Houston (6-4) and Dallas (3-6)

Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN

BetMGM NFL Odds: Texans by 7 1/2.

Against the spread: Texans 4-5-1; Cowboys 2-7.

Series record: Cowboys lead 4-2.

Last meeting: Cowboys defeated Texans 27-23 on December 11, 2022 in Arlington, Texas.

Last week: Texans lose to Lions 26-23; Cowboys lost to Eagles 34-6.

Texans offense: overall (15), rushing (18), passing (15), touchdowns (17)

Texans defense: overall (3), offense (11), passing (4), touchdowns (19)

Cowboys offense: overall (21), offense (31), passing (10), points (23)

Cowboys defense: overall (26), offense (31), passing (11), touchdowns (31)

Turnover differential: Texans plus-7; Cowboys minus-10.

Texans player to watch

RB Joe Mixon is averaging a season-worst 1.8 yards per game against the Lions in just his second game rushing for less than 100 yards this season. His 46 yards on 25 carries came against the NFL’s No. 7 run defense. Now Mixon is back to facing the league’s second-worst run defense, as he did in a 102-yard exhibition last month in Indianapolis. Mixon scored against Detroit, giving him at least one goal in all five games since recovering from a high ankle sprain.

Cowboy actor to watch

All-Pro WR CeeDee Lamb will be without Dak Prescott for the rest of the season after the QB underwent surgery on a torn hamstring. The first game without Prescott was dismal for Dallas’ passing game. The Cowboys scored a 49-yard field goal through the air, their lowest total since 2001. Lamb had six catches, but Dallas averaged a paltry 1.5 yards per attempt for just 21 yards. If these numbers don’t improve, Dallas’ fading hopes will be gone.

key match

Cowboys running back Micah Parsons passing Texans QB CJ Stroud. Parsons has made a spectacular comeback from a high ankle sprain that led to a four-game injury, his first injury in the NFL. Parsons sacked Jalen Hurts twice in the loss against the Eagles, the second of which caused a fumble that gave Dallas a chance to take the lead in the second quarter. It’s been a tough four-game stretch for Stroud, but the reigning AP Offensive Rookie of the Year showed off his mobility by rushing for 59 yards in a loss to the New York Jets two games ago. He completed just 11 of his 30 passes against New York and has two TD passes and two interceptions in the last four games.

Key injuries

WR Nico Collins has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury for the Texans, who lost WR Stefon Diggs to a season-ending knee injury. Collins was closer to a comeback last week. … Cowboy LG Tyler Smith had his left leg bandaged and worked out with a trainer during a practice session open to reporters Wednesday. … LB DeMarvion Overshown is expected to play after suffering a knee injury against the Eagles. He missed his entire rookie season in 2023 due to a torn knee ligament.

Series notes

Dallas has won four of five since losing to the Texans in Houston in their 2002 opener. The Cowboys lead the series at home, 3-0.

Statistics and other things

The NFL’s two Texas teams had just one win between them last month. Houston remains atop the AFC South while going 1-3 since a 5-1 start. The reigning NFC East champion Cowboys are quickly falling out of playoff contention with their first four-game losing streak since 2020, when they last failed to qualify for the postseason. Dallas hasn’t lost more than four straight since 2015, when a seven-game shutout reached the number of games quarterback Tony Romo missed due to a broken collarbone. This will be the second game without Prescott. … Cowboys are 0-4 at home. They never started 0-5 or worse at home after finishing 1-15 in all eight games at the old Texas Stadium in 1989, when owner Jerry Jones purchased it. Dallas won 16 consecutive games at AT&T Stadium before its current skid; That makes five losses when including the wild-card loss to Green Bay in January. … The Cowboys’ 86th appearance on “Monday Night Football” is their second appearance after Miami’s 89. Their 50 wins rank third behind Pittsburgh (54) and San Francisco (52). The Texans are in the MNF for the first time since 2019. This is the last of Houston’s three straight prime-time games. … Stroud has had four straight games with a passing rate below 100. His longest hitting streak in his rookie season was three. … Third-year Texans WR John Metchie III, who missed his rookie year being treated for leukemia, set career highs with five catches for 74 yards and his first TD against the Lions. … TE Dalton Schultz will face the Cowboys for the first time since signing with Houston in free agency last year. Schultz threw for 2,122 yards and 17 touchdowns in five seasons with Dallas. He needs 55 yards to reach 1,000 yards with the Texans, coming off a season-high 66 yards last week. … CB Kamari Lassiter became the fourth Texans rookie to make two interceptions in a game, compared to Houston’s five against Detroit. … QB Cooper Rush is expected to start for the Cowboys after he and Trey Lance were ineffective in the first game without Prescott. The Rush won their first five games in place of Prescott in the 2021-22 season but lost the last two to the Eagles. … Overshown leads the Cowboys with four sacks. He matched Parsons with two home runs against Philadelphia. … CB Trevon Diggs had his 20th career interception. The 26-year-old became the second-youngest player in franchise history to reach the age of 20.

fantasy tip

Opposing quarterbacks have averaged more than two touchdowns in Dallas’ last five home games. Stroud played well despite recent troubles and kept the tackles under control.

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