The Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1) host the Minnesota Vikings (5-8) in the Week 15 edition of Sunday Night Football. Kickoff from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. SNF will broadcast on NBC and Peacock..
The Cowboys are 5.5-point favorites over the Vikings on the spread (Cowboys -5.5), with the over/under set at 47.5 points. Dallas is a -270 favorite to win outright on the moneyline; Minnesota is +220 to pull off the upset.
Below, you can find our Vikings vs Cowboys picks for Sunday Night Football, which include predictions for the spread, game total and player props.
Vikings vs Cowboys Picks & Predictions
| Game | Time (ET) | Best Bet |
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Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NFL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Sunday Night Football Odds
- Vikings vs Cowboys Moneyline: Vikings +220, Cowboys -270
- Vikings vs Cowboys Spread: Vikings +5.5, Cowboys -5.5
- Vikings vs Cowboys Total: 47.5
Vikings vs Cowboys odds via bet365
Vikings vs Cowboys Spread Prediction
Nearly two-thirds of all betting tickets are on the Cowboys' side, which is not a good sign for the home team based on the public's track record in 2025.
The Vikings are coming off their best performance since they went on the road and defeated the Lions at Ford Field back in Week 9. Minnesota’s defense held the Commanders to just 4.2 yards per play a week ago in a shutout victory.
The Cowboys offense is substantially better than Washington’s and they are one of the most explosive in football. However, the Vikings allow only 2.3 chunk gains of 20+ yards per game, which is a league-low.
The Vikings not only limit explosive plays, but they don’t break in the red zone regularly — teams have scored touchdowns in the red zone against them at just a 46% rate, making their defense third-best league-wide in this crucial area of the field.
The adjustment Vikings head coach Kevin O’ Connell has made to this offense, and specifically to J.J. McCarthy, is to make sure he is designing plays to get the ball out of his hands more quickly.
McCarthy’s snap-to-throw time was his fastest of the season thus far in last week’s game and it resulted in a season-high completion percentage of 69%. This will help negate the effective pass rush of the Cowboys and stress a vulnerable secondary.
I am willing to play the Vikings at +5.5, but make sure you line shop for a +6. I’d also look to grab +6.5 if the price is -115 or better.
Pick: Vikings +6.5 (-115); bet to +5.5
Vikings vs Cowboys Over/Under Pick
By Billy Ward
What If JJ McCarthy isn’t that bad?
Vikings' fans and the general NFL zeitgeist have mostly written off the second-year QB as a bust, following his repeated “soft benching” and poor play this season.
However, the former top-10 pick has made just seven starts in the league after missing his rookie season due to injury, so he is effectively midway through his rookie season.
It’s an important question to ask, because McCarthy being totally inept is the only way I can see Sunday Night Football failing to produce points.
The Cowboys have scored the third-most points in the NFL while allowing the second-most, and the Vikings' defense is slightly above average at best.
McCarthy completed 16 of 23 passes in an efficient performance last week against the Commanders, and while that only amounted to 163 passing yards, that was still good enough for 31 points in a shutout win.
If he can match those numbers against a worse defense this week, this game could easily turn into a shootout.
So, I’m taking the over, despite the line moving up from 45.5 to 47.5 this week.
Pick: Over 47.5 (-110)
Vikings vs Cowboys Player Props: Jordan Addison Anytime TD
Jordan Addison has had a rough stretch of games recently, but he's had tough matchups and game scripts where the Vikings weren't forced to throw the ball, which shouldn't be the case for this game.
The Cowboys have been the worst pass defense in the league this season, and while they have improved since the trade deadline, their pass defense is still well below average.
Addison has been a touchdown monster over the course of his career, with 23 TDs in 42 games.
I have the true odds on Addison scoring around +200, making this a great bet.
Pick: Jordan Addison Anytime Touchdown (+260)
Vikings vs Cowboys Player Props: CeeDee Lamb Longest Reception
By Brit Devine
CeeDee Lamb has hit the over on this number in eight of his nine full games played this season, which alone makes this a great play. It also looks great against a blitz-heavy Vikings' scheme.
The Vikings are the most blitz-happy team in the league on defense, which solidifies Lamb as an elite play, as he leads Dallas in every category that matters when the defense blitzes the Cowboys.
Dak Prescott ranks 3rd in the league in accurate throw rate when blitzed, and he ranks 2nd in catchable ball rate when blitzed.
There should be plenty of opportunity for Lamb to have a big play in this one.
Pick: CeeDee Lamb Longest Reception Over 25.5 Yards (-114)
Vikings vs Cowboys Player Props: JJ McCarthy Passing Yards
I bet this prop last week and it didn't turn out great, but this line is similar. McCarthy looked good last week, and this spot is much better.
While the Cowboys' defense has improved to be middle of the pack against the run, they are still well below average against the pass. They have allowed the most passing yards per game on the season and have been much worse at home.
The Vikings are 6.5-point 'dogs in this game, so they likely will end up in a pass-heavy game script in the second half (unlike last week where McCarthy barely threw the ball in the second half).
Head coach Kevin O'Connell has dumbed down the offense for McCarthy, and it paid off last week, with McCarthy playing the best game of his professional career.
I have McCarthy projected for almost 30 yards over this number, making this a great bet.
Pick: JJ McCarthy Over 191.5 Passing Yards (-112)
