NFL picks 2021: Week 8 Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings picks and analysis

Let’s take a look at the predictions for a possible Cowboys win on Sunday.

The Dallas Cowboys are going on the road this week to take on the Minnesota Vikings in a Week 8 clash. Dallas is sporting a 5-1 record that comes with a five-game winning streak. The Vikings have clawed their way to a 3-3 record and sport an array of talent at the skill positions on offense.

Our friends over at DraftKings Sportsbook currently have the Cowboys as 2.5-point underdogs against the Vikings. The Cowboys started as two-point favorites and that ballooned, but things have changed now that the status of Dak Prescott appears in doubt. The folks over at FiveThirtyEight have the Cowboys at a 49% chance of winning, while ESPN has them at 50.7%. The status of Prescott seems to have created a toss-up scenario.

You can follow the link here for the win percentages of every game for Week 8. You can also get a list of picks for all the games of Week 8 at this location.

As for the Cowboys game, let’s see what people are thinking.

Pro Football Talk

MDS’s take: Look for Dak Prescott to have a big night in a Cowboys win that’s more lopsided than expected.

MDS’s pick: Cowboys 31, Vikings 20.

Florio’s take: I’ll reserve the right to change this on Sunday night, if Dak Prescott can’t play. With Dak, the Cowboys are in a different class than the Vikings.

Florio’s pick: Cowboys 28, Vikings 24.

Easy covers here.

Bleacher Report

The Minnesota Vikings might be the healthier, better-rested team at home Sunday night, but the visiting Dallas Cowboys have won five games in a row—the last four of which have come by at least six points.

With that in mind, even with Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott dealing with a calf injury, five of our six pickers are happy to lay less than a field goal with Dallas on the road.

“If Prescott was completely healthy, this line would be bigger and I wouldn’t think twice about taking Dallas on the road,” O’Donnell said. “However, despite the potential of a limited Dak and the Vikings having the best version of Kirk Cousins the Vikes have seen in a long time, I still have little-to-no confidence in taking them against good football teams. A good football team is what Dallas has proven to be by ripping off five wins after their opening night loss to Tampa Bay. I’ll take the better football team in this one, even if I need a field goal’s worth to get the W.”

Keep in mind that while Prescott isn’t 100 percent, the Cowboys could have key offensive players La’el Collins and Michael Gallup back from injury.

The Vikings barely beat the Lions and Panthers before their bye, and you essentially have to buy that they’ll win this one straight-up to pick ‘em here. That’s pushing it.

Predictions

Davenport: Dallas

Gagnon: Dallas

Kenyon: Minnesota

O’Donnell: Dallas

Rogers: Dallas

Sobleski: Dallas

Score Prediction: Cowboys 30, Vikings 24

Almost everyone is taking Dallas with a projected score to cover the spread.

Pro Football Network

This has the makings of a fun Sunday Night Football game. However, the Cowboys’ offense should ultimately prove too strong for the Vikings. Dallas is averaging 10 points more per game on offense than Minnesota. Meanwhile, defensively, there is just a two-point difference between their per-game performances in 2021.

Cowboys vs. Vikings Prediction: Cowboys 34, Vikings 27

Another easy cover.

Sporting News

The Cowboys are 6-0 ATS and coming off a bye week, but Minnesota had a bye week too and is home. Mike McCarthy knows this road trap well from his days with Green Bay. Minnesota relies on Dalvin Cook and a tough defense to keep Cowboys off the field. The Vikings make it a clean sweep of NFC North underdogs that win this week. It’s another SNF classic.

Pick: Vikings 30, Cowboys 27

We have a Vikings prediction.

Over at CBS Sports, you have four of eight NFL writers choosing the Cowboys to cover the spread.

The betting line and odds on this game are constantly changing due to the unknown of Dak Prescott’s availability.