Dallas @ Las Vegas preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 26, 2017 ) Oakland 20, Dallas 24

The Dallas Cowboys have won two straight to climb back into postseason contention but they face another team battling for its playoff life when they visit the Oakland Raiders on Sunday night. Trendy choices to win division titles entering the season, both Dallas and Oakland sit one game out of the final playoff slot in their respective conferences.

"I think the two of us probably expected to have a few more wins at this point in the year," Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said of his team and the Cowboys. "We are where we are and we’re looking forward to playing.” Dallas re-entered the postseason conversation by amassing 68 points in beating up on NFC East rivals Washington and New York, but there are still four teams in front of the Cowobys for the last wild-card berth in the NFC. “Coach (Jason) Garrett talks about it all the time, that the only thing that matters is what we do now,” veteran tight end Jason Witten said. “I mean, you don’t know how it’s all going to play out here in the next few weeks, but let’s give ourselves the best chance.” With its final two games on the road, Oakland may have squandered its best chance of securing the AFC West title by suffering a lopsided 26-15 loss at Kansas City last week in a showdown for first place.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Cowboys -3. O/U: 46

ABOUT THE COWBOYS (7-6): Dallas scored a combined 22 points in losing three in a row following the six-game suspension to star running back Ezekiel Elliott, but it had its second straight 30-point performance as Dak Prescott threw for three touchdowns and a career-high 332 yards against the Giants. Running back Rod Smith had 160 yards from scrimmage with both a rushing and receiving touchdown for the Cowboys, who will get Elliott back for the final two games against Seattle and at Philadelphia. Star wideout Dez Bryant has a touchdown reception in each of the past two games but has failed to reach 100 yards this season. Dallas has caused a league-high 20 forced fumbles and had four of its nine interceptions in the past two games.

ABOUT THE RAIDERS (6-7): Oakland was a no-show for much of last week's loss, falling into a 26-point hole before putting up a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to make the final score look respectable. Derek Carr has thrown six interceptions in the past six games -- matching his total from the 2016 season -- and the big-play element is missing from the passing game with wideout Amari Cooper eclipsing 62 yards once this season and looming as a question mark for Sunday after aggravating an ankle injury early in last week's loss. Marshawn Lynch has rushed for a touchdown in each of the past three games but he has more than 14 carries only twice in the last 11 games.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Prescott has a 114.4 passer rating with eight TDs and zero interceptions in his last five road games.

2. Carr has 21 scoring passes versus five interceptions in his 10 games at home.

3. Cowboys DE Demarcus Lawrence is second in the NFL with 13.5 sacks and has eight in his last six on the road.

PREDICTION: Cowboys 23, Raiders 20