Cowboys vs. Raiders prediction, pick, odds for NFL Preseason Week 2 game on Sat. 8/17

Cowboys vs. Raiders Prediction

Raiders 1H -3.5 (-118, DraftKings)

I'm backing Las Vegas in the first half because its quarterback battle will create more of a sense of urgency than the Cowboys second-stringers will have.

Cowboys vs. Raiders Odds

Saturday, Aug. 17

10 p.m. ET

NFL Network

Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NFL odds here.

Both the spread and total went up after open. It opened at Raiders -3.5, while the total was 36.5.

Cowboys vs. Raiders Betting Trends

• 51% of bets and 45% of the money are on the Cowboys to cover the spread.
• 64% of bets and 63% of the money are on the under.

All data via Action Network's public betting percentages and as of Friday afternoon.

Ricky Henne's Cowboys vs. Raiders Preview

Dallas Cowboys Betting Preview: Don't Expect the Big Names

The Cowboys figure to trot out the same set of backups they did a week ago, which doesn’t instill much confidence.

The offense lacked punch against the Rams, which is to be expected when you’re playing without Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Ezekiel Elliot and the rest of the starters. Still, it went worse than they could have hoped for as they failed to find the end zone.

Cooper Rush started at quarterback last week for Dallas, completing 2-of-3 passes for 44 yards on his lone series that ended with a field goal.

He then gave way to Trey Lance, who showed exactly why he’s gone from the third overall pick in the 2000 draft to a third-string quarterback four years later. Lance produced a lackluster performance against the Rams’ backups.

Dallas stayed in the game thanks to a defense that forced four interceptions on the day. However, that needs to be taken with massive grains of salt as it did so against a quarterback who spent an entire year away from football on the reserve/non-football illness list in Stetson Bennett.

Las Vegas Raiders Betting Preview: QB Battle Takes Center Stage

The Raiders boast arguably the NFL’s most heated quarterback battle, and Saturday night’s game presents one last chance for O’Connell and Minshew to state their case.

O’Connell played the first series last week, guiding the Raiders on a 15-play drive that culminated in a field goal. Minshew took over for the next four series', leading Las Vegas to a pair of touchdowns and a field goal.

Deciding on his starting quarterback might be Pierce's biggest decision he'll make all year heading into his first full season as head coach. It’s fair to reason he’ll give them every opportunity to push the ball down the field as he looks to cement his decision.

Defensively, although it wasn't perfect, Las Vegas was relatively stout in the first half against the Vikings before giving way to the backups. The Raiders allowed only seven points while recording an interception, a fourth-down stop and blocked field goal.

How to Watch Cowboys vs. Raiders Start Time, Channel, Location

Cowboys vs. Raiders will be broadcast live on NFL Network and available to stream on NFL+. Cowboys-Raiders is scheduled to kick off at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

My Cowboys vs. Raiders Prediction

Initial reports are that O’Connell and Minshew are expected to play a quarter before giving way to the backups in the second half.

With that in mind, I’m zeroing in on Las Vegas -3.5 in the first half.

We saw last week what the Cowboys’ backups looked like against another team’s second-stringers, and it wasn’t all that pretty. Now they not only have to go up against the Raiders’ starters, but also against a pair of highly motivated passers in their last chance to prove worthy of being QB1.

Cowboys vs. Raiders Pick: Raiders 1H -3.5 (-118, DraftKings)