Cowboys seize NFC East crown, No. 2 seed with 38-10 win in Washington

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys are your NFC East champs and will play at home for at least the first 2 rounds of the postseason after a commanding Week 18 win.

The Cowboys started strong in their regular-season finale but then watched things go temporarily haywire.  They eventually got things back on track, though, and came away from their trip to the nation’s capital with a big 38-10 win that now puts them exactly where they want to be to start the postseason: at AT&T Stadium.

Dak Prescott was perfect on the offense’s opening drive, ending with a touchdown toss to Jalen Tolbert. After a takeaway by Jourdan Lewis looked like it might kickstart an early avalanche of points, Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey had his field goal attempt blocked. The double-thud not only spoiled Aubrey’s perfect season, the return drastically flipped the field and gave the Commanders a ton of momentum (and a short field, which they took advantage of with a score).

It took the Cowboys a few drives to right the ship and re-take the lead as the second quarter wound down. They hit the coveted double-double with touchdown drives on either side of the half, and a Peyton Hendershot punt block helped Prescott & Co. open a 25-point lead (with his fourth scoring pass of the day and his 36th touchdown throw of the season, probably enough to finish as the league leader) before finally pulling the starters in the final quarter.

The win didn’t come without a cost, as cornerback Stephon Gilmore exited early with a shoulder injury and did not return. While the extent of the injury remains to be revealed, it’s sure to be a major concern with as the playoffs get underway.

The Cowboys will have the week to determine how injuries to Gilmore and Tyler Smith (not to mention Zack Martin’s last illness) might impact their postseason prep. But for now, America’s Team can relish an NFC East crown, the No. 2 seed in the conference, and an unmatched third straight 12-win season for Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, all thanks to a commanding win over their longtime rivals.

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How to buy Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders NFL Week 18 tickets

Want to watch the Cowboys in person this weekend? Tickets are still available for Cowboys at Commanders for as low as $47.

The Dallas Cowboys are coming off a massive last-second win against the Detroit Lions.

To end the regular season, the Cowboys travel to take on the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 4:25 p.m. EST. A Dallas win clinches their NFC East title and the No. 2 overall seed in the NFC playoffs.

Want to watch the Cowboys try to clinch the division title in person this weekend? Check out StubHub to find the perfect Dallas Cowboys tickets for you and anybody else you want sitting beside you as Dallas looks to get back in the win column.

As of publication, the cheapest available Cowboys vs. Commanders tickets were priced at $47.

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NFL Week 18 parlay: Let’s make some money

Analyzing NFL Week 18 betting odds and lines, with predictions and picks for the best parlay bet to make.

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Week 18 is the hardest week of the season to make a parlay bet, but we are going to do it anyway because that is what we do. So, let us make that money.

After looking at Tipico Sportsbook’s NFL Week 18 odds, here’s our final regular-season “Let’s make some money” NFL parlay bet to cash in on among SportbookWire’s NFL expert picks and predictions.

How do you win a parlay in such a weird week? You find the teams which need to win … and find the ones which have nothing to play for.

While this always doesn’t work, it works often. So, we trudge on and look for those games where one or both, but preferably only one, of the teams have something on the line. There are a few of those matchups in Week 18 and we’ll try to weed out the best of them for our parlay.

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NFL Week 18: Let’s make some money parlay

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated on Wednesday at 5:03 p.m. ET. All games Sunday and ET unless noted.

Leg 1: Vikings at Bears OVER 43 (-109) – 1 p.m. (FOX)

Minnesota has a lot to play for as it can earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed if things go its way — beating the Bears and depending on outcomes of later games.

QB Kirk Cousins has 28 passing TDs and 2 rushing this season to rank 7th in the NFL. He’ll need to add to this total if the Vikings want any chance at the No. 1 seed. With this kickoff at 1 p.m. ET, there’s no need to worry about prime-time Kirk, which is good for Minnesota fans and fans of the Over in this game.

While Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields has been ruled out, the O/U of 43 is a little bit low. More importantly, neither team has a good defense. Both offenses should get into the 20’s or higher.

Let’s start our parlay off with OVER 43 (-109).

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Leg 2: COWBOYS -7.5 (-106) at Commanders – 4:25 p.m. (FOX)

The Commanders are in bad shape. Even their coach didn’t realize last week’s 24-10 loss to the visiting Cleveland Browns eliminated them from playoff contention until he was told during his postgame press conference. Now, after throwing away the season by starting QB Carson Wentz last week, coach Ron Rivera is turning to rookie QB Sam Howell this Sunday.

Dallas, with a win here and a loss by Philadelphia would grab the NFC East title. If Minnesota and San Francisco both lose, Dallas could also grab the NFC’s top seed. If the Eagles win — home vs. the New York Giants, also at 4:25 p.m. ET — the Cowboys will be the No. 5 seed.

With both games starting at the same time, the Cowboys will play to the fullest and look to throttle the rival Commanders.

The 7.5-point spread is not a lot to ask of Dallas, especially against an overmatched Washington team with nothing to play for.

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Leg 3: Lions at Packers OVER 49 (-113) – 8:20 p.m. (NBC)

After 2 lopsided wins last Sunday, the Lions and Packers both have a chance to get into the playoffs with a win here. The key is neither can get in without winning this game.

The Packers, who are coming off a 41-17 rout of the Vikings in Green Bay, will look to avenge a 15-9 Week 9 loss at Detroit.

The Lions’ 41-10 Week 16 victory against the Bears came despite the Lions allowing 132 rushing yards to Fields. However, Fields only managed 75 passing yards with an injury-riddled receiving crew. While Packers QB Aaron Rodgers no longer has WR Davante Adams, he still has WRs Allen Lazard and a blossoming Christian Watson. Plus, there’s RBs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon in the backfield.

This game should be fun. It’s a fitting finale to the NFL regular season, and it should be high scoring. Expect points and expect the OVER 49 (-113) to hit.

Parlay payout: Bet $10 to profit $60.24 (ticket pays $70.24).

Try out the USA TODAY Parlay Calculator.

Leg 4-*: TITANS +6 (-112) at Jaguars – Saturday 8:15 p.m. (ESPN/ABC).

*-If you want to add a 4th play to this parlay:

Both teams need a win here. After losing 6 straight games, the Titans must win this game to claim the AFC South and make the playoffs.

One season after earning the No. 1 seed with a 12-5 record without RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee might miss the playoffs entirely. Henry sat out last week, more because of saving him for this week than it was a severe injury. He will get all the work he can manage in this game. Thirty and even 40 touches are not out of the question. The Jaguars know what is coming. The only question is if they’ll be able to stop it.

Tennessee will shorten this game as much as possible. Keeping it low scoring is the only way the struggling Titans can win against a suddenly hot QB Trevor Lawrence and RB Travis Etienne. By limiting the number of drives for Jacksonville, Tennessee will be able to achieve this while also not allowing the Jaguars to pull away.

There have been plenty of ugly games played in this series, including a 9-6 debacle a few seasons back. Tennessee would love nothing better than for this to take that form. I like the Under 40 (-107) as well, but for our parlay, I’m taking TENNESSEE +6 (-112).

Parlay payout: Bet $10 to profit $122.95 (ticket pays $132.95).

More NFL Week 18 picks and predictions

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