The Dallas Cowboys will try to stay in the race in the struggling NFC East when they take on the Baltimore Ravens in a rare Tuesday night game at M&T Bank Stadium. With a win on Tuesday, the Cowboys (3-8) can pull within one game of the division-leading Giants (5-7) with four games to play. Dallas already has beaten New York once and ends the season against the Giants. On Tuesday, the Cowboys will face a 6-5 Ravens team that is vying to be in the NFL playoff picture.

Kickoff is set for 8:05 p.m. ET. Baltimore is a nine-point favorite in the latest Ravens vs. Cowboys odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 45.5. Before locking in any Cowboys vs. Ravens picks or NFL predictions, check out what SportsLine's resident Baltimore expert, Mike Tierney, has to say. 

A national sportswriter whose work appears in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Tierney has covered the NFL for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. He prefers to evaluate each game from the underdog's point of view and has used that philosophy to dominate the NFL, going 66-44 against the spread in 2019 and 63-46 in 2018.

Tierney entered the 2020 season with a 282-222 record at SportsLine (2016-19) on all NFL picks, returning $3,704 to $100 players. 

He also has had a sharp eye for the tendencies of the Ravens, posting a remarkable 16-7 record in his last 23 against-the-spread picks involving Baltimore. Anyone who has followed his NFL picks is way up.

Now, Tierney has looked at Ravens vs. Cowboys from every possible angle. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are the NFL lines and trends for Ravens vs. Cowboys: 

  • Ravens vs. Cowboys spread: Baltimore -9
  • Ravens vs. Cowboys Over/Under: 45.5
  • Ravens vs. Cowboys moneyline: Baltimore -420, Dallas +340
  • BAL: Ravens rank third in rushing (157.6 yards per game)
  • DAL: LB Jaylon Smith is tied for sixth in tackles (100)

Why the Ravens can cover

Baltimore faces a struggling quarterback in Andy Dalton. In six games this season, the quarterback, who's filling in for the injured Dak Prescott, has thrown as many interceptions (five) as touchdowns. In the team's most recent game against Washington, he threw for just 215 yards, had a touchdown pass and an interception, all while averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt. 

Dalton will face a Ravens pass defense that is coming off a strong performance against the previously-undefeated Steelers. In that game, Baltimore limited Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a measly 5.2 yards per attempt and a passer rating of 81.0. Even though the Ravens allowed a touchdown pass, they also snagged one interception.

Why the Cowboys can cover

Dallas faces a Baltimore team that's not equipped to take advantage of the Cowboys' biggest weakness on defense: defending the pass. No team in the NFL throws less than the Ravens. They average 174.2 passing yards per game, which is next to last in the league. They also have thrown just 16 touchdown passes, which is tied for 20th. 

In addition, Dallas has the advantage of rest on its side. The Cowboys last played on Thanksgiving, giving them 11 days rest entering the game. Meanwhile, Baltimore played on Wednesday, giving the Ravens just five days rest.

How to make Ravens vs. Cowboys picks

Tierney has analyzed this matchup, and while he's leaning over on the total, he has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing it here. 

So who wins Cowboys vs. Ravens? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Cowboys vs. Ravens spread you should be all over Tuesday, all from the expert who is on a 16-7 run on picks involving Baltimore.