Dallas Cowboys v Houston Texans: Prediction, Tips and Odds

The final game of NFL Week 11 pits two Texan teams against each other in the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, and the visitors have an ideal opportunity to boost their playoff prospects.

The Cowboys are having a miserable time, with starting quarterback Dak Prescott ruled out for the rest of the season after having hamstring surgery and they are on a four-game losing run, which has left them at 3-6 and well off the pace in the NFC East.

The Texans have a far better chance of making the playoffs this season as they lead the AFC South, which is arguably the weakest division in the league. They are 6-4 but also have a point to prove after losing their last two games against the Jets and Lions.

DeMeco Ryans' team have not always looked like the dynamic outfit they were in their run to the divisional round of the playoffs last season, but they are strong favourites on the road for what is only their seventh meeting with their near-neighbours since they joined the league in 2002.

Dallas Cowboys v Houston Texans prop bets - tips and predictions 

Joe Mixon first touchdown scorer - 11/4

The Texans have won only two of their six all-time meetings with the Cowboys, but if they are to justify their short price to win on Monday night then running back Mixon looks a prime candidate to get the party started.

Mixon has done a fantastic job in his first season with the team since joining from the Cincinnati Bengals and has 655 rushing yards in his first seven games, including five outings with more than 100.

He is also a touchdown-scorer backer's dream, failing to reach the end zone only once so far. He also has a habit of putting points on the board early in games and has been his team's first touchdown scorer in their last four games. 

Mixon's eight-yard run against the Lions last week and his three-yard score against the Jets before that were also the first touchdowns of the game and he looks worth backing to get the first TD of the match in Arlington.

Jake Ferguson over 35.5 receiving yards - 10/11

The Cowboys' passing game was virtually non-existent against the Eagles last week, as Cooper Rush managed just 45 passing yards before being benched for Trey Lance, who added 21 but also threw an awful interception. 

Lance, once a first-round pick of the 49ers, had also thrown five interceptions in his final pre-season game against the Chargers and those mistakes have persuaded head coach Mike McCarthy to start Rush again, despite his limitations.

Rush's favourite receiver against the Eagles proved to be tight end Ferguson, who led the team with just 24 receiving yards from four receptions. Struggling quarterbacks often fall back on simpler passes to their tight ends and Ferguson should have a good chance of beating his low receiving yards line of 35.5.

Ferguson has gone over that mark in half of his eight games this season, including tallies of 95 yards against the Ravens, 70 against the Steelers and 71 against the Falcons. He has been targeted more than seven times per game on average this season and should be involved in whatever the Cowboys can put together offensively in the game.

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Dallas Cowboys v Houston Texans money line, spread, over/under

	Money Line	Spread	Over/Under
Cowboys	29/10	+7.0 - 20/21	Over 41.5 - 10/11
Texans	10/37	-7 - 20/23	Under 41.5 - 10/11

Dallas Cowboys v Houston Texans spread pick: Texans -7 - 20/23

The Texans have not quite hit the heights of last season when they became a slick and prolific offence as the year wore on, but they have shown enough to suggest they can see off a moribund Cowboys squad without too much trouble.

Dallas fans have witnessed four home losses at AT&T Stadium already this season and three of them have been hugely one-sided, with the Saints winning 44-19, the Lions hammering the Cowboys 47-9 and the Eagles crushing them 34-6 last week.

The Texans had a let-down of their own the last time they played in a primetime slot, losing 21-13 to the Jets in the Thursday night game two weeks ago, but they put in a much-improved effort when taking on NFC pacesetters the Lions last week.

Houston led 23-7 at half-time and must still be kicking themselves at letting that game slip away, as they lost 26-23 to a field goal as time expired.

They got much closer to the Lions than the Cowboys had, though, and their offence is set to be boosted by the return of wide receiver Nico Collins after a spell on injured reserve.

With running back Mixon in fine form this year, the visitors can have high hopes of scoring a clear-cut success.

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.