Washington Takes Over as Favorites to Win NFC East Division, Giants Fall to +400
By Matt Loede in NFL Football
Published:
- Washington’s win over the 49ers puts them in the driver’s seat as the favorite to win the NFC East
- The Giants home loss to the Cardinals puts them looking up at Washington for the NFC East title with three weeks to play
- Despite being 4-9, the Cowboys actually still remain in the race for the NFC East title – see who we like below
It was another interesting week of play in the NFC East – a division that appears no team wants to raise a banner to.
Week 14 saw Philadelphia, Dallas and Washington all earning wins.
New York, coming off a huge win last week in Seattle, lost at home 26-7 to the Arizona Cardinals, falling to 5-8 on the season.
With Sunday’s results, Washington now is the favorite to win the East in the latest NFL divisional odds.
NFC East Division Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Washington Football Team | -305 |
| New York Giants | +400 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +600 |
| Dallas Cowboys | +10000 |
Odds taken Dec 13 at Fanduel
A Giant Letdown
New York was wrecked basically by one player on the Cardinals, as Arizona linebacker Haason Reddick put up five sacks and forced three fumbles in the Cards 19-point victory.
Haason Reddick has 5 sacks vs the Giants today! 10 on the season, no option allows him to hit the market in the off-season.
A pleasant surprise for the Cardinals defense. #RedSea
— Full-Time Dame 💰 (@DP_NFL) December 13, 2020
Dallas was led by quarterback Andy Dalton, who threw for two scores in the win to help the Cowboys build a lead and beat the Bengals 30-7.
Andy Dalton to Ceedee Lamb and Michael Gallup #DALvsCIN pic.twitter.com/3Xq100hfAf
— Dallas Cowboys Collaboration (@mailman_phil) December 13, 2020
The Eagles got a solid first start for rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts, who threw for 167 yards and a score in the 24-21 win over the Saints, who were the NFC’s top seed.
Then there was Washington, was were able to get past the 49ers 23-15 for their fourth straight win to put them in the NFC East lead by themselves.
What’s Next?
The final three weeks should be a fun race to see which team is able to get it enough together to pull out the division title.
The Giants will play host to the 9-3 Cleveland Browns Sunday night December 20 in a primetime game that could make or break their hopes.
Joe Judge: "We were outcoached. We were outplayed."
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) December 13, 2020
The last two weeks they play at Baltimore, another team looking to do enough to get into the postseason, while the final week the G-Men will host Dallas, a game that has a ton of division implications.
Washington will play two of its last three games at home, starting with the Seattle Seahawks in week 15. From there they host the Carolina Panthers, who are 4-9 after 14 weeks.
CHASE YOUNG. @youngchase907 #WashingtonFootball
📺: #WASvsSF on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/3alYfT3slD pic.twitter.com/dv5glFuSMh— NFL (@NFL) December 13, 2020
They end the year with another huge divisional game at Philadelphia, where a win may be enough to clinch the division.
Dallas will also play two of their last three at home, hosting the 49ers in week 15, then turning their attention to two divisional games, hosting the Eagles in week 16 before ending the season at New York against the Giants.
Philadelphia needs a ton of help, as winning their last three games would only put them at 6-8-1. They have games at Arizona, at Dallas and at home for Washington.
The Unpredictable Odds
The Giant’s upset win in Seattle over the Seahawks last week catapulted them into the front spot in the NFC East, as they sat at -145 following the win.
Washington, with a win over the undefeated Steelers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh were at +145 after week 13, while the Philadelphia Eagles sat at +1400.
Rounding out the odds were the Cowboys, as Dallas was at +1600 after they fell against the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday 34-17.
The NFC East has a new team in first place 👀#WashingtonFootball | @WashingtonNFL pic.twitter.com/tJ4hj1SDKA
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 14, 2020
The tiebreakers for the division still have to be determined over the final three weeks, as both the Giants and Washington are 3-2 in divisional play.
New York won the first meeting between the two teams in week six, as they sent Washington to 1-5 at the time with a 20-19 win.
Three weeks later the Giants again were winners, as they defeated Washington 23-20 at FedEx Field, putting the Football Team at just 2-6.
Who wins the NFC East? pic.twitter.com/Passc9wM1n
— Cameron Magruder (@ScooterMagruder) December 13, 2020
Dallas, sitting at 4-9 are just 1-3 in divisional play, as they defeated the Giants October 11th, but have lost three NFC East games to Washington twice and Philadelphia.
The best bet has to be on Washington. They are getting hot at the right time, and it seems like their win over the undefeated Steelers has shown that Ron Rivera’s squad has more mental toughness then they know.
Add in a sprinkle of who is going to be the “Comeback Player of the Year” in quarterback Alex Smith, and the smart money has to be on a certain Football Team in D.C.
Sports Writer
Matt Loede has been a part of the Cleveland Sports landscape working in the media since 1994 when he graduated from broadcasting school. He has extensive experience in covering MLB, NBA, NFL, and college events. He's written three books, and won the "2020 AP Sports Stringer Lifetime Service Award."
