Fans of a different era will remember when a matchup between the Dallas Cowboys (3-3-1) and the Denver Broncos (5-2) would have been must-see television. These NFL franchises had a combined 14 Super Bowl appearances before the turn of the century, including Super Bowl XII when the Cowboys defeated the Broncos 27-10.
That era of dominance has largely been forgotten. Dallas hasn’t qualified for the NFL finale since the 1990s, and Denver relied heavily on an aging Peyton Manning to win their second Lombardi trophy nearly a decade ago.
While Sunday’s game doesn’t have a Super Bowl appearance riding on the line, the importance of winning cannot be understated. The Cowboys can inch closer to the Philadelphia Eagles with a win while Denver can continue to exert its control over the AFC West with a victory.
Will the homesteading Broncos buck the Cowboys on Sunday? We’ll answer that and provide bettors with our three favorite player prop wagers for this afternoon affair.
After spending two seasons as the offensive coordinator, first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer has continued attacking opponents’ pass defenses. That’s thanks to having one of the league’s best quarterbacks at his disposal.
Dallas has ranked among the league’s top passing attacks in two of the past three years with Prescott under center. This season, he’s completed 71.4 percent of his passes for 1,881 yards, 16 touchdowns, and only three interceptions.
Denver’s defense has surrendered passing yards in bunches. Four of the Broncos’ seven opponents have finished with 280 or more passing yards. Expect Prescott to add his name to that list on Sunday, covering his passing prop total.
The Broncos have a big-play running back in veteran J.K. Dobbins. The 5-foot-10 athlete has posted 523 rushing yards on 105 carries, and he’s scored four times on the ground in 2025. He’s also caught seven passes for 22 yards, showing his versatility in Denver’s offense.
After a great start to the regular season, Dallas’ rushing defense has faltered. In back-to-back weeks, the Jets’ Breece Hall and Carolina’s Rico Dowdle finished with over 100 rushing yards against the Cowboys. That’s why Dobbins is primed to have a big day on Sunday, and he’ll finish with at least 73 rushing yards against Dallas.
Cowboys fans couldn’t have been happier last week when star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb returned to action. After missing multiple games, Lamb pulled off a five-catch, 110-yard performance against Washington to help Dallas post a dominant victory over Washington.
His return is bad news for the Broncos. Denver’s defense has allowed multiple receivers to surpass 70 yards on the season despite having one of the league’s top cornerbacks. Expect Lamb to do the same on Sunday, covering his player prop bet total.
Denver has posted incredibly close wins over the past three weeks. The Broncos have outscored opponents by a combined seven points, including last week’s improbable 33-32 victory over the New York Giants.
Dallas is finally healthy offensively, and it showed last week. The Cowboys dominated Washington, posting a 44-22 victory over the Commanders. It was their third non-loss in four outings, an improvement over their 1-2 start.
With both teams seemingly at full force, this should be an exciting game. Expect the Cowboys to pull this one out, earning a victory over the Broncos to cover their 3.5-point spread despite playing on the road.