The Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys will kick off their preseason slates on Saturday when they meet in Arlington, Texas. Both teams are coming off playoff appearances from a year ago. Jacksonville reached the divisional round of the postseason after securing the AFC South title with a 9-8 record. Dallas also bowed out in the divisional round after placing second in the NFC East with a 12-5 mark.
Kickoff from AT&T Stadium is set for 5 p.m. ET. Jacksonville is a 4-point favorite in the latest Cowboys vs. Jaguars odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 37.5. Before making any Jaguars vs. Cowboys picks or bets, you need to see the NFL predictions and betting advice from proven SportsLine expert Larry Hartstein.
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed while working for Pro Football Focus. Hartstein tied for 52nd place (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, going 53-34-3 ATS. Those selections formed the basis of his SportsLine NFL best bets article, which finished 36-25-1.
In addition, Hartstein has gone 16-4 on his last 20 picks involving the Cowboys, returning $1,150. Anybody who has been following him is way up.
Now, Hartstein has set his sights on Cowboys vs. Jags and just locked in his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Now, here are several NFL betting lines and trends for Jaguars vs. Cowboys:
- Cowboys vs. Jaguars spread: Jacksonville -4
- Cowboys vs. Jaguars over/under: 37.5 points
- Cowboys vs. Jaguars money line: Jacksonville -195, Dallas +162
- JAX: The Jaguars are 4-0 against the spread in their last four road games
- DAL: The Cowboys are 6-2 ATS in their last eight home games
- Cowboys vs. Jaguars picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Jaguars can cover
Backup quarterback Nathan Rourke is expected to take most of the snaps, along with last year's backup C.J. Beathard. The latter is the clear No. 2, but Rourke has looked sharp and will get plenty of chances against Dallas. Rourke played the last two seasons with British Columbia of the CFL, starting nine of 10 games in 2022. He completed 78.7% of his passes, connecting on 255 of 324 attempts for 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed 39 times for 304 yards and seven scores.
Also expected to see action is second-round draft pick Brenton Strange. The tight end out of Penn State is in a battle for snaps this season. The 22-year-old played parts of four years for the Nittany Lions, playing a large role the past three. In 2022, Strange caught 32 passes for 362 yards (11.3 average) and five touchdowns, including a season-long 67-yarder. See which team to pick here.
Why the Cowboys can cover
Dallas is set with Tony Pollard as its lead ball-carrier, but from there, the competition is wide open. Look for the Cowboys to get a deep look at a number of backs. One of those is veteran Malik Davis. The second-year player from Florida played in 12 games last season. He rushed 38 times for 161 yards (4.2 average), including two explosive plays of 20 or more yards, and one touchdown. Last year during the preseason, he played in all three games with one start, carrying 31 times for 132 yards and a touchdown.
With veteran Ronald Jones expected to sit the game out with a groin injury, another running back trying to make the roster is Rico Dowdle, a fourth-year player out of South Carolina. Dowdle played in five games for the Cowboys a year ago, almost exclusively on special teams. During the 2022 preseason, he started two games and carried 22 times for 80 yards and one touchdown. While at South Carolina, he played parts of four seasons, carrying 428 times for 2,172 yards and 16 touchdowns. See which team to pick here.
How to make Jaguars vs. Cowboys picks
Hartstein has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he's leaning Under the point total, he has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
Who wins Cowboys vs. Jaguars, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Hartstein's Jaguars vs. Cowboys picks, all from the red-hot expert who is 16-4 on Dallas picks, and find out.
