Sunday’s 4:25 p.m. ET NFL kickoff at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro has Baltimore favoured by 3.5 points, but the cleaner Ravens vs. Cowboys betting angle is Dallas passing and scoring-related markets rather than a firm spread position. Dak Prescott has 454 passing yards and six touchdown passes through two games, CeeDee Lamb has turned 17 targets into 13 catches for 197 yards and three touchdowns, and Dallas has supported that production by allowing only two sacks so far this season.
Baltimore still has a very real path to controlling this matchup, which is why Cowboys +3.5 at is easier to justify than an aggressive Dallas moneyline call. Derrick Henry has 212 rushing yards and four touchdowns through two games, Lamar Jackson has added 74 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, and Baltimore’s five defensive sacks give the Ravens a credible way to disrupt the clean-pocket efficiency behind Dallas’ passing case.
The 53-point total has offensive support after Dallas’ 37-point outing and Baltimore’s pair of 41-point performances in recent games. Baltimore’s 17-point loss to New Orleans is the reason not to force the over, though, and the Maracanã surface remains a final pre-kickoff check rather than a betting edge after the NFL said it had a plan to provide a high-quality playing surface and Brian Schottenheimer said he had no concerns after speaking with operations staff.
Ravens vs. Cowboys predictions
- Cowboys +3.5 (-115): Dallas is coming off a 37-20 win over Washington and has a realistic cover path if Prescott sustains the passing efficiency that has already produced 454 yards and six touchdowns through two games. Baltimore’s rushing strength, five defensive sacks through two games, and favourite status make this a measured side lean rather than the primary recommendation.
- Derrick Henry anytime TD (-275): Henry has 40 carries, 212 rushing yards, and four rushing touchdowns through two games, giving Baltimore its clearest volume-based player angle. The case gets stronger because Dallas hashad early trouble containing mobile quarterbacks, but no exact current Henry rushing-yard or anytime-touchdown line is confirmed in the current market.
- Over 53 points (-115): Dallas scored 37 points in its latest game, while Baltimore has recent 41-point outputs against both Indianapolis and Washington. The counterweight is Baltimore’s 17-point showing against New Orleans and the playing-surface variable, so this is a secondary total lean rather than a top play.
Ravens vs. Cowboys odds
| Ravens moneyline odds | -192 |
| Cowboys moneyline odds | +155 |
| Spread odds | Ravens -3.5 (-107), Cowboys +3.5 (-115) |
| Game total | Over 53 (-115), Under 53 (-107) |
| Date/time | Sept. 27, 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Venue | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro |
About the Cowboys (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS, 2-0 o/u)
Dallas enters 1-1 after beating Washington 37-20 on Sept. 20, and Prescott’s start is the clearest reason the Cowboys remain live here despite being underdogs. He has thrown for 454 yards and six touchdowns through two games, and his four-touchdown performance against Washington also made him the franchise leader in passing touchdowns.
Lamb remains the centre of the passing game. He has 13 catches for 197 yards and three touchdowns through two games, which leaves him 10th in the NFL in receiving yards. If Dallas is going to win or cover in Rio, this is much more likely to look like a Prescott-led efficiency game than a run-heavy control script.
That distinction matters because Dallas is averaging only 67.5 rushing yards per game. The Cowboys’ more believable route is sustaining drives through the air, leaning on the third-down success shown early this season, and keeping Prescott clean enough to keep the offence on schedule.
Dallas has allowed only two sacks so far this year, which is one of the more useful supports for the passing angle. The concern is that Baltimore has five defensive sacks of its own, and if the Ravens can tilt extra attention toward Lamb or speed Prescott up, Dallas may need other receiving options to carry more of the load.
About the Ravens (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS, 1-1 o/u)
Baltimore is also 1-1 after a 24-17 loss to New Orleans on Sept. 20, but the Ravens’ ground game is still the strongest reason they are favoured. Henry has 212 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 40 carries through two games, while Jackson has added 74 rushing yards and a touchdown as a second rushing threat Dallas has to account for on every snap.
Baltimore’s scoring ceiling is easy to see. Baltimore scored 41 points against Indianapolis and 41 more against Washington in recent games, which is why the total is sitting in the mid-50s and why the Ravens do not need a perfect defensive game to win.
New Orleans is the caution flag. Baltimore managed only 17 points in that loss, and that result is enough to keep the offence from being treated as automatic, especially with Zay Flowers still carrying a questionable tag into the weekend.
Baltimore’s defence gives the Ravens another route to the game script they want. The early-season stats show five defensive sacks, and Dallas’ offensive case is at its best when Prescott is protected. Jackson’s mobility also matters here because Dallas has had early trouble containing mobile quarterbacks, including 54 rushing yards allowed to Jaxson Dart and 69 first-half rushing yards allowed to Jayden Daniels.
Betting Mismatch
Prescott’s clean-pocket passing against Baltimore’s pressure is the clearest direct betting tension in this matchup. Dallas has allowed only two sacks so far this season, while Baltimore brings five defensive sacks and a reported 43.8% pressure rate.
That combination is why Dallas offensive markets are more appealing than a confident Cowboys side bet. If Prescott stays clean, the Cowboys have enough passing efficiency and third-down success to score and keep Lamb involved at a high level. If Baltimore’s rush starts winning, the same passing-driven handicap becomes much less comfortable in a hurry.
Baltimore’s counter-script runs through the ground game, putting pressure on a Dallas defence that has allowed 173.5 rushing yards per game. That makes Baltimore -3.5 understandable without making it the cleanest wager on the board.
Key Injuries
Baltimore lists Flowers as questionable with a hamstring injury and wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane as out with a wrist injury. Flowers had five catches for 150 yards and a touchdown in his one game so far this season, so his final status matters to Baltimore’s receiving ceiling even if the Ravens’ main offensive identity still runs through Henry and Jackson.
Dallas running back Malik Davis is out with a hip injury. The Cowboys’ primary betting case is still centred on Prescott and the passing game, which makes Davis’ absence less important to the main handicap than Flowers’ unresolved status is for Baltimore.
Weather
Forecasts are calling for temperatures around 25 C and partly cloudy skies at this open-air field in Rio. Winds will be light out of the south and won’t be a factor.
Betting Trends
- Dallas beat Washington 37-20 last Sunday, while Baltimore lost 24-17 to New Orleans. Dallas’ latest result supports its scoring case, but Baltimore’s lower-output game is a real caution against treating the over as automatic.
- Dallas has scored 37, 24, and 20 points in its most recent games, while Baltimore has scored 41, 41, and 17. The range supports offensive upside, though it also shows why 53 is not a one-way total.
- Dallas converted 15 of 22 or 17 of 25 third downs in recent box scores, while Baltimore’s defence has five sacks. That third-down versus pressure battle says more about the Cowboys’ passing outlook than either team’s 1-1 record by itself.
- Both teams have six full calendar days between kickoffs.
Player Prop Trends
- CeeDee Lamb receiving yards or receptions: Lamb has 17 targets, 13 catches, 197 receiving yards, and three touchdowns through two games, and he sits 10th in the league in receiving yards. His projected usage points to roughly 81.0 to 88.0 receiving yards and 6.2 to 6.5 receptions.
- Dak Prescott passing touchdowns: Prescott has six touchdown passes through two games, and projected usage places him around 2.02 to 2.09 passing touchdowns. Baltimore’s pressure is the clear limitation, making this a market to monitor rather than a fixed-price recommendation.
- Derrick Henry rushing yards or anytime touchdown: Henry has 212 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 40 carries. Projected usage places him around 91 to 99 rushing yards and 1.06 to 1.30 touchdowns, while Dallas’ run-defence concerns give the angle real support.
- Lamar Jackson rushing production: Jackson has 74 rushing yards and a touchdown through two games, with projected usage around 37 to 38 rushing yards. Dallas’s early trouble containing mobile quarterbacks supports the case, though the surface uncertainty and Baltimore’s offensive-line performance remain important variables.
- Zay Flowers receiving markets: Flowers has five catches for 150 yards and a touchdown in one game this season, with projected usage around 60.9 to 63.0 receiving yards. His hamstring designation makes any receiving prop dependent on final availability.
