The Dallas Cowboys (1-0) and Arizona Cardinals (1-1) will face off in NFL Preseason Week 2. Kickoff is set for 10:00 p.m. ET from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The game will be broadcast live on NFL Network.
The Cardinals are favored by -1.5 on the spread with the over/under set at 37.5 total points. The Cardinals are a -118 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while the Cowboys are -102 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Cowboys vs Cardinals predictions and NFL picks for Saturday, August 22.
My Cowboys vs Cardinals Prediction
- Cowboys vs Cardinals pick: Cowboys +1.5 (-120 or Better)
My Cowboys vs Cardinals best bet is on Dallas to cover the spread, with the best price currently available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Cowboys vs Cardinals Odds
| Cowboys Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -120 | 37.5 -112o / -108u | -102 |
| Cardinals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +100 | 37.5 -112o / -108u | -118 |
Cowboys vs Cardinals NFL Preseason Preview
At first glance, it may be tempting to give the offensive edge to the Cardinals in their preseason tilt with the Cowboys tonight with how efficient both Gardner Minshew and Kedon Slovis have played thus far in the preseason, but there are legitimate reasons to doubt their continued success.
Arizona will begin this game without the starting offensive line, including the newly injured Chase Bisontis, a player the Cardinals were relying on heavily up front to bolster the interior of their offense.
Another major injury that made headlines this week was Jeremiyah Love at running back. Love handled 14 touches a week ago, averaged 5.3 yards per carry and caught three receptions on checkdowns.
Minshew will not have the services of either player this week like he did against the Raiders.
The Cowboys defense will also make life difficult for both Minshew and Slovis. Dallas boasts a number of young defenders who will see playing time, but some beat reporters around the team seem to be most excited about linebacker Jaishawn Barham. Barham was said to be having an incredible impact for a defense needing an upgrade in linebacker play.
Barham’s debut on Saturday will only add to the depth on defense that performed extremely well in a win at Seattle a week ago.
The Dallas defense surrendered just seven points in what was the most impressive defensive performance of the week league-wide.
The Seahawks, led by veteran Drew Lock at quarterback for a majority of the game, mustered just 156 total yards offensively as the Cowboys completely shut them down to the tune of 3 yards per play.
While the Seattle signal-callers struggled badly, the Cowboys duo of Sam Howell and Joe Milton thrived. They combined to complete 74.1% of their pass attempts without throwing an interception or taking a sack.
Both Howell and Milton tossed scores to rookie star Camden Brown, a receiver making a name for himself in the preseason.
The drumbeat for Brown in training camp making the final roster has been consistent as he is a ball-winner who can deliver big plays in contested-catch situations.
The rushing attack for the Cowboys did not stand out, but two rushers in particular did perform well as both Malik Davis and Israel Abanikanda averaged over five yards per carry in the seven carries each received.
The backup running back position behind Javonte Williams has been fierce, and with Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah dealing with minor injuries, we could see even more of the two most successful runners from a week ago.
Cowboys vs Cardinals Prediction, Betting Analysis
Gardner Minshew definitely brings a veteran presence and a high floor to stabilize any offense in an exhibition game setting, but he won’t be on the field with many of the same players assisting him a week ago.
Sam Howell brings a similar floor to the Cowboys offense and I favor his surrounding cast of characters more as each quarterback is likely to play the first half.
I expect the Cowboys defense to continue to play with excellent effort under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Their young talent should continue to pay dividends that actually translate to wins in the preseason because they need the reps at this stage of their careers in a new scheme.
I'll once again be leaning into the trend of backing short road underdogs of fewer than 3 points – a trend with a 66% success rate against the spread in the preseason since the beginning of the 2024 season.
Take the points with the Cowboys on the road up to -120, or simply bet their moneyline at +100 or better.
Pick: Cowboys +1.5 (-120 or Better); Cowboys Moneyline +100 or better
