Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings 10/31/21 - NFL Picks & Predictions
The Dallas Cowboys will hope to keep their five-game win streak intact when they go on the road to US Bank Stadium to take on the Minnesota Vikings. Dallas lost in week one to defending champion Tampa Bay but has since rattled off five straight wins with a 35-29 overtime win on the road in New England. The Vikings battled back from a 1-3 start with a win at home versus Detroit and surviving a road trip to Carolina with a 34-28 overtime win to get to 3-3.
Dallas has one of the best offenses in the NFL this season with the return of Dak Prescott, Zeke Elliott continuing to find his stride, and a plethora of weapons in the passing game. The Cowboys lead the NFL in total offense with 460.8 yards per game, as well as scoring offense scoring 34.2 points per game.
Dak has picked up right where he left off pre-injury completing 73.1% of his passes for 1,813 yards (8th in NFL), 16 touchdowns (6th in NFL), and thrown just 4 interceptions. Amari Cooper and Ceedee Lamb have combined for 63 catches for 870 yards and 8 touchdowns. Zeke and flashy backup Tony Pollard have both run the ball efficiently and the Cowboys' offense has been nearly impossible to stop through six weeks.
Dallas’ weak point is their defense but even the defense is starting to turn a corner with the emergence of Trevon Diggs forcing turnovers in the secondary. The Cowboys are still a below-average defense allowing 381.2 yards and 24.3 points per game.
The Vikings similarly have had it all click offensively early in the season with Kirk Cousins looking as good as he ever has at age 33. Cousins is completing 69.5% of his passes for 1,769 yards and has thrown 13 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions, including a couple of late-game drives to put his team in a spot to win the game.
The Vikings are fifth in the NFL in total offense, but it hasn’t always translated to points as the Vikings’ 24.5 points per game is around the middle of the pack. Dalvin Cook has dealt with injures this season and missed a few games, but when he’s out there he is still one of the best racking up 366 yards and two touchdowns in just four games.
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The Vikings have played a ton of close games this season and both of these defenses have had their struggles. This is one of the best offenses the Cowboys have faced since Tampa Bay week one, and I think the Vikings' ability to move the ball through the air and on the ground presents too many challenges for the Dallas defense. Dallas will be unable to get the stops they need defensively and their hype-building win streak stops here on the road. Final score prediction, Vikings win and cover ATS 31-28.