by Rod Pearson
Friday, Sep 18, 2026
Game Time: 4:25 pm ET, Sunday, September 20, 2026
Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Where to Watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Commanders +3.5, Cowboys -3.5; Over/Under: 50.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Commanders +4, Cowboys -4; Over/Under: 50.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Commanders +4, Cowboys -4; Over/Under: 50.5 points
Season Record
Washington Commanders: 0-1 (3rd place, NFC East)
Dallas Cowboys: 0-1 (3rd place, NFC East)
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Recent Form
Washington Commanders: lost their last game on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles 24-22.
Dallas Cowboys: lost their last game on the road against the New York Giants 28-20.
Washington Commanders vs Dallas Cowboys Preview and Analysis
The Commanders are entering this game with a 0-1 record overall and they have a 0-1 record in their divisional games too. They are 0-0 in their home games, 0-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They lost their last game against the Philadelphia Eagles 24-22. Jayden Daniels was the starting QB and he completed 18/34 passes for 164 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Jacory Croskey-Merritt led the team in rushing yards with 63 and 1 TD. Antonio Williams led the receivers with 64 receiving yards on 4 receptions and 1 TD. Nick Cross led the defense in that game with 8 solo tackles while Sonny Styles, Frankie Luvu, and Odafe Oweh each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
The Cowboys are entering this game with a 0-1 record overall and they have a 0-1 record in their divisional games too. They are 0-0 in their home games, 0-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against the New York Giants 28-20. Dak Prescott was the starting QB and he completed 22/34 passes for 175 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Javonte Williams led the team in rushing yards with 41 and 1 TD. CeeDee Lamb led the receivers with 44 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 1 TD. Donovan Ezeiruaku led the defense in that game with 10 solo tackles while Caleb Downs led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Commanders vs Cowboys Prediction
The current betting odds have the Cowboys listed as a 3.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Cowboys haven't looked good in their games this season with their 0-1 record overall and their 0-1 record in the division. They haven't played any home games though and will be playing their home opener here. Meanwhile, the Commanders haven't looked good in their games this season with their 0-1 record overall and their 0-1 record in the division too. They haven't been a good road team either with their 0-1 road record so far. The Commanders are coming off a 24-22 loss to the Eagles in their last one and they were a 2-point conversion away from tying that game, but they needed a late comeback just to put themselves in that position. The Eagles were in control for most of that game and that is troubling since the Eagles didn't look great themselves. The offense was really choppy for the Commanders as they had trouble moving the ball all game and the defense still has a lot of issues from last season, having one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year. The Cowboys didn't look any better in week 1 with a 28-20 loss to the Giants and the Giants were in complete control of that one. The Cowboys were punched in the mouth right from the start and never really had a good response. The Giants have been one of the worst teams in the NFL the last few years, but they looked a lot better with a competent head coach now. The Cowboys aren't nearly as bad as the way they played in week 1 and they will be looking to bounce back at home with another divisional game. They did have one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season, but that defense has improved and did look a lot better in week 1. They also had one of the best offenses in the NFL last season and still have all of that talent to cruise through this bad Commanders defense. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cowboys to cover the spread in this game.
Commanders Cowboys Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, September 20, 2026 (4:25 pm ET start time) is Cowboys 34 Commanders 20.
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NFL Betting Trends
Washington Commanders: 6-3 ATS in September games. 5-2 ATS on the road after playing their last game on the road. 24-14 OVER in all games. 17-6 OVER as an underdog. 13-1 OVER as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points. 11-6 OVER after playing their last game on the road.
Dallas Cowboys: 3-9 ATS as a favorite. 2-10 ATS in all games where the total is greater than or equal to 49.5. 9-15 ATS against conference opponents. 25-10 OVER in all games. 12-5 OVER in home games. 9-3 OVER in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 45.5.
Key Injuries
Washington Commanders: J. Kinlaw (DL) Injured - Back. C. Paul (OG) Injured - Ankle. F. Luvu (LB) Injured - Groin. C. Okonkwo (TE) Injured - Hamstring. J. Lane (WR) Injured - Groin. C. Omenihu (DL) Injured - Ankle. O. Oweh (LB) Injured - Calf. D. Payne (DL) Injured - Knee. K. Allen (RB) Injured - Ankle. T. Owens (S) Injured - Ankle. D. Armstrong (LB) Injured - Knee. K. Chaisson (LB) Injured - Knee.
Dallas Cowboys: M. Hooker (S) Injured - Forearm. D. Overshown (LB) Injured - Hamstring. J. Houston (LB) Injured - Shoulder. A. Cornelius (OT) Injured - Knee.
Notable Quotes
“The miscues I thought hurt us in this game and those were the margins right there, division games or otherwise.” - Dan Quinn after his team’s loss against the Eagles in their last game.
“It comes down to discipline, and we had some self-inflicted wounds. I own that, and they own that.” - Brian Schottenheimer after his team’s loss against the Giants in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Washington Commanders
WR McLaurin, Terry
WR Brown, Dyami
WR Diggs, Stefon
TE Okonkwo, Chig
QB Daniels, Jayden
RB Croskey-Merritt, Jacory
Dallas Cowboys
WR Pickens, George
WR Lamb, CeeDee
WR Flournoy, Ryan
TE Ferguson, Jake
QB Prescott, Dak
RB Williams, Javonte
FB Luepke, Hunter
Statistical Leaders
Washington Commanders
Passing: Jayden Daniels (164)
Rushing: Jacory Croskey-Merritt (63)
Receiving: Antonio Williams (64)
Touchdowns: Antonio Williams (1)
Dallas Cowboys
Passing: Dak Prescott (175)
Rushing: Javonte Williams (41)
Receiving: CeeDee Lamb (44)
Touchdowns: Javonte Williams (2)
Coaches:
Washington Commanders: Dan Quinn (3rd season)
Dallas Cowboys: Brian Schottenheimer (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
