 receptions and 350 yards.
Minnesota is excellent at getting to opposing quarterbacks. The Vikings lead the NFL in sack rate, and they have 21 sacks in six games. Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter have combined for 10 sacks, but their propensity to rush the quarterback has led to this defense ranking in the bottom five against the run.
Kirk Cousins is coming off a great game against Carolina. Cousins is having another fine season, completing 69.5% of his passes for 1,769 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. Justin Jefferson is one of the NFL’s top receivers with 41 receptions for 542 yards and three touchdowns, and Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn have been great in complementary roles.
This offense is predicated on a strong run game with Dalvin Cook leading the way. Cook has averaged at least 4.5 YPC every season throughout his career, and he is coming off the best season of his career. He has been unable to stay healthy for an entire regular season through five years in the NFL, but Cook is extremely effective when he is on the field.
Vikings vs. Cowboys Prediction
If Prescott is healthy, this would be a nice opportunity to take Dallas at a discounted price. The Cowboys match up well with the Vikings, and they can run the ball on this front seven. Prescott’s health is key though, so pay close attention to what Mike McCarthy says about his star quarterback over the next few days.
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