NFL Odds Wild Card Weekend: Packers vs Cowboys Lines, Spreads, Betting Trends

Patrick Everson Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

NFL Wild Card Weekend continues Sunday mid-afternoon with a compelling NFC clash between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. The betting odds favor Dallas by a touchdown as head coach Mike McCarthy tries to knock off his former team. Coverage begins from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, January 14 at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Here's everything you need to know about the NFL odds for Wild Card Weekend: Packers vs. Cowboys lines, spreads, betting trends and more.

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Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys Odds

• Opening point spread: Cowboys -7.5
• Opening moneyline: Cowboys -350/Packers +275
• Opening total: Over/Under 49.5 points scored
• Time: 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday (FOX)

UPDATE 4 P.M. ET SUNDAY: With kickoff 30 minutes out, Dallas sits at -7 (-115) in BetMGM's NFL Wild Card odds market. The Cowboys opened -7 and advanced to -7.5 last Sunday night, and they've been at various iterations of -7 since Thursday.

Point-spread ticket count is 2/1 plus and spread money 3/1-plus on the Cowboys. On the moneyline, opinions differ, with tickets almost 2/1 Packers and money 2.5/1 Cowboys.

"There are tons of Cowboys bets, and I'm sure they'll keep coming as we approach kickoff. We're going to need the Packers in this one. A cover would be enough, but outright is better," BetMGM trader Christian Cipollini said.

The total went from 48.5 to 49.5 last Sunday night, then to 50 Monday. It got to 50.5 on Tuesday and Saturday, then today surged to 51/51.5/52. Ticket count is 3/1 and money 6/1 on the Over.

"Both games today have high totals, so low-scoring would be nice," Cipollini said.

UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET THURSDAY: The Cowboys hit TwinSpires' NFL Wild Card odds board at -7 and moved up to -7.5. Dallas is seeing 59% of spread tickets/62% of spread money.

"Green Bay spread will be a need. However, it doesn't compare to the teaser liability. Everyone is teasing the Cowboys/Bills. One of those teams losing would make our day," Lucas said.

The total rose from 49.5 to 50.5, with 59% of early tickets/57% of early money on the Over.

UPDATE MIDNIGHT ET SUNDAY: Dallas (12-5 SU/10-7 ATS) punched out Washington 38-10 laying 13 points on the road in Week 18. That gave the Cowboys the NFC East title and the No. 2 seed for the playoffs.

Green Bay (9-8 SU and ATS) needed a Week 18 win to get an NFC Wild Card berth. The Packers dispatched Miami 17-9 giving 2.5 points at home to get the seventh and final NFC playoff slot.

"There was a little bit of debate," Michaelson said of whether to open the Cowboys higher than -7. "Dallas plays so well at home, while Jordan Love is a first-year starter, and the Packers are super young. I would expect the public to be all over Dallas.

"I would be very surprised if we don't need Green Bay outright in this game."

Click here for Vegas Insider senior reporter Patrick Everson's full NFL Odds Wild Card Weekend Report containing spreads, lines, and trends for every NFL matchup.

Packers vs Cowboys Pick, Prediction

Action Network NFL betting expert Brandon Anderson offers this prediction:

The Packers defense is by far the worst unit in this matchup, and Dallas's offense should have its way. The Cowboys offense has been better at home, ranked 6th by DVOA versus 19th on the road, and Green Bay's defense is ripe for the picking, vulnerable to both the run and the pass. Dak Prescott should chew this defense up on third downs, and Joe Barry might get fired on Monday morning (a season or two too late).

Dallas is a tremendous front runner. The defense gets to pin its ears back and get after the quarterback, creating sacks and turnovers, and that sets up the Cowboys for short fields and easy points. The Cowboys also have a huge special teams advantage, a top 10 unit featuring a huge weapon in PK Brandon Aubrey while the Packers rank second to last by DVOA.

I lean Cowboys -7. But that's still -7.5 at some books and that's a key number plus a hook, and Dallas's defense has some vulnerabilities and might leave the back door open given the way Love and the Packers offense are playing. Dallas probably has to score 30 to cover the number anyway, so let's leave Green Bay's offense out of it and just bet on Cowboys points.

Pick: Cowboys TT Over 28.5 Points

For more NFL picks, check out Action Network's NFL Wild Card Weekend: How to Bet Every Game & Every Team.

The One Stat to Know About Packers vs Cowboys

Action Network NFL researcher Evan Abrams offers his top betting stat:

Packers: LaFleur has excelled as an underdog. He is 20-10 ATS as a ‘dog — 12-5 with Rodgers and 8-5 with Jordan Love. As a favorite, LaFleur is 31-27 ATS.

For more NFL betting stats, check out Action Network's NFL Wild Card Weekend Betting Trends, Stats, Notes.

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Patrick Everson

Patrick Everson is a senior reporter for VegasInsider. Based in Las Vegas since 1994, he's worked in the sports betting journalism/content space for more than a decade. He's most known for his deep roster of contacts behind sportsbook counters, providing readers and viewers with the ins-and-outs of how events are being bet. He's also a thought leader in the sports betting space, often appearing on or moderating panels at national conferences. More from Patrick Everson