Vikings vs. Cowboys NFL Week 15 SNF Best Picks

Sunday Night Football in Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season is a showdown in the NFC between the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys. Minnesota (5-8) is close to being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, while Dallas (6-6-1) is facing borderline must-win situations every single time it takes the field. With Sunday’s contest set for 8:20 pm ET on NBC, it’s time to break down the odds and discuss the best bets to make. 

Vikings vs Cowboys SNF Predictions 

Pick #1: Minnesota Vikings +5.5 over Dallas Cowboys (-108) Click Here to Bet

Pick #2: Under 48.5 (-110) Click Here to Bet

Pick #3: Aaron Jones (MIN) Over 50.5 rushing yards (-110) Click Here to Bet

PICK #1: Vikings +5.5 over Cowboys (-108) Click Here to Bet

Getting rid of Sam Darnold and going with rookie J.J. McCarthy at quarterback looks like an unwise move by head coach Kevin O’Connell and Minnesota’s upper management, but the good news is that the decent version of McCarthy was on display last weekend. The Michigan product completed 16 of 23 passes for 163 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. McCarthy and company now face a Dallas defense that has improved since the trade deadline but remains poor overall. It is a unit that ranks 30th in EPA per pass, so McCarthy has a nice opportunity to find more success on Sunday night. Of course, it is the other side of the ball that generally excels when this team is successful. The Vikings are ninth in the NFL in overall defensive EPA. Perhaps no defense in the league is capable of entirely stopping the Cowboys, but they can at least be contained by Minnesota. As such, the visitors should be able to make this game competitive. 

PICK #2: Under 48.5 (-110) Click Here to Bet

Minnesota’s defense may be the most consistent unit on the field in this matchup. Coordinator Brian Flores not only has a lot to work with, but he is also making the most of those pieces that he has in place. Unsurprisingly, Flores is dialing up blitzes at a higher rate than any other defensive coordinator in the NFL (48 percent). Although it has resulted in a modest number of sacks (33), its overall impact is working. The Vikings are No. 4 in the NFL against the pass (172.3 yards per game allowed). Meanwhile, the Cowboys have looked a lot better defensively ever since they acquired tackle Quinnen Williams from the Jets. They got torched by the Lions last week, but they had previously played quite well throughout a three-game winning streak, and it is certainly safe to say that the Vikings certainly aren’t the Lions from an offensive perspective. Dallas’ defense should get back on track.

PICK #3: Aaron Jones (MIN) Over 50.5 rushing yards (-110) Click Here to Bet

The Cowboys’ pass defense may catch a lot of flak (and for good reason!), but keep in mind that they are also thoroughly unspectacular against the run. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s team surrenders 123.5 yards per game on the ground to go along with the sixth-most yards per carry (4.7). Jones should be able to take advantage. Over the last five contests in which the veteran running back has logged at least nine carries, he has gained 70 yards or more. This stretch includes a 76-yard performance last Sunday during a 31-0 rout of Washington. Jones last faced the Cowboys during the 2023 playoffs as a member of the Packers – it was a matchup that saw him run wild to the tune of 118 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries.