The Dallas Cowboys return to action this Monday night, and at 3-4, they will be fighting for their playoff lives. They’ll have a better idea of just how meaningful the game is based on the Washington Redskins’ results on Sunday, but beating the Titans will be pivotal regardless.

Dallas is not only 3-4 straight up on the year, but they are also 3-4 against the spread. They are 1-0 against the AFC this season, however, after demolishing the Jaguars at home a few weeks ago.

The Line: Cowboys -6.5. Over/Under 40.5 Points

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys return from their week 8 bye to face the 3-4 Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football. Dallas has been very much up-and-down this season, quite literally rotating between wins and losses each week.

While the defense has been rather impressive this season, they’ve still had their struggles. Though their safety play has been the most inconsistent unit within the defense, Washington gashed the Cowboys run defense time and time again during their week 7 game.

In an attempt to overcome their vertically-challenged start to the 2018 season the Cowboys traded for wide receiver Amari Cooper and fired offensive line coach Paul Alexander. How much these moves will actually improve the team is yet to be seen, but it will all start on Monday night.

Tennessee Titans

Like their opponent this week, the Titans have been incredibly inconsistent throughout 2018. Tennessee is coming off a bye for this Monday nighter, having previously lost to the Los Angeles Chargers in London during week 7.

Tennessee has an impressive overtime victory against the Eagles, but has also looked absolutely inept on offense at times this season. It’s hard to know what team you’ll be getting week to week, though the advanced numbers spell out a team which should probably be picking top 10-12 come the 2019 NFL Draft.

I wrote more in depth about who the Titans are and what to expect from them on Monday earlier this week for Inside The Star.

Tennessee is 3-4 straight up on the season and 4-3 against the spread.

Trends

• The Titans are 3-2 against the spread their last 5 games, but they are 1-4 straight up over that same stretch.
• The score total has hit the under 5 of the Titans’ last 6.
• The score total has hit the under 9 of the Cowboys’ last 11.
• The Cowboys are 4-1 straight up their last 5 games at home, and 2-1 at home against the spread this season.
• Dallas is 3-3 their last 6 games against AFC opponents.

Prediction

It’s feeling increasingly meaningless to make predictions about NFL games, but here we go nonetheless. OddShark’s projections believe the Cowboys both win and cover the spread on Sunday, and I’m inclined to believe they’ll win as well.

Will they cover the 6.5 point spread is a totally different question, so I’ll take Tennessee +6.5 on Monday night, though I think Dallas wins the game straight up.