Cowboys vs Seahawks Preseason Picks and Predictions: Offenses Exceed Expectations in Emerald City

In a wide-open NFC, the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys will have lofty expectations this year. Saturday’s preseason matchup gives both teams a chance to fine-tune their rosters.

The Seahawks largely sat their starters against the Minnesota Vikings last Thursday in their preseason opener but still came away with a 24-13 win, led by a steady performance from Drew Lock (191 passing yards with two touchdowns and a pick). 

A similarly eye-catching quarterback outing from Will Grier (199 passing yards with two touchdown passes and an interception) kept the Cowboys afloat in Saturday’s 28-23 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now both teams have to decide whether to sprinkle in some minutes for their starters this weekend with the regular season just three weeks away.

We take a closer look at this August 19 battle in our free Cowboys vs Seahawks NFL picks and predictions.

Cowboys vs Seahawks odds

Cowboys vs Seahawks predictions

Backup quarterback play can be wildly erratic, but we’ve got two of the more stable situations here on Saturday with the Seahawks’ Drew Lock and the Cowboys’ Will Grier and Cooper Rush expected to do most of the heavy lifting.

Lock has appeared in 24 NFL games (25 TDs and 20 interceptions), and that was apparent last week as he got the upper hand on the Minnesota defense. Seattle completed 21 of its 26 passes and didn’t miss a beat when third-choice Holton Ahlers entered the game.

That bodes well for a matchup against a Dallas team likely to be without their defensive aces. Jacksonville threw for 269 yards against the Cowboys’ backups, and Seattle should have similar success, especially if rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba suits up again and other starters feature for a few series.

At this stage, it feels likely that we’ll see a combination of Grier and Rush under center for the Cowboys again this weekend, as the visitors try to limit the wear and tear for Dak Prescott. But I expect the offense to run smoothly and put up 20+ points. Rush guided Dallas to a 6-3 mark while filling in for Prescott last season, so the visitors have that solid foundation next to Grier, who completed 22 of his 31 passes against the Jaguars. 

Dallas gave the keys to electric running back Deuce Vaughn at times last Saturday, and he rewarded them with some elusive runs on the way to 50 rushing yards and a touchdown, along with three catches. With a talented group of young receivers to ensure a varied gameplan, the visitors should be able to move the ball consistently.

Even in a contest that will tilt heavily towards reserves and players fighting to make the final roster, both of these teams have the tools to breeze past the total. I’m taking the Over.

My best bet: Over 40.5 (-110 at bet365)

Cowboys vs Seahawks spread and Over/Under analysis

The 7-point line is a slight surprise for a preseason game with so many question marks around the number of minutes for key players. Yes, we’ve come to expect a homefield edge for Seattle, but this feels like a stretch in the preseason.

Though the hosts have won four of the last five meetings, it’s an entirely different cast of characters for Saturday’s game and it’s tough to lay that many points with the Seahawks given the offensive weapons that the Cowboys can call on.

While the hosts held the Vikings to just 13 points last time out, I’m not jumping to any conclusions about this Seattle defense, particularly with ongoing position battles likely to mean frequent personnel changes. Last week’s scoreline may say more about the Minnesota depth chart than anything else. 

The Cowboys are coming off a free-scoring preseason opener which served up 51 total points. A repeat of that would blow past the Over/Under mark on Saturday (40.5) — and rookies like Vaughn and Smith-Njigba bring explosive playmaking to the table. 

The total minutes for the teams’ starters is the ultimate wildcard here, but I’ve already picked the Over with the expectation that the overall quarterback play will be above and beyond the typical preseason level.

Cowboys vs Seahawks betting trend to know

The underdog is 6-2 ATS in the past eight meetings. Find more NFL betting trends for Cowboys vs. Seahawks.

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