Raiders vs Cowboys Odds, Pick, Prediction: NFL Preseason Preview

With the NFL preseason winding down, my Raiders vs. Cowboys pick will be my last one of the month.

We all know the deal with the final week of preseason action: rested starters galore – though there will also be some battles for remaining roster spots.

After breaking down Raiders vs. Cowboys odds and the personnel that we’re expected to see from both teams on Saturday night, I have a pick I believe strongly in.

The Raiders are 2-0 in preseason, which gives Josh McDaniels an overall 8-6 preseason record heading into Saturday night.

There have been plenty of solid performers for the Raiders over these past few weeks, but one player in particular has stood out: quarterback Aidan O'Connell.

The 2023 fourth-round pick out of Purdue has simply been exceptional. He's been so good that if the NFL had a preseason MVP award, he'd likely be one of the favorites.

Across two games, O'Connell is 26-for-36 for 304 yards and three touchdowns. A strong performance against the Cowboys, and he could overtake Brian Hoyer as Las Vegas' backup QB. And given Jimmy Garoppolo's spotty track record of staying healthy, we may see O'Connell at some point during the regular season.

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It's certain that we won't see Dak Prescott or any of the Cowboys' premier talent in this game. Head coach Mike McCarthy has been vocal about injury risk in preseason, so he won't risk his top players.

With Prescott sidelined, Will Grier and Cooper Rush have handled quarterback duties. While they're both reasonable backups, neither has dominated.

Grier has tallied a decent amount of yardage and has two touchdown passes, but he has also thrown an interception in each game. The Raiders defense might be lacking depth, but they'll have their opportunities to force turnovers in this spot.

While we won't see the Cowboys' best, we will get to see Deuce Vaughn, who's been one of the most fun players of the preseason. The 5-foot-5 running back has rushed for a touchdown in each game thus far.

Quarterback play matters, and it's one of the main factors that determines which team wins. I'd argue that it's multiplied in preseason when there can be major variance among backup quarterbacks.

For that reason, I have to back the Raiders to cover. O'Connell has been lights out, and with that QB2 spot waiting to be taken from Hoyer, I think he'll put on a show.