Monday Night Football odds, NFL prediction, spread, line: Cowboys vs. Texans picks by Dallas expert who's 25-9

Teams looking to snap losing streaks will clash when the Houston Texans battle the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. Houston is coming off a 26-23 loss to the Detroit Lions, while Dallas dropped a 34-6 decision to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Texans (6-4), who lead the AFC South, have dropped two in a row and three of four. The Cowboys (3-6), who are third in the NFC East, have lost four straight and will be without starting quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) for the rest of the year. Houston put wide receiver Stefon Diggs on injured reserve this week with a knee injury, but will get back fellow receiver Nico Collins.

Kickoff from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Houston is a 7.5-point favorite in the latest Cowboys vs. Texans odds from the SportsLine Consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 41. Before you make any Texans vs. Cowboys bets or NFL picks, make sure to check out the NFL predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine expert Larry Hartstein, considering his mastery of picks involving Dallas.

A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed working for Pro Football Focus. He tied for 52nd place (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, going 53-34-3 ATS. Hartstein's weekly Vegas contest selections form the basis of his NFL best bets column, which is 79-48-2 (62.2%, +25.95 units) since its inception in 2022. He's also an amazing 25-9 (+1490) on his last 34 NFL picks involving the Cowboys. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.

Now, Hartstein has locked in on Texans vs. Cowboys and just revealed his coveted NFL picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and NFL betting lines for Cowboys vs. Texans:

• Cowboys vs. Texans spread: Houston -7.5
• Cowboys vs. Texans over/under: 41 points
• Cowboys vs. Texans money line: Houston -360, Dallas +280
• HOU: Texans are 4-5-1 against the spread in their last 10 games
• DAL: Cowboys are just 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games
• Cowboys vs. Texans picks: See picks at SportsLine
• Cowboys vs. Texans streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)

Why the Texans can cover

Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud has completed 207 of 329 passes (62.9%) for 2,371 yards and 12 touchdowns with six interceptions and an 89.1 rating. He has also carried 32 times for 148 yards (4.6 average), including one explosive play of 25 yards.

Running back Joe Mixon is also a key part to the offense and has carried the Texans' rushing attack. In seven games this season, he has rushed for 100 or more yards five times. In a 29-27 season-opening win over the Indianapolis Colts, he carried 30 times for 159 yards (5.3 average) and one touchdown. For the season, he has rushed 151 times for 655 yards (4.3 average) and seven scores. See who to back at SportsLine.

Why the Cowboys can cover

With starting quarterback Dak Prescott out, Dallas will turn to seventh-year veteran quarterback Cooper Rush. A Cowboys backup since 2017, he has played in 28 career games, completing 59.7% of his passes for 1,831 yards and nine touchdowns. His best season came in 2022, when he appeared in nine games and completed 94 of 162 passes (58%) for 1,051 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions.

Rush's top target is fifth-year veteran wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. He is Dallas' leading receiver with 59 catches for 681 yards (11.5 average) and four touchdowns. He has nine explosive plays, including a long of 65 yards, and has 288 yards after the catch and 30 first-down conversions. See who to back at SportsLine.

How to make Cowboys vs. Texans picks

Hartstein has analyzed Texans vs. Cowboys from every possible angle, and while we can tell you he's leaning Under the total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. Find out what it is, and which team to back, at SportsLine. 

So who wins Texans vs. Cowboys on Monday Night Football, and what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Texans vs. Cowboys spread to back, all from the expert who is 25-9 on picks involving the Cowboys, and find out.

Where to bet Monday Night Football

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