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It’s almost time for the biggest game of the season so far for Cowboys fans. Dallas travels to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles with the NFC East lead on the line. Dak Prescott is listed as questionable for the game, but that is likely just a head fake as Cooper Rush is almost assuredly going to be the starter. With that comes some big underdog odds for the Cowboys (+6.5) courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Dallas is used to being slighted by the oddsmakers and have won three times this season as underdogs, leading to Mike McCarthy’s declaration that the Cowboys “are nobody’s underdog.”
Let’s see what people are thinking about the game.
Rush has been able to keep the ship afloat for the Cowboys, posting a record of 4-0 as the team’s starter. However, he’s far from the reason they’re winning. The team ranks 27th in yards per game and 24th in points per game, so they’ve gotten the job done thanks to their elite pass rush.
Take last week’s game vs. the Rams. The Cowboys secured an impressive 12-point road win, but their lone touchdowns were a fumble return by DeMarcus Lawrence and a long run from Tony Pollard. The Cowboys managed just 239 yards of total offense, and they had just 76 net passing yards.
That formula will work against some teams, but it’s not going to play vs. the Eagles. The Eagles are an elite team, and the Cowboys’ offense is going to have to put some points on the board to keep up. With Rush under center, I don’t think they can do it.
One vote for the bad guys.
This is a fascinating game, even with Dallas planning to start Cooper Rush. The Cowboys’ pass rush has grown in diversity and depth. Their secondary is cohesive and communicates, changing snap to snap. But can the ‘Boys hold up if the Eagles try to run straight through them? I respect what the Cowboys are accomplishing too much to not have them at least keeping games within a score, regardless of the opponent, but Rush gets closer each week to making a few killer mistakes.
They like the Cowboys to cover, but not to win.
The Cowboys have some serious star power. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. Trevon Diggs. CeeDee Lamb. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. I sat here for a while trying to figure out how the Eagles could possibly contend with all those superstars. And it won’t be easy. But I’ll take the complete team over the group of stars any day of the week, and I do believe the Eagles have a better group of 22 starters and a better 53-man roster than the Cowboys. Both teams have top-10 defenses, but get this: The Eagles are averaging 27 points per game, and the Cowboys haven’t scored 27 points in any game and are averaging just 18.6 points. I don’t think either team is going to score a ton of points, but I just think the Eagles are so much more productive and explosive than the Cowboys that they’ll be able to get into the mid 20s and the Cowboys won’t. The Eagles have won only six of their last 17 prime-time matchups with the Cowboys. They’ve lost four of the last five Cowboys games at the Linc. They’re 14-20 vs. Dallas since 2005 and 2-7 in the last nine meetings. I don’t care.
Eagles 24, Cowboys 19
Another cover for the ‘Boys, but not a win.
Eagles 22, Cowboys 20
Another excellent matchup, the Cowboy defense is the real wild card here. They can generate pressure on anyone and Philadelphia’s offensive line is a little banged up. But even if Dak Prescott makes his return, I like Philadelphia’s weapons on offense a little more. Jalen Hurts’ versatility presents problems. This one, however, should be pretty close.
Starting to sense a theme. The Cowboys will cover the spread, but lose the game.
As we do every week, some of the BTB staff are picking each game using Tallysight. Below are the picks for all the games left in Week 6.
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
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