On Sunday Night Football, two of the NFL’s most illustrious teams will play one other in front of a sizable television audience.
On Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Dallas Cowboys at Acrisure Stadium in a crucial interconference match that is sure to have playoff ramifications. After defeating the New York Giants 20–15 on Thursday, Dallas is 2-2 and 2-0 away from home, while the Steelers are 3-1 and coming off their first loss of the season on Sunday against the Colts in Indianapolis.
Every team has a sizable and fervent fan following, which should result in a massive audience. It might turn out to be 2024’s most watched regular-season game.
Here are five wagers to look for at the best PA sportsbooks for the Sunday Night Football Week 5 game if you’re interested in participating in the action and live in Pennsylvania or any other state where sports betting is permitted.
1. Steelers -1.5
Why to wager on this: Since Pittsburgh hasn’t won a game by less than three points in over two years, the Steelers are -2.5 favorites on the point spread at almost all other sportsbooks. Even that is a favorable spread listing.
However, the wager is considerably more favorable to hitting if you pick the Steelers to win by two or more points. Only two games in the whole NFL have been decided by a single point this season, and Pittsburgh would only lose if it won by one.
Since quarterback Justin Fields recorded 312 passing yards last week—his highest in a Pittsburgh uniform and the second-highest in his NFL career—the Steelers offense was uncorked. Given that the Dallas defense will probably be without its front-four players, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, following their injuries against the Giants last Thursday, he should once more be able to take advantage of their weakness.
Expect Fields to have a fantastic game, and while you’re at it, you might want to look into this wager as well.
2. Justin Fields Over 45.5 Rushing Yards
Reasons to wager on this:Fields, who is 2-2 against this prop number, just finished a week ago with 55 rushing yards on 10 carries.
When playing a run-heavy club like the Steelers, the Cowboys are giving up the sixth-most rushing yards per game (145.8), which is not the number you want to see. Against the Colts, Fields started to do the RPO with elegance in the second half. If given the chance on Sunday night, he should do so once more.
Fields may receive more scrambling opportunities than Harris, despite the fact that Harris’ rushing prop (Over 64.5 at FanDuel) is equally alluring.
In 11 of his last 17 games, Fields has rushed for more than 46 yards. See if he can make it 12 out of 18.
3. Dak Prescott Over 34.5 Pass Attempts
Reason to bet: Despite being 2-2 against this number, Preston is making 37.25 attempts per game on average this season. Prescott has averaged 35.2 throws per game over the last two seasons, and Dallas has a 152-87 pass-run play differential this season.
Since Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott are unlikely to succeed against Pittsburgh’s third-ranked rushing defense nonetheless, the Cowboys don’t really try to run the ball, which is fine this week. After being thrashed for 132 running yards by the Colts on Sunday, the Steelers should be proudly stout once more. They are giving up 86.8 yards against per game.
Additionally, even though Prescott will be without wide receiver Brandin Cooks, if Pittsburgh falls behind and keeps Dallas behind the game script, it will only encourage Prescott and coach/play caller Mike McCarthy to pass the ball.
4. CeeDee Lamb Anytime Touchdown Scorer
Why to bet on this: Given the low odds for an anytime touchdown, this would make a great parlay leg. Given that Dallas is probably going to be without Cooks, Lamb, who has two goals in four games, could be set for another big game.
Once more. Pittsburgh has only allowed one rushing touchdown this season, which is insignificant compared to the four passing throws it has allowed, and Dallas rarely runs the ball. Lamb is also averaging roughly 0.5 passing touchdowns every start, which adds up to his season-long totals.
As demonstrated by his 55-yard reception against the Giants on Thursday night, Lamb can also take a hot-route catch while a blitz is being set up and take it to the house.
Given Prescott’s probable amount of throws and the team’s ailments, it’s also important to take into account Lamb’s catches (Over/Under 6.5) and receiving yards (76.5). However, Lamb has been Prescott’s favorite receiver for years, so finding him for a touchdown on Sunday night should be OK.
5. Over 44 Points
Why to bet this: We’ll take the 44 O/U number at BetMGM because you could have to pay a small odds tax on the 43.5 number.
The Cowboys are still averaging 24 points and giving up 26 points per game, despite being shut out by the Giants on Thursday night. Fields should be able to dominate the Dallas secondary, which still does not have injured cornerback DaRon Bland in the lineup, in the absence of two of the team’s finest defensive players.
In terms of points allowed (13.3), Pittsburgh’s defense might be the second-best in the league. However, it seems that the Cowboys can hold their own against the best of the greatest. Even if the Pittsburgh defense might end up flummoxing Dallas, the team has scored 24 points or more in two of its last four games, both of which were against AFC North opponents.
That should leave this game as a fight between two titans and two effective offenses, meaning that either team—in my scenario, the Steelers—will win 31-28 or 30-27.