The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers both had disappointing 2019 campaigns, going 8-8 and finishing a game out of the playoff race. The two storied franchises are projected to improve in the 2020 NFL season.

FanDuel Sportsbook has set Dallas’ win total at 9.5, giving -150 odds on the over. Pittsburgh’s win total is nine with -110 odds for both the over and the under.

The Cowboys have -260 odds to make the playoffs. Dallas is the odds-on favorite in the NFC East at -105. Pittsburgh is a -134 favorite to reach the postseason. The Baltimore Ravens are -200 favorites to repeat as NFC North champions, though the Steelers (+340) are considered to be their biggest competition.

The overall statistics suggest Dallas should’ve finished with a much better record last year. The Cowboys led the NFL in total offense with 431.5 yards per game. Dallas even had a top-10 defense, ranking ninth in total yards allowed.

Dak Prescott finished second among quarterbacks with 4,902 passing yards. He’ll return for a fifth year in Dallas after the team used the franchise tag to prevent him from hitting free agency. The Cowboys are 40-24 with Prescott under center and haven’t finished below .500 since drafting the signal caller.

Amari Cooper, Prescott’s top target, is back with a new five-year, $100 million contract. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 1,357 yards in 2019 after signing a record-setting $90 million contract extension.

Ben Roethlisberger led the league with 5,219 passing yards in his last full season. The Steelers quarterback didn’t play after Week 2 last season because of an elbow injury.

Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges started 14 total games for Pittsburgh in 2019. They combined to throw for 2,828 yards, 18 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. With even average quarterback play, the Steelers might have reached the postseason.

Only the New York Jets and Washington Redskins finished with fewer yards of total offense than Pittsburgh. The Steelers ranked fifth in total defense.

Pittsburgh was also without Antonio Brown in 2019. The wide receiver was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection with the Steelers from 2011-2018 before being traded.

Baltimore led the NFL with a 14-2 record, tying them for a league-best six-game edge in the division. The Ravens defeated the Steelers in both head-to-head meetings.

The Philadelphia Eagles finished a game ahead of Dallas to win the NFC East. They were the only division winner that didn’t record double-digit victories.

Dak Prescott Ezekiel Elliott Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliott #21 grabs Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys after a fourth quarter touchdown against the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium on November 22, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images
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