Cowboys vs Rams early prediction and odds for Week 5 NFC battle
By fansided
FOX. 2-2. 4:25 PM ET. 123. 51. Cowboys +4.5. 3-1. Sunday, Oct 9
If you predicted that the Dallas Cowboys would be 3-1 after Dak Prescott and several other players went down with injuries after Week 1, I hope you put money on it in Las Vegas. After Week 1, it truly felt like all hope was lost for this franchise and the 2022 season was going to be a wash.
People weren’t too confident in Cooper Rush after a meager preseason performance and the offense looked terrible with Prescott. It was a doomsday feeling for sure.
Yet, fast forward three weeks, and the tables have certainly turned. Rush has not only been a calm, cool, and collected backup, but he has also etched himself into the Cowboys’ history books by securing his fourth win in four starts.
The team finally got Michael Gallup back who wasted no time proving his worth by getting a nine-yard touchdown in Week 4.
Things seem to be looking up. However, Week 5 will bring the most difficult test Dallas has had in a few weeks. The ‘Boys head to Los Angeles to take on the reigning Super Bowl champions at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, and the oddsmakers are not thinking America’s Team will come out on top of the Rams.
Let’s take a look at the opening odds and give a prediction for this NFC battle.
Cowboys vs Rams Odds Week 5
At the time of writing, the Week 5 betting odds on FanDuel have the Cowboys as 4.5-point underdogs on the road in Los Angeles on Sunday. Dallas is +180 on the moneyline, while the Rams are favorites at -215. The total for the game is set at 43.5 points.
We know that the Rams are a big challenge for this team, but 4.5-point underdogs seems like a bit much. To be fair, that number started at six but improved after the Rams’ loss on Monday night. However, DeMarcus Lawrence seems to think being an underdog doesn’t make a difference on this team. It certainly didn’t against Cincinnati in Week 2.
Cowboys vs Rams Prediction Week 5
The Cowboys are likely to be without Dak Prescott again in Week 5. On Monday, head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters that he wants his QB1 to be able to throw for at least a week before starting in a game, and Prescott is still dealing with some swelling. No. 4 is scheduled to meet with a medical specialist on Tuesday to discuss his current status and the potential steps for moving forward.
That means Rush will likely get the start again in Los Angeles. While Rush has done more than ever expected as a backup, the reality is that he faced a weak Bengals team and two not-so-great NFC East teams so far this season. The Rams are no small feat, and there’s a chance his heroic run comes to an abrupt halt at SoFi Stadium.
A bonus for Dallas is that the Rams will have a bit less resting time given they played in Monday Night Football this week. They also played pretty subpar football against the formerly 1-2 San Francisco 49ers.
However, Sean McVay and this squad are still strong. The LA defense has completely shut down the running game against most of their opponents, which will put a lot of pressure on Rush to make accurate throws. The run game has finally improved for Dallas and this may be a week where Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard are pretty quiet.
We expect the score to be low in this one due to the two defensive powerhouses on both sidelines. However, sadly, the Rams may just be a bit too powerful for this Cowboys squad. The defense can only do so much, and the offense still isn’t as strong as they need to be.
We predict a Dallas loss to the Rams by a score of 20-13.
