One of the NFL's longest-running and most intense rivalries will experience another chapter in its long history this Sunday, when the Dallas Cowboys come to Acrisure Stadium to visit the Pittsburgh Steelers. This will be the 34th meeting between these two franchises, and the first prime-time matchup between them since 1982.
This game looks set to go down in the history books for many reasons. First of all, it will be the first game to be held under normal conditions since 2016, since the last official game was held in 2020, when there were many restrictions for those attending games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, these teams will meet in Pittsburgh for the first time since 2016, a game that was won by Dallas by a score of 35-30. Considering that Dallas and Pittsburgh rarely meet each other, Mike Tomlin's team will be looking to beat the Cowboys at home for the first time since 2008.
The Cowboys-Steelers series has seen several great players being part of this rivalry, and in that case, Pittsburgh will experience a changing of the guard as it will be the first game in which Ben Roethlisberger will not be part of the roster. In his place, Justin Fields is expected to keep the starting QB job for the Steelers, although Russell Wilson may already be available to command the Pennsylvania offense.
Prime opportunity ahead ✨@UPMC | #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/zXIUU9buQCy
- Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 2, 2024
Key numbers heading into Sunday's game
This is expected to be a very balanced game on offense, as the Cowboys are the 15th most effective offense in the league, while Pittsburgh's is ranked 18th. Defensively, Pittsburgh has a big advantage, as this unit is the fourth best in the league compared to Dallas, which is ranked 24th.
Based on the four regular-season games, Dallas should focus its offensive efforts on the arm of Dak Prescott, who commands the sixth-best passing offense. On Pittsburgh's side, Fields and RB Najee Harris should be the Steelers' ground weapons, as they command the 11th-best rushing offense.
The comparison between QBs is indispensable, and in that category Dallas comes out on top. Dak Prescott has surpassed 1,000 yards in just four games, while Justin Fields has only managed 830 through the air. Prescott has caught more touchdown passes than Fields (6), although he has been intercepted more times than his Steelers colleague (2).
In terms of ground offense, Pittsburgh dominates the stat sheet by a wide margin compared to Dallas. Najee Harris (228 yds) and Justin Fields (145 yds), clearly outperform Dallas' Rico Dowdle and also Ezekiel Elliot, who have barely rushed for 211 yards, which is why Dallas is the worst ground offense in the NFL.
Dallas vs Pittsburgh: Know the most attractive lines to bet on
As of this writing, Pittsburgh is considered a favorite for this game by holding a line of -145 against Dallas, which is +125.
This is expected to be a low-scoring affair, as Pittsburgh is one of the league's most solid defenses. However, the point line stands at -110 for more or less than 44 points to be scored.
When it comes to margin of victory, the lowest paying line for Pittsburgh is +275, which covers a win between 1 and three points for Mike Tomlin's side. On the other hand, a Dallas victory by the same margin pays +300 at the time of this writing.