NFL Football: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

By BetOnline October 18, 2019

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One of the most anticipated games of the week will pit the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys against each other on Sunday Night Football. The Cowboys are in a crisis as they’ve lost three in a row after winning their first three games of the season. Meanwhile, Eagles’ head coach Doug Pederson issues a guaranteed win (he’s since retracted). Which side is the best bet in this spot?

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT DALLAS COWBOYS
NFL ODDS: COWBOYS -3
NFL TOTAL: 48.5

WHY THE EAGLES WILL COVER THE SPREAD

This feels like a game the Eagles badly need to win if they are to remain relevant in the NFC this season. It is true that Dallas, like the Eagles, is also 3-3, but picking up a fourth loss before the midway point of the season invites the possibility that Philadelphia isn’t a Super Bowl contender. Their losses are more easily explained away than the Cowboys as the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions are good teams, while the loss in Atlanta was on the road and close. Lose to Dallas on Sunday, though, and the mood completely changes.

The Cowboys should get back their offensive linemen this week but Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb are both banged up. If two of the Cowboys’ top receivers are out, the Eagles have a much easier path to victory. Philadelphia has the league’s fourth-worst pass defense, giving up 280.2 yards per game. The good news is they have the league’s second-ranked run defense. If Elliott gets stopped in his tracks and Prescott doesn’t have his best receiving weapons, the Eagles can make good on Pederson’s “guarantee”.

WHY THE COWBOYS WILL COVER THE SPREAD

The big story all week was and will be the fact that Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson predicted a victory for the Eagles against the Cowboys. So what if the Cowboys are dealing with a lot of injuries? This is the kind of bulletin-board talk which pokes a wounded bear and gives the Dallas roster a chance to take a stand and show that it is still the king of the NFC East. This is exactly what the Cowboys needed: someone and something to wake them out of their slumber and halt a three-game losing streak, which has caused panic inside the organization.

The question is whether or not this will. Early indications from the players is that it’s not really that big of a deal, which is surprising to hear. It’s starting to feel like head coach Jason Garrett has lost the team.

The good news is this team should get back tackles Tyron Smith and La’el Collins this week as both were able to practice on Thursday. The Cowboys need to get their act together and remember who they were: a team that ran the ball successfully and built off of that. They need to lineup and find a way through the Eagles defensive line using Ezekiel Elliott and build from there. Dak Prescott has struggled with just two touchdowns and four picks in his last three games but getting some help from the ground game can get things back on track.

TAKING A LOOK AT THE TOTAL

The Cowboys’ three wins have come against the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins, and the Miami Dolphins. None of those teams have more than two wins right now. The Cowboys started 3-0 because of the schedule, not because they were good, and given the injuries they have, they probably won’t solve their problems on offense. We’re looking at a lower-scoring matchup here given how the offensive-defensive strengths and weaknesses matchup. I’ll lean with the Eagles and the under.