2 Best NFL Player Props for SNF: Cowboys vs Vikings

Dallas, off a mini bye week, returns to action for Cowboys vs Vikings on Sunday Night Football. 

In addition to the pregame spread and total, bettors can now find NFL odds for player props at the BetMGM online sportsbook. 

Below, I’ve outlined a pair of player prop predictions for the conference matchup. Odds are reflective at time of writing and are subject to movement. 

Cowboys vs Vikings Prediction: Player Props

George Pickens Over 75.5 Receiving Yards (-115)

Pickens struggled last week against Detroit, notching only 37 receiving yards. It marked only the second time since Week 4 that he finished with under 78 receiving yards. 

Week 15 gives Pickens a more favorable matchup schematically. The Lions play a heavy rate of man coverage, whereas the Vikings deploy a lot of zone. 

Pickens has dominated zone coverage this season. While acknowledging CeeDee Lamb’s absence played a role, Pickens racked up 737 yards against zone this season. 

Prior to playing Detroit, Pickens faced two zone-heavy schemes with Lamb available. He notched 88 receiving yards against Philadelphia and 146 against Kansas City. 

Additionally, he should rack up yards in a hurry against Minnesota. The Vikings rank 29th in DVOA against deep throws, per ftnfantasy.com. 

That’s concerning, given Minnesota has faced only three quarterbacks ranked 10th or better in EPA per play. 

Both Jordan Love and Sam Darnold finished with under 150 yards, but it came in blowouts. Jared Goff, in a close game, threw for 284 yards against the Vikings. 

Even if this game proves a blowout for Dallas, I expect it comes because of the pass game. Accordingly, I predict a bounce-back game for Pickens against a weaker defense. 

J.J. McCarthy Over 199.5 Passing Yards (-115)

McCarthy has cleared this number only once this season. Last week, in what proved to be his easiest defensive opponent, McCarthy posted his best completion percentage despite only 163 yards. 

Dallas’ passing defense simply isn’t trustworthy. The unit ranks 30th in pass defense DVOA and has not performed well against easy opposition. 

A few weeks ago, Geno Smith threw for 238 yards against Dallas. All the way back in Week 5, Justin Fields threw for 283 yards against the Cowboys. 

Minnesota sits right between those teams in pass offense DVOA. They enter this matchup 29th in pass offense DVOA, with McCarthy facing an average defensive ranking of +8.7%. 

We’ve seen McCarthy succeed against some bad defenses. In addition to the aforementioned performance against Washington, he cleared 240 against Baltimore at home. 

Struggling against the Bears isn’t encouraging, but Dallas remains his easiest opponent to date. 

Plus, Dallas ranks 32nd in DVOA over the middle and over the deep middle. The defense also ranks 30th in DVOA against WR1s. 

That could allow for a breakout game from McCarthy and Justin Jefferson. Accordingly, I predict the Vikings quarterback will clear a low number against a bad defense. 

Anytime Touchdown Scorer Odds: Cowboys vs Vikings