A few weeks ago, the Dallas Cowboys vs Washington Commanders regular-season finale had all the makings of being flexed into primetime. With Dallas on a beeline for the playoffs, and Washington having turned its season around after a 1-4 start, this matchup had the potential to carry massive playoff stakes.
With kickoff just days away, the game’s lost a ton of its luster.
After boasting over 70% odds to make the playoffs three weeks ago, Washington utterly collapsed. You’ll remember the Commanders jumping out to a 10-0 lead against the Giants four weeks ago. They blew that lead, tied, and then lost three in a row (two at home), culminating in a three-interception performance from Carson Wentz in a must-win game Sunday against the then-six-win Browns.
The Commanders have since been eliminated following the Packers throttling of Minnesota, so they technically have nothing to play for in Week 18.
That’s a plus for the Cowboys, but it also leaves them unsure of whom Washington will play at quarterback. Will Wentz get one final send-off? Is Taylor Heinicke back under center? Will rookie Sam Howell make his first career start?
It’s anyone’s guess, but the early betting odds reflect the direction of both teams: the Cowboys are widely expected to win on the road.
Cowboys vs Commanders Odds for Week 18 finale
The Cowboys are -4.5-point road favorites, according to Fan Duel. Expect that line to change quickly once Washington makes a decision on its starting quarterback. In the meantime, Dallas and the Commanders both have -110 odds to cover. On the moneyline, the Cowboys are -200 to win outright, while Washington is +168.
The over/under for Sunday checks in at 41.5 points. Pretty low for a Cowboys game, but Washington hasn’t scored more than 20 points in six weeks. The over has -115 odds, while the under has -105 odds, via FanDuel.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Cowboys vs Commanders Prediction for Week 18 finale
At full-strength, Washington represents a tough matchup for Dallas. Their bruising rushing attack led by Brian Robinson could cause headaches for the defense — as could their receiving trio of Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel — but the Cowboys handled this same team with Cooper Rush in Week 4.
Add Dak Prescott’s career 9-1 record against Washington to the mix, and Dallas should absolutely win this game. They need to win to keep their NFC East and No. 1 seed hopes alive, and the Commanders have nothing to play for and could be without key defenders Jonathan Allen, Kamren Curl and Benjamin St-Juste.
Regardless of who’s under center for Washington, we like the Cowboys to complete another season sweep of their division rivals.
Prediction: Cowboys 27, Commanders 17
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