Dallas has not beaten Green Bay in a regular-season game in a decade, and the Cowboys arrive at Lambeau Field on Sunday Night Football with a defense that cannot stop anyone. The Packers are 3-2 and a one-point home favorite. Dallas is 2-3 after a bad home loss. The spread has not moved all week, the total has climbed, and the public leans to the road team. Our headline pick lands where most bettors are not looking.
Last Updated: Sunday, October 18, 2026
Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Lambeau Field, Green Bay WI |
| When | Sunday, October 18 – 8:20 PM ET |
| TV | NBC |
Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers Betting Preview
Green Bay sits second in the NFC North on a two-game win streak. The Packers handled Chicago 31-7 in Week 5 after beating Tampa Bay 17-14. The defense has allowed 17 points or fewer in all three wins. That number needs context. Those wins came against backup quarterbacks, and Sunday brings the first real passing offense Green Bay has faced.
Dallas arrives on ten days of rest after a 24-16 home loss to a previously winless Buccaneers team. The receiving corps is the strength. CeeDee Lamb ranks third in the NFL in receiving yards and George Pickens 13th, and the pair has 862 yards and five touchdowns. The defense is the problem. Dallas ranks 31st in total defense and last against the run at 168.4 yards per game, and opposing quarterbacks have posted a league-high 120.5 passer rating.
Quarterback health is clean. Dak Prescott and Jordan Love both start, and neither appears on an injury report. Elsewhere the news matters. Green Bay is without edge rusher Micah Parsons, still on the physically unable to perform list and not cleared to practice after ACL reconstruction. Running back Josh Jacobs is also unavailable, having opened the season on the commissioner’s exempt list. MarShawn Lloyd leads a backfield that ranks last in the league at roughly 60 rushing yards per game.
The Packers ruled out four players, including defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, with five more questionable. Dallas ruled out cornerback Cobie Durant and tackle Drew Shelton, and listed linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. as questionable. Lamb practiced fully and carries no game status.
The subplot is a trade that reshaped both fronts. Dallas sent Parsons to Green Bay for two first-round picks and defensive lineman Kenny Clark, then added edge rusher Rashan Gary from the same roster. Both return to Lambeau in Dallas uniforms. For conference context, see our NFL Playoff Picture: Key Storylines Heading Into Week 6.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | +1 (-115) | -105 | U 53.5 (-110) |
| Packers | -1 (-105) | -115 | O 53.5 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of Sunday, October 18, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NFL Odds – Futures – Props
Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Cowboys | 59% | 41% | Packers |
See the latest NFL Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Cowboys vs. Packers Prediction — Can Dallas Finally Cover at Lambeau?
This line has not budged since it opened a week ago. That stability matters given where the money has gone. Dallas is drawing 59 percent of spread tickets as the road underdog. The split is not a true public overload, but the market absorbed it without moving the number. When a book holds a line against most of the tickets, sharper money usually sits on the other side.
The matchup math favors the home team in one place. Green Bay cannot run, and Dallas cannot stop the run. Those weaknesses cancel, pushing the game into the air. That is where the gap opens. Dallas has allowed the league’s highest passer rating and ranks 31st in pass-rush win rate. Love should see a clean pocket, while Green Bay’s secondary has been its best unit.
The case against Green Bay is real. The Packers are 2-3 against the spread and 1-1 at home, while Dallas is 3-2 with ten days to prepare. Losing Parsons and Jacobs strips a pass rusher and a lead back, and those three wins came against quarterbacks who will not resemble Prescott. Dallas has the better receiving tandem and a history of keeping these games tight. The 2025 meeting ended 40-40.
The Pick: Packers -1 (-105)
Cowboys vs. Packers Prediction — Is There Room Left After the Climb?
The total opened at 52 and now sits at 53.5, a point-and-a-half of upward movement this week. Buying at the top of a move is never comfortable. The numbers support it anyway. Dallas games have gone over in four of five. The Cowboys rank 31st in total defense and surrender a league-worst 168.4 rushing yards per game, and Love just put up 31 points on Chicago.
The under case rests on drive volume. Green Bay’s rushing attack is the worst in the league, which stalls possessions and shortens the game. Packers games have gone under in three of five. Green Bay has held three straight opponents to 17 points or fewer, and Dallas has run among the fewest offensive drives in the NFL. That path is genuine, but it asks the Dallas defense to play better than it has all year.
The Pick: Over 53.5 (-110)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
There is a cleaner way to express the Green Bay side. The spread sits at exactly one point, creating live push risk in a game decided by a single point. The moneyline removes that for little extra cost. Green Bay is -115 outright while Dallas is -105, which says the market sees close to a coin flip. Paying ten extra cents to erase the push suits bettors who dislike the hook.
The other side of that trade: the moneyline loses outright in a game Green Bay drops by a point, where the spread would only push. Bettors wanting insurance on a tight number should stay with the spread. Our latest NFL picks coverage tracked the same Green Bay defensive profile against a weaker opponent.
Bonus Pick: Packers Moneyline (-115)
All picks: Packers -1 (-105), Over 53.5 (-110), and Packers Moneyline (-115). Each depends on Green Bay’s pass defense holding up against the best receiving tandem it has seen.
NFL Cowboys vs. Packers FAQ: Sunday October 18, 2026
What time does the Cowboys vs. Packers game start?
Kickoff is 8:20 PM ET on Sunday, October 18, 2026, which is 7:20 PM CT in Green Bay. The game closes the Sunday schedule as the standalone national primetime window, so it is the only NFL game at that hour.
What channel is the Cowboys vs. Packers game on?
The game airs on NBC as the Sunday Night Football broadcast. It also streams on Peacock, NBC’s subscription service, for viewers who want it outside traditional television. Studio pregame coverage precedes the 8:20 PM ET kickoff from Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
Where are the Cowboys and Packers playing?
The game is at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the Packers as the home team. Green Bay is 1-1 against the spread at home this season. Dallas has not won a regular-season game at Lambeau Field since 2016.
Who won the last meeting between the Cowboys and Packers?
Neither team won. The two clubs played to a 40-40 overtime tie on September 28, 2025, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Green Bay is 5-0-1 across the last six meetings, and Dallas has not beaten the Packers in a regular-season game since 2016.
Who is starting at quarterback for the Cowboys and Packers?
Dak Prescott starts for Dallas and Jordan Love for Green Bay. Neither quarterback appears on his team’s injury report. Love is coming off a Week 5 win over Chicago, while Prescott threw a season-high two interceptions in the Week 5 loss to Tampa Bay.