TONIGHT / DALLAS at MINNESOTA

* The line: Minnesota by 6 1/2.

* Injury report: DALLAS (4-3) at MINNESOTA (4-4)--Cowboys: OUT: WR Michael Irvin (neck); WR Wane McGarity (shoulder); S Kenny Wheaton (knee). QUESTIONABLE: CB Kevin Mathis (hamstring); S George Teague (neck). PROBABLE: WR Raghib Ismail (back); CB Deion Sanders (hamstring); RB Emmitt Smith (back); C Mark Stepnoski (back). Vikings: OUT: DE John Burrough (ankle); RB Robert Smith (abdomen). PROBABLE: T Matt Birk (thumb); TE Carlester Crumpler (ribs); QB Randall Cunningham (flu); QB Jeff George (finger); TE Jim Kleinsasser (shoulder); CB Kenny Wright (arm).

* Key elements: Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman has 909 yards passing and three touchdowns in three games against Vikings. Minnesota quarterback Jeff George has seven touchdown passes in 10 quarters.

* Story line: Randy Moss going up against Deion Sanders? That ought to be interesting.

It’ll also be interesting to see if the Cowboys, with injured wide receiver Michael Irvin on the sidelines, will be able to employ an effective ground-control game, utilizing Emmitt Smith, to keep Moss and the rest of the Minnesota offense off the field.

That didn’t happen last Thanksgiving, when the Vikings scored five touchdowns on plays of 50 or more yards, including three by Moss, in a 46-36 shootout victory at Dallas. In that game, Smith rushed 18 times for only 44 yards.

HOW THEY MATCH UP

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Dal Min Points scored 26.0 22.9 Points allowed 18.4 19.8 Passing O 205.4 252.8 Rushing O 114.1 99.0 Total O 319.6 351.8 Passing D 221.1 249.3 Rushing D 93.0 103.3 Total D 314.1 352.5

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The pick: Minnesota.