Vikings at Cowboys: Our Official Score Prediction
The Minnesota Vikings have not won back-to-back regular season games in about one year, but they will get a chance on Sunday night at the Dallas Cowboys. Unfortunately, our writers do not expect it.
From cautious blowout forecasts to a few stubborn upset whispers, this breakdown shows exactly how our writers see Vikings–Cowboys unfolding and where the final score is most likely to land.
Oddsmakers aren’t high on Minnesota, either, picking Dallas to prevail by about six points. If the Cowboys win, Dak Prescott and friends will maintain a 14% chance of reaching the postseason. Dallas must win their remaining four games to have a shot.
How Our Writers Are Picking Vikings–Cowboys in Week 15
Our writers’ take on Cowboys-Vikings.
Individual Writer Forecasts
One might think that a 31-0 shutout of the team that reached the NFC Championship last year would propel our staff to pick Minnesota in Week 15. No such luck.
Dustin Baker: DAL Wins, 28-20
Sean Borman: DAL Wins, 28-27
Janik Eckardt: DAL Wins, 27-20
Josh Frey: DAL Wins, 27-24
Henrique Gucciardi: MIN Wins, 31-27
Wesley Johnson: DAL Wins, 23-20
Kyle Joudry: DAL Wins, 26-24
Adam New: DAL Wins, 30-20
Tony Schultz: DAL Wins, 27-17
Ted Schwerzler: DAL Wins, 28-24
Ali Siddiqui: DAL Wins, 24-20
Cole Smith: DAL Wins, 21-17
Last weekend, Ali Siddiqui most accurately forecast the outcome, picking Minnesota to beat Washington to win by 10. The Vikings won by 31-0.
Season Running Standings
Here’s a look at how everyone has fared through 14 weeks:
Sean Borman: 8-5
Janik Eckardt: 8-5
Ted Schwerzler: 8-5
Ali Siddiqui: 8-5
Kyle Joudry: 7-6
Cole Smith: 7-6
Dustin Baker: 6-7
Adam New: 6-7
Josh Frey: 6-7
Wes Johnson: 6-7
Tony Schultz: 5-8
Henrique Gucciardi: 5-8
After being down bad about a month ago — no one over .500 — the top of our panel has really rallied. Borman, Eckardt, Schwerzler, and Siddiqui lead the way.
Blogging the Boys‘ Sayre Bedinger predicted Cowboys wideout George Pickens to drop 150+ receiving yards on Brian Flores’ defense.
He opined, “The Minnesota Vikings’ defense has not allowed more than 150 total yards through the air since November 16. They have not allowed more than 200 total passing yards since November 2. In fact, in 13 games this season, they’ve given up 200-plus passing yards as a team just three times.”
“Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores doesn’t let teams throw on him, but George Pickens is going to take what happened last week against the Detroit Lions personal. Richard Sherman was calling him out as the story of the game due to his lack of effort. A bad dropped pass resulted in an interception. Pickens clearly didn’t give full effort on a well-thrown deep ball from Dak Prescott. But he’s going to bounce back this week and do to the Vikings what really nobody has done to them all year: Dominate.”
The Collective Voice Prediction
Facing a Cowboys team with a fabulous offense and usually awful defense, our staff collectively predicts Dallas to defeat Minnesota by a score of 26-22.
Cole Smith said of the contest, “The defense can only keep the Cowboys’ high-flying offense out of the endzone so long.”
He may not be wrong.
From Others
Cowboys.com‘s Patrik Walker picked Dallas and explained, “Fact is, the Cowboys are a better team at home than they are on the road. And having seen them recently take down the last two Super Bowl winners at AT&T Stadium, and in a span of only four days, I’m inclined to chalk up the loss to the Lions as their usual struggles on the road.’
This won’t be an easy one to try and use as a bounceback game, though. I’m willing to mostly ignore the 31-0 beatdown the Vikings gave the Commanders, because it was an aberration. That’s a team that averages less than 13 points per game in their eight losses, a putrid statistic.”
Sportsbooks also believe Dallas will win tight by a score of 27-22.
Walker added, “Defensively is where they shine, so Dak Prescott better be ready for a blitz-heavy unit led by Brian Flores that wants to speed up his clock, and to clean it, as well. If the Cowboys get out to a rare fast start and force JJ McCarthy to be a hero, the rest, I believe, will handle itself.”
“And this game is simply too important for Dallas, so they have to show up, right? One can certainly hope so. I think if Dallas scores 27 points, they move to 7-6-1 with three left to play. 28-17, Cowboys.”
If Minnesota loses — as everyone pretty much expects — it will be formally and mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.
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