Best bets for Vikings vs. Cowboys, NBA, NHL, CBB on Sunday, Dec. 14

The Dallas Cowboys returned from their bye and posted three consecutive victories to give themselves an opportunity to earn a playoff berth, but they made their path to the postseason much more difficult with their 44-30 road loss to the Detroit Lions last week.

Dallas’ playoff chances weren’t great prior to the matchup with Detroit, but they became much slimmer with the defeat as the Cowboys (6-6-1) will need plenty of help before they host the Minnesota Vikings (5-8) at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday Night Football. Their best shot at a postseason spot is overtaking the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (8-5), who enter Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season with a three-game losing streak, for the NFC East title.

The San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears occupy the final two wild card spots in the conference with 9-4 records, and a loss to the Vikings would effectively end the Cowboys’ chances to grab one of those berths. But even with a win, Dallas would need Philadelphia’s struggles to continue, and the Eagles are hosting the 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday and face the 3-10 Washington Commanders twice over the final three weeks of the season.

Minnesota ended its four-game slide with a 31-0 rout of Washington last week and would like nothing better than to deal a major blow to Dallas’ playoff hopes. The Vikings will have to find a way to slow down CeeDee Lamb, however, as the Cowboys star receiver is expected to be in the lineup after exiting last week’s contest with a concussion. The 26-year-old wideout was extremely effective against the Lions prior to leaving in the second quarter, hauling in six passes for 121 yards.

Eight games are on Sunday’s NBA schedule, including a matchup between the Golden State Warriors (13-13) and Portland Trail Blazers (9-16) at 9 p.m. ET at the Moda Center. The Trail Blazers have lost six of their last seven contests but won both of their previous meetings with the Warriors this season.

Meanwhile, the NHL has six games on its slate, one of which has the Montreal Canadiens (16-11-4) hosting the Edmonton Oilers (15-11-6) at the Bell Centre at 7 p.m. ET. The Oilers enter with a point streak that reached five games with their 6-3 road triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

There also are plenty of college basketball games on Sunday, including a matchup between Washington State (3-7) and USC (9-1) at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. The Cougars are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, while the Trojans bounced back from their lone defeat of the season with a 94-81 triumph over San Diego last time out.

The Cowboys are 5.5-point favorites against the Vikings in the latest consensus NFL odds. The Warriors are 4.5-point favorites against the Trail Blazers, the Oilers are -130 favorites on the money line against the Canadiens and USC is a 14.5-point favorite against Washington State.

Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Sunday, Dec. 14. All times Eastern

NFL best bets, where to watch

Vikings at Cowboys

Time: 8:20 p.m. | Location: Arlington, Tex. | TV: NBC | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks — Model: Cowboys -5.5 (-112) | Expert: J.J. McCarthy Over 28.5 pass attempts (-123)

The teams are meeting for the first time since 2022, when the Cowboys outgained the Vikings 458-183 in total yards and rolled to a 40-3 victory at Minnesota. It was Dallas’ fifth win in its last six matchups against the Vikings but first in that span by more than four points. The SportsLine Projection Model sees another comfortable triumph by the Cowboys, who cover the spread in 61% of its simulations. SportsLine fantasy football expert Dave Richard (11-2, +980 on his last 13 NFL player prop picks) believes J.J. McCarthy will be throwing the ball often since Minnesota’s ground attack may not be effective against Dallas’ defense.

More NFL best bets

NBA best bets, where to watch

Warriors at Trail Blazers

Time: 9 p.m. | Location: Portland | TV: NBA League Pass | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks — Model: Under 234.5 (-111) | Expert: Warriors -4 (-108)

Neither team is an offensive juggernaut, as they are averaging a combined total of 231.2 points this season. The Warriors have exceeded their 113.7-point average in back-to-back games after producing 112 or fewer in five consecutive contests, while the Trail Blazers have scored more than their average of 117.5 points in three of their last five outings. And even though Golden State and Portland combined for 250 or more points in both of their previous meetings this campaign, the SportsLine Projection Model’s simulations say the Under for Sunday’s matchup hits almost 71% of the time. SportsLine expert Bruce Marshall (33-19, +1206 on his last 52 NBA ATS picks) likes Golden State to cover since the Trail Blazers are reeling and Stephen Curry, who averaged 36.5 points against Portland over the first two showdowns, is back from his quad injury.

NHL best bets, where to watch

Oilers at Canadiens

Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Montreal | TV: NHL Network | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine pick — Model: Canadiens +109

Both teams were on the road Saturday, with Edmonton posting a three-goal victory in Toronto and Montreal dropping an overtime decision to the Rangers in New York. The Canadiens have won only one of their last four contests both overall (1-2-1) and at home (1-3-0), while the Oilers have won three straight on the road. However, that streak has only improved Edmonton’s record away from home to 7-8-3, and the SportsLine Projection Model thinks the run will end as Montreal wins in 54% of its simulations.

CBB best bets, where to watch

Washington State at USC

Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: Los Angeles | TV: FS1 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine pick — Model: USC -14.5 (-112)

The Cougars have lost seven of the nine games they’ve played against teams with a record over .500 and are facing a Trojans squad that received another strong offensive performance from Chad Baker-Mazara in Tuesday’s 94-81 triumph over San Diego. The senior guard scored 31 points on 8-of-11 shooting, marking the fourth consecutive game and sixth this season in which he produced at least 21 points. Baker-Mazara is fifth in the nation in scoring with an average of 21.9 points, and the SportsLine Projection Model sees him helping the Trojans to a big win on Sunday as they cover the spread in 56% of its simulations.