How to bet on Dallas Cowboys vs. Cleveland Browns

Will either offense shine with the strength of these two defenses?

The Cleveland Browns host the Dallas Cowboys during the late afternoon timeslot on the first Sunday of the 2024 NFL season. This game could be a defensive battle, as the Browns and Cowboys both finished 2023 with top-five defenses in terms of DVOA. Each team features a star edge rusher in the Browns’ Myles Garrett and the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons, who could wreak havoc on quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson all afternoon. 

WHO	Dallas Cowboys vs. Cleveland Browns
WHERE	Huntington Bank Field | Cleveland, Ohio
WHEN	Sunday, September 8 at 4:25 p.m. EST
HOW	FOX, NFL Sunday Ticket

How to bet on Cowboys vs. Browns

The Cowboys and Browns are two historic franchises with strong fanbases who love to bet on their teams. While points may be at a premium in this game, it should still be an intriguing matchup for the sports betting community. Let’s take a look at some tips for betting on Cowboys vs. Browns.

Comparing the best sportsbooks

For both veteran and novice sports bettors alike, one of the keys to success is studying the betting odds and lines at multiple different sportsbooks. The betting lines and associated odds can vary from one sportsbook to the next, and spotting these differences can be very helpful in a successful betting strategy. It can make the difference between winning or losing a bet and it can also help you earn the biggest profit when you win your bets. 

To better understand this, let’s dive into the current betting lines and betting odds for Cowboys vs. Browns at some of the top NFL sportsbooks:

Market	FanDuel	DraftKings	BetMGM	Caesars
Cowboys spread	+2.5 (-110)	+2.5 (-110)	+2.5 (-110)	+2.5 (-115)
Browns spread	-2.5 (-110)	-2.5 (-110)	-2.5 (-110)	-2.5 (-105)
Cowboys moneyline	+120	+110	+115	+115
Browns moneyline	-142	-130	-135	-135
Over	Over 40.5 (-118)	Over 41 (-112)	Over 40.5 (-110)	Over 41 (-110)
Under	Under 40.5 (-104)	Under 41 (-108)	Under 40.5 (-110)	Under 41 (-110)

The most important thing to notice about these odds is the 0.5-point difference in the total (or Over/Under). The lines at FanDuel and BetMGM are set at 40.5, while DraftKings and Caesars have set the line at an even 41. If you want to bet the Under on this game, then DraftKings would be the sportsbook for that bet. If the game finishes with exactly 41 total points, then that bet would be a push at DraftKings, but it would be a loss at FanDuel or BetMGM. DraftKings also has slightly better odds than Caesars on the Under, which means a slightly better payout on a winning bet.

Similarly, any bettors taking the Cowboys’ moneyline would want to place those bets at FanDuel, since +120 is the best Cowboys moneyline odds. A winning bet of $100 would yield an additional $5 in profit at FanDuel compared to BetMGM or Caesars, and $10 more than at DraftKings.

Comparing the best sportsbook promos

Let’s say you’ve done some odds shopping and decided that you want to place a bet at BetMGM because they have the best odds for your bet. But there is one problem: you don’t have a BetMGM sportsbook account. Fear not! Not only is it very easy to sign up for a sportsbook, but there are also exciting bonuses just for signing up and placing your first bet. 

Before signing up for any sportsbook, do some research into the current sign-up promotions and make sure you know how to claim the benefits. Here is a summary of the current best sportsbook promos at four of the best online operators:

Sportsbook	Current Welcome Offer
FanDuel	Bet $5, get $200 in bonus bets, plus three weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket
DraftKings	Bet $5, get $250 in bonus bets, plus one month of NFL+ premium
BetMGM	Get up to $1,500 back as bonus bets if your first real-money bet loses
Caesars	Get up to $1,000 back as a bonus bet if your first real-money bet loses

Basically, you have two types of promotions: either a “Bet and Get” promotion or a “First Bet Insurance” promotion. At FanDuel and DraftKings, you just have to “bet” $5 with real money and you “get” either $200 or $250 in bonus bets, which you can use to place new bets without risking any real money. 

With the “First Bet Insurance” promotions at BetMGM and Caesars, you can get either $1,500 or $1,000 in bonus bets, but only if you place your first real-money bet for those amounts and it loses. Big bettors might find those promotions more appealing, while bettors with a smaller bankroll may prefer the FanDuel and DraftKings promotions. 

It’s also worth noting that FanDuel and DraftKings are currently offering additional benefits with trials of two popular NFL streaming services. Most sportsbook welcome bonuses do not include these extra perks, which are around the start of football season, so users can get even more value from a sign-up bonus when these special promotions are running.

Betting insights on Cowboys vs. Browns

We discussed the two dominant defenses in this game earlier, so let’s talk a bit about the offense. The Browns are hoping to get a resurgent season from franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has been disappointing since Cleveland paid a hefty price to acquire him from the Houston Texans in 2022. Perhaps the offseason addition of wide receiver Jerry Jeudy will help. 

Speaking of hefty prices, the Cowboys finally gave star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb a new contract right before the season. Now they are hoping Lamb will be ready for week 1 after he missed all of training camp during his contract negotiations. If he plays, Lamb gives Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense one of the best offensive playmakers in the NFL. 

Here are a few reasons to bet on either side of this Cowboys vs. Browns matchup. 

Why to bet on the Cowboys

While both of these teams have dominant defenses, the Cowboys are the team that also led the league in scoring last season. There are some questions about the Cowboys’ offense. They lost three starters on the offensive line as well as starting running back Tony Pollard. Reports from training camp have been very positive about rookie offensive linemen Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe, so Dallas should once again have one of the best offensive lines in the league. As long as that unit can protect Prescott, the Cowboys’ offensive talent with Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson gives them a major leg up in this matchup. 

Why to bet on the Browns

Just like last season, the Browns are going to succeed or fail in 2024 on the strength of their dominant defense. We just mentioned that the Cowboys are expected to start two rookies on their offensive line. As promising as a rookie might look in training camp, lining up against Myles Garrett in a real game is an entirely different story. The Browns’ defense was dominant at home last season, holding opponents to a league-best 13.7 points per game. If they can do that this week, then the offense should be able to score enough points to win.