The Dallas Cowboys are set to play in Jacksonville, Fla. for the first time in 16 years and they come with a 10-3 record and no shortage of impressive statistics.
Dallas has scored the third most points in the NFL this season and it has allowed the second fewest. On paper, that means the Cowboys should run through the 5-8 Jacksonville Jaguars with ease.
But oddsmakers have set the Jaguars as just a four-point underdog in Week 15, due mostly to the excellent play of Trevor Lawrence as of late. The No. 1 pick of the 2021 NFL Draft has thrown 10 touchdowns with no interceptions in his last five games and the Jaguars somehow find themselves in the postseason hunt with four weeks left in the regular season.
Two teams are playing with a whole lot at stake and the oddsmakers at BetMGM have offered plenty of player prop bets Sunday. Here are five that look like winners for the meeting of the Cowboys and Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field:
Foye Oluokun - Over tackles + assists (9.5)
This feels like absolutely easy money.
Oluokun entered Week 15 as the NFL’s leading tackler as he’s been credited with 142 total tackles (solo and assisted combined) through the Jaguars’ first 13 games.
He’s been especially effective as of late with at least 14 tackles in the Jaguars’ last three games.
There’s no reason not to expect the same kind of showing from Oluokun against Dallas, a team that’ll aim to grind away at the Jaguars with the running back duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard.
Marvin Jones Jr - Over longest reception (16.5)
Marvin Jones Jr. doesn’t see the ball often these days with Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram absorbing the majority of the targets in the Jaguars offense.
But when he does get the ball, Marvin Jones usually gets yardage in big chunks. Last week, his only reception against the Titans was for 22 yards. Before that he caught only one pass against the Lions for 17 yards. Against the Chiefs, his only reception was a 33-yard gain.
The No. 2 ranked pass defense of the Cowboys could be tough for Trevor Lawrence to crack, but the Jaguars will — as they always do — pass the ball often and spread the ball around. It could only take one throw to Jones to get a win on this prop.
Riley Patterson - Over points (5.5)
Patterson’s point total being set at just under six is a little bit puzzling when you consider he’s kicked at least two field goals tries in five straight games.
Offensively, the Jaguars have been a mediocre red zone team with touchdowns on 53.2 percent of their trips inside the 20, 17th best in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Cowboys defense has allowed the third fewest red zone touchdowns.
Even if the Jacksonville offense is rolling all day and converting trips down the field into touchdowns, it’d only take a field goal and three extra points to get to six points.
Patterson has hit that total in eight of the Jaguars’ 13 games this season and four of his last five.
Dalton Schultz - Over receiving yards (44.5)
Few teams have struggled more with opposing tight ends in 2022 than the Jaguars.
The Ravens even managed to get two tight ends — Mark Andrews and Josh Oliver — to at least 50 yards each against the Jaguars defense. Last week, it was Titans rookie Chigoziem Okonkwo who had 45 yards and his first touchdown in two months against Jacksonville.
That bodes well for Schultz, who had an 87-yard day against the Texans last week.
After a knee injury slowed him earlier in the year and kept him out in Week 6, Schultz has averaged 50 yards in his last seven games. There’s no reason to expect that average to drop Sunday.
Travis Etienne Jr - Anytime touchdown (-120)
After a three-game stretch with four touchdowns earlier in the season, Etienne has cooled down significantly.
The second-year back has averaged just 33.5 yards per game over the last four weeks and hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 9.
That could change in Week 15 against a Cowboys defense that isn’t stellar against the run. While Dallas is second in the NFL against the pass, it’s 22nd against the run and is No. 18 in rushing yards allowed per carry.
That sets the stage for the Jaguars to run the ball more often than usual and give Etienne plenty of opportunities to finally get back into the end zone. The -120 odds for an anytime touchdown are great value for a player as explosive and important to the Jaguars offense as Etienne.
