While the starting job belongs to Dak Prescott, Trey Lance has looked good in his first few games as a Dallas Cowboy. Given one final chance to impress, our NFL picks believe the Cowboys will cruise to an easy cover on Saturday.
New Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is in search of his first win of the preseason as his team gets ready to take on the Dallas Cowboys.
With an 0-2 record under Harbaugh’s belt due mainly to poor quarterback play, our Chargers vs. Cowboys predictions are more bullish on Dallas.
Find out why as I break down my NFL picks for Saturday, August 24.
Chargers vs Cowboys prediction
My best bet
Cowboys -3.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
It was an ugly first preseason game for Trey Lance as a Dallas Cowboy. He missed on several throws and averaged a measly 4.6 YPA.
But in his second preseason outing last week, he looked like a completely different player. Not only did he help Dallas cover as 6.5-point underdogs against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he led the Cowboys to a 15-point win.
Lance finished the game 15-for-23 for 151 yards and a score while rushing for 34 and another touchdown. His athleticism and arm talent were on full display, and if you squinted, you could understand why he was drafted No. 3 overall in 2021.
With Jerry Jones already confirming Lance will make the 53-man roster, this will likely be the last time Dallas fans get to see him until next preseason. The 24-year-old has a chance to put on a show against a Los Angeles Chargers defense that’s thin without its key players.
A linebacker unit and secondary made up primarily of rookies and second-year players could have trouble dealing with Lance. And it’s not just him they’ll need to worry about, Dallas has a plethora of veteran running backs it can lean on like Malik Davis and Royce Freeman.
The receiver room has flashed, too, with the speed of Racey McMath and the ball skills of rookie Ryan Flournoy coming in handy for Lance last week. It helps that the Cowboys probably only need to score about 17 points to cover.
The Chargers offense has been abysmal in the preseason averaging just six points per game. The team even cut QB Max Duggan earlier this week, leaving only Easton Stick and Luis Perez to play against Dallas.
Those two have been so bad that Chargers fans have to be worried about the backup QB situation. Stick and Perez have combined to go 31-for-58 for 255 yards and two interceptions.
Outside of rookie running back Kimani Vidal, the Chargers don’t have much going on with this preseason offense. And the Cowboys’ defense has been solid, allowing only 12.5 points per game in the preseason.
Given the Chargers’ inability to move the ball and Lance’s ability in the run game being an X-factor, the Cowboys should cover in this one.