The Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys headline a Sunday jam-packed with NFL football.
The pregame narrative: The Vikings were able to snap a losing streak with a blowout win over the Washington Commanders last week. It was an impressive performance, but there are still big question marks around this team, and that's why they are 6-point underdogs to the Cowboys, who are in dire need of a win.
Check out my Vikings vs. Cowboys picks for Dec. 14, featuring a prop bet on Minnesota running back Jordan Mason.
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Vikings vs. Cowboys picks
Best Bet: Cowboys -5.5 (-115)
Even after last week's 31-0 battering of the Commanders, I still have little to no faith in the Vikings' offence keeping pace with the Cowboys.
Before that outburst, Minnesota managed to score just six points in the two previous weeks combined.
J.J. McCarthy is still going through ups and downs with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his first seven NFL starts.
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In those seven games, the Vikings averaged 19.0 points. Last Sunday was the first time McCarthy led his offence to more than 27 points.
That won't cut it against the Cowboys. Dallas scores nearly 30 points a game and usually only loses by getting outgunned by its opponent.
In the Cowboys' six losses, every opponent scored at least 24 points, with four of them scoring 30 or more.
I just don't think the Vikings have a consistent enough offence to drop 30+ in consecutive weeks.
Minnesota has a good defence, but the Cowboys have been matchup-proof all year, and I believe another explosive home performance is in the works.
Key stat: The Vikings are 5-8-0 ATS, which is tied for the third-worst record in the NFL.
SNF prop prediction
Mason over 38.5 rushing yards (-118): Even with Aaron Jones in the mix for Minnesota, Mason has carved out a consistent role in this offence.
Last week, he rushed the ball 11 times for 57 yards. It was the fourth straight game in which the running back surpassed this yardage total.
Overall, he's 9-4 against this line and could see a heightened workload with Jones fighting a shoulder injury.
He continues to play through it, but his limited status in practice shows he's not 100% meaning there should be lots of work left over for Mason.
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Finally, that brings me to the Cowboys' defence. The unit gives up 123.5 rushing yards per game, which ranks in the bottom half.
In last week's loss to the Detroit Lions, both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery were able to rush for more than 40 yards, even though they had 18 attempts combined.
Expect a similar effort from the two-headed backfield in Minnesota, with Mason having the potential to be the more productive runner.
Vikings vs. Cowboys picks made at 4:10 p.m. ET Dec. 12, 2025.
