Saints vs Cowboys Preseason Betting Prediction: Who Will Win Friday Night?

Saints vs Cowboys Preseason Betting Prediction: Get New Orleans vs Dallas odds, spread, player props, same game parlay and best bet.

Saints vs Cowboys Preseason Betting Prediction: Saints vs Cowboys, Who Will Win Today?

The Dallas Cowboys are the best bet to beat the New Orleans Saints in Friday night’s preseason finale at AT&T Stadium. Dallas is currently a 3.5-point home favorite, with the total ranging from 37.5 to 38.5 points.

The strongest case for Dallas comes from the enormous difference between these two teams’ preseason performances. The Cowboys are 2-0, have scored 51 points and allowed only 20. The Saints are 0-2, have scored just 20 points and were shut out 34-0 by the Rams in their most recent game.

Dallas’ defense is allowing exactly 10 points per game, while New Orleans’ offense is averaging exactly 10 points per game. That creates a particularly favorable matchup for the Cowboys.

The line also moved from Dallas -2.5 to Dallas -3.5, confirming that the betting market has moved toward the home team.

The Pick: Dallas Cowboys -3.5

A Summary

The Saints vs Cowboys Preseason Betting Prediction strongly favors Dallas because the Cowboys have been one of the most impressive preseason teams while New Orleans has been one of the least effective.

Dallas opened the preseason with a 17-7 victory over Seattle before dominating Arizona 34-13 last Saturday.

The Cowboys have therefore scored 51 points in two games while allowing only 20.

New Orleans has experienced the exact opposite results.

The Saints lost to Jacksonville 24-20 in Week 1 and then suffered a humiliating 34-0 shutout against the Rams in Week 2.

That leaves New Orleans at 0-2 while averaging only 10 points per game.

The matchup between those numbers is particularly important.

Dallas is allowing 10 points per game, ranking among the league’s best preseason defenses, while New Orleans is averaging 10 points per game offensively, ranking near the bottom of the league.

The quarterback situation also favors Dallas despite Dak Prescott sitting.

Tyler Shough is expected to make his preseason debut for New Orleans and play at least a couple of series. That gives the Saints an opportunity to evaluate their rookie quarterback against Dallas’ defense, but it does not solve the team’s broader offensive problems.

Dallas’ backup quarterbacks have already demonstrated that they can produce points.

The Cowboys scored 34 points against Arizona without needing Prescott.

The home-field advantage, 2-0 preseason record, defensive performance and line movement all point in the same direction.

Best Bet: Dallas Cowboys -3.5

Secondary Bet: Under 38.5

Projected Winner: Dallas Cowboys

Table of Contents

Saints vs Cowboys Preseason Betting Prediction

Saints vs Cowboys Odds

What Is the Point Spread in NFL Betting?

Saints vs Cowboys Same Game Parlay

Saints vs Cowboys Player Props

Why Are the Cowboys Favored?

Dallas Cowboys Preseason Performance

New Orleans Saints Preseason Performance

Saints vs Cowboys Defensive Matchup

Tyler Shough’s Preseason Debut

Dallas Backup Quarterbacks

Saints vs Cowboys Joint Practice

Saints vs Cowboys Follow-Up Questions

Saints vs Cowboys FAQ

Final Saints vs Cowboys Preseason Betting Prediction

Saints vs Cowboys Odds

The Saints vs Cowboys odds currently favor Dallas by 3.5 points at AT&T Stadium.

The total is sitting between 37.5 and 38.5 points, depending on the sportsbook.

Betting Market | Current Number
Dallas Cowboys | -3.5
New Orleans Saints | +3.5
Game Total | 37.5-38.5
Favorite | Dallas Cowboys
Location | AT&T Stadium
Kickoff | 8:00 PM ET
Date | Friday, August 28, 2026
Recommended Side | Dallas Cowboys -3.5

The line originally opened with Dallas as a 2.5-point favorite.

The move to -3.5 represents meaningful support for the Cowboys.

The important point is that the movement isn’t happening in a vacuum.

Dallas is 2-0.

New Orleans is 0-2.

Dallas has scored 51 points.

New Orleans has scored 20.

Dallas has allowed 20 points.

New Orleans has allowed 58.

The statistical profile and the market movement are pointing in the same direction.

What Is the Point Spread in NFL Betting?

The NFL point spread is the number of points a favored team must win by for a wager on that team to cover.

With Dallas listed at -3.5, the Cowboys need to win by at least four points for a Dallas -3.5 wager to cash.

A Saints +3.5 wager covers if New Orleans wins outright or loses by three points or fewer.

Saints vs Cowboys Same Game Parlay

A Saints vs Cowboys same game parlay can be built around Dallas’ defensive advantage and New Orleans’ offensive struggles.

Potential selections include:

Dallas Cowboys -3.5

Under 38.5 points

A Tyler Shough passing prop if his expected workload is substantial

A Dallas offensive player prop based on confirmed playing time

Dallas -3.5 should remain the centerpiece.

The Cowboys have already shown that their backup rotation can score.

They put 34 points on the board against Arizona without Dak Prescott.

At the same time, New Orleans has struggled to generate offense, averaging only 10 points per game.

The Under is also appealing at 38.5 because New Orleans has scored only 20 points in two preseason games.

The biggest threat to an Under wager is Dallas doing too much damage offensively.

A repeat of the Cowboys’ 34-point performance against Arizona would put significant pressure on the total.

For that reason, Dallas -3.5 is the cleaner wager, while the Under is a secondary consideration.

Saints vs Cowboys Player Props

The Saints vs Cowboys player props require particular attention to playing-time announcements because this is the preseason finale.

The most intriguing player prop situation involves Tyler Shough.

Tyler Shough Player Props

Tyler Shough is expected to make his preseason debut for New Orleans.

The Saints have protected him through the first two preseason games, and he is expected to play at least a couple of series against Dallas.

That makes Shough’s debut an important evaluation opportunity.

However, the limited expected workload creates a problem for passing-yard props.

A quarterback can play efficiently while failing to reach an inflated yardage total simply because he does not receive enough possessions.

Shough’s props therefore need to be evaluated against his projected number of series rather than his talent alone.

Dallas Quarterback Props

Dak Prescott is not expected to play.

That is not necessarily a negative for Dallas bettors.

The Cowboys have already demonstrated that their backup quarterback rotation can produce points.

Dallas scored 34 against Arizona in Week 2 without needing Prescott.

That suggests the Cowboys’ offensive system is functioning effectively even when the starters are resting.

Why Are the Cowboys Favored Over the Saints?

The Dallas Cowboys are favored over the Saints because virtually every important preseason indicator points toward Dallas.

The Cowboys are undefeated.

Their offense has scored 51 points.

Their defense has allowed only 20.

The Saints are winless.

Their offense has scored only 20 points.

Their defense has surrendered 58.

The matchup is especially favorable because Dallas’ defensive strength directly attacks New Orleans’ offensive weakness.

The Cowboys are allowing 10 points per game.

The Saints are scoring 10 points per game.

That means New Orleans’ average offensive production is exactly equal to what Dallas has been allowing.

That doesn’t guarantee a low Saints score, but it provides a strong statistical basis for expecting the Cowboys’ defense to control the game.

The spread has also moved from -2.5 to -3.5.

The market is reinforcing the statistical case.

Dallas Cowboys Preseason Performance

The Cowboys have been one of the strongest teams in the preseason.

Dallas opened with a 17-7 win over Seattle.

Then came the dominant 34-13 victory over Arizona.

Across those two games, Dallas has:

Scored 51 points

Allowed 20 points

Averaged 25.5 points per game

Allowed 10 points per game

Remained undefeated

The 34-point performance against Arizona is especially important because Dak Prescott did not need to carry the offense.

Dallas’ depth produced enough offense to win comfortably.

That is exactly what you want to see from a preseason favorite.

Preseason games are largely about evaluating depth, and Dallas has shown that its depth can execute.

New Orleans Saints Preseason Performance

New Orleans has had a completely different preseason.

The Saints lost their opener 24-20 against Jacksonville.

Then things got significantly worse.

New Orleans was shut out 34-0 by the Rams.

That means the Saints have scored only 20 points in two games.

Their average of 10 points per game ranks near the bottom of the preseason offensive standings.

More concerning is how the offense responded against Los Angeles.

The Saints could not find the end zone at all.

That makes Friday’s matchup against a Dallas defense allowing only 10 points per game particularly challenging.

The Saints need Tyler Shough to provide a spark.

But expecting a rookie quarterback making his preseason debut to immediately transform a struggling offense against one of the league’s better preseason defenses is a difficult proposition.

Saints vs Cowboys Defensive Matchup

The defensive matchup is arguably the most important component of this Saints vs Cowboys Preseason Betting Prediction.

Dallas has allowed only 20 points in two games.

That is an average of 10 points per game.

New Orleans has scored only 20 points.

Again, that’s an average of 10 points per game.

The numbers create an unusually clean matchup.

Dallas’ defense has been able to limit opposing offenses while the Saints have struggled to generate scoring opportunities.

That becomes even more important if New Orleans’ starting offense is unable to establish consistency early.

Dallas does not need to produce an elite offensive performance to cover.

If the Cowboys defense holds New Orleans around 10 points, Dallas would need only 14 points to cover a -3.5 spread.

Given that Dallas has already scored 17 and 34 points in its first two games, that appears attainable.

Tyler Shough’s Preseason Debut

Tyler Shough is expected to finally see preseason action Friday.

The Saints have held him out of their first two games, allowing him to continue working through training camp before exposing him to live competition.

Kellen Moore reportedly wants to see Shough execute against an actual opponent before the regular season.

That makes the Cowboys game particularly important for New Orleans.

Shough is expected to play at least a couple of series.

That could help the Saints establish more offensive rhythm than they had during the 34-0 loss to Los Angeles.

However, there is a difference between improving the offense and completely reversing the team’s preseason trajectory.

Dallas’ defense has been excellent.

Shough will have limited opportunities.

And the Saints have yet to demonstrate consistent offensive production.

The quarterback change is therefore a reason for optimism for New Orleans, but not enough to overturn the overall handicap.

Dallas Backup Quarterbacks

One of the most important aspects of the Saints vs Cowboys Preseason Betting Prediction is that Dallas does not need Dak Prescott to play well to justify the spread.

Prescott is not playing Friday.

But the Cowboys have already scored 34 points without relying on him.

That demonstrates the quality of Dallas’ backup rotation.

Brian Schottenheimer has built an offense that has continued to function with the second and third units.

That matters enormously in a preseason finale.

Starters are often pulled early, meaning the majority of the game is ultimately decided by backup players.

Dallas has already shown that its backups can maintain offensive production.

New Orleans has not shown the same consistency.

That creates one of the clearest depth advantages on the Week 3 board.

Saints vs Cowboys Joint Practice

The Saints and Cowboys held a joint practice on August 18 at River Ridge Playing Fields in Oxnard, California.

The session reportedly became heated, with multiple altercations between the teams.

Joint practices should never be treated exactly like regular-season games.

However, they can provide useful information about physicality, competition and individual matchups.

The intensity between New Orleans and Dallas was evident.

Both teams had something to prove.

But their subsequent preseason results went in completely different directions.

Dallas followed the practice period by dominating Arizona.

New Orleans followed it by getting shut out by Los Angeles.

That makes the Cowboys the more trustworthy side entering Friday’s finale.

Is the Saints vs Cowboys Total Worth Betting?

The Saints vs Cowboys total has moved within the 37.5-to-38.5 range.

There is a legitimate case for the Under.

New Orleans is averaging only 10 points per game.

The Saints were shut out in their most recent game.

Dallas is allowing only 10 points per game.

Those numbers create a strong foundation for a low-scoring game.

The problem is Dallas’ offense.

The Cowboys have already scored 51 points in two games.

If Dallas produces another 30-point performance, the Under becomes difficult to cash.

That is why the exact number matters.

Under 38.5 is considerably more attractive than Under 37.5.

Still, the side has more margin for error.

A Dallas victory of 20-10 would comfortably cover -3.5 and stay under 38.5.

That type of result fits the statistical profile of this matchup.

Saints vs Cowboys Follow-Up Questions

Who Is Favored in Saints vs Cowboys?

The Dallas Cowboys are 3.5-point home favorites over the New Orleans Saints.

Why Are the Cowboys Favored?

Dallas is 2-0 in preseason and has significantly outperformed New Orleans offensively and defensively.

How Many Points Are the Cowboys Scoring?

Dallas has scored 51 points through two preseason games, averaging 25.5 points per game.

How Many Points Are the Saints Scoring?

New Orleans has scored 20 points in two games, averaging 10 points per game.

Is Tyler Shough Playing?

Shough is expected to make his preseason debut and play at least a couple of series.

Is Dak Prescott Playing?

No. Prescott is not expected to play in the preseason finale.

Can Dallas Win Without Prescott?

Yes. Dallas scored 34 points against Arizona without Prescott and has demonstrated strong backup depth.

Is the Saints vs Cowboys Game Expected to Be Low Scoring?

There is a strong Under argument because New Orleans has struggled offensively and Dallas is allowing only 10 points per game.

Did the Line Move Toward Dallas?

Yes. Dallas opened at -2.5 and moved to -3.5.

What Is the Saints vs Cowboys Prediction?

The prediction is Dallas Cowboys -3.5.

Saints vs Cowboys FAQ

1. Who will win Saints vs Cowboys?

The Dallas Cowboys are the pick to win Friday night’s preseason finale at AT&T Stadium.

2. What is the Saints vs Cowboys Preseason Betting Prediction?

The Saints vs Cowboys Preseason Betting Prediction favors Dallas -3.5 because the Cowboys have been significantly better on both sides of the ball during the preseason.

3. What is the Saints vs Cowboys spread?

The Cowboys are currently 3.5-point home favorites.

4. What is the Saints vs Cowboys over/under?

The total is currently between 37.5 and 38.5 points.

5. How have the Cowboys performed this preseason?

Dallas is 2-0, with wins over Seattle and Arizona. The Cowboys have scored 51 points and allowed 20.

6. How have the Saints performed this preseason?

New Orleans is 0-2, with losses to Jacksonville and Los Angeles. The Saints have scored only 20 points.

7. Is Tyler Shough making his preseason debut?

Yes. Shough is expected to play at least a couple of series against Dallas.

8. Is Dak Prescott playing?

No. Prescott is expected to sit out the preseason finale.

9. Is the Under a good bet?

Under 38.5 is worth considering because of New Orleans’ offensive struggles and Dallas’ defensive performance.

10. What is the best bet for Saints vs Cowboys?

The best bet is Dallas Cowboys -3.5.

Final Saints vs Cowboys Preseason Betting Prediction

The Saints vs Cowboys Preseason Betting Prediction comes down to a simple contrast.

Dallas has been rolling.

New Orleans has not.

The Cowboys enter Friday’s preseason finale at 2-0, having scored 51 points and allowed only 20.

The Saints are 0-2, having scored only 20 points while surrendering 58.

That creates a substantial statistical gap.

More importantly, Dallas’ greatest strength directly matches New Orleans’ biggest weakness.

The Cowboys are allowing only 10 points per game.

The Saints are scoring only 10 points per game.

New Orleans was completely shut out by the Rams in Week 2, while Dallas just scored 34 against Arizona.

The quarterback situation reinforces the Dallas advantage.

Tyler Shough is expected to make his preseason debut, which gives the Saints some potential upside. But he is expected to play only a couple of series.

Dak Prescott will not play for Dallas.

That sounds like an advantage for New Orleans until you consider what Dallas has already done without its starting quarterback.

The Cowboys scored 34 points against Arizona using their backup rotation.

That is a significant preseason depth advantage.

The market has noticed.

Dallas opened at -2.5 and has moved to -3.5.

The total also deserves attention.

New Orleans’ 10-point-per-game offense and Dallas’ 10-point-per-game defense make the Under attractive, particularly at 38.5. But Dallas’ offensive ceiling creates more uncertainty around the total than the side.

The cleaner wager is Dallas.

The Cowboys have the better preseason record, the better recent performance, the stronger defense, the more productive offense and the more reliable backup rotation.

The Pick: Dallas Cowboys -3.5

Best Bet: Dallas Cowboys -3.5

Secondary Bet: Under 38.5

Prediction: Dallas wins and covers at AT&T Stadium.