49ers open up as 3.5-point favorites over the Cowboys for Week 5

The Dallas Cowboys handed the New England Patriots their worst loss under Bill Belichick, 38-3. The Cowboys have been impressive outside of their Week 3 hiccup on the road against the Arizona Cardinals.

The San Francisco 49ers enter Week 5 with a perfect record, as they’ve scored at least 30 points in each game and have hardly been challenged through four games. But the schedule picks up in a big way for the team, and it starts Sunday night against Dallas.

The 49ers are 3.5-point favorites over the Cowboys, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total on the game set at 45. Oddsmakers are implying a 24-20 win by the Niners.

Generally speaking, you get three points for home-field advantage. Since this game is being played at Levi’s Stadium, it’s viewed closer to a toss-up. The 49ers have handed the Cowboys their last two playoff losses, and look to continue their winning streak against Dallas on Sunday.

This is a different version of the Cowboys as they have Stephon Gilmore at cornerback and Brandin Cooks at wide receiver. But Dallas is also banged up, as they’ve been without left tackle Tyron Smith for a couple of games. Also, their best cornerback, Trevon Diggs, tore his ACL recently and is out for the season.

Offensively, the 49ers are second in EPA per play — think of EPA as a stat that measures the big play — while the Cowboys are seventh. San Francisco ranks fourth in success rate — a stat that measures an offense’s effectiveness on a down to down basis — whereas the Cowboys are ninth.

Defensively, the Cowboys rank second in EPA per play allowed, compared to the 49ers being ninth. Dallas is fourth in success rate, but San Francisco has surprisingly struggled, as they’re 19th.