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Cowboys’ Odds to Win NFC East Sink to +225, Eagles Listed at -325

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in NFL Football

Updated Mar 24, 2020 · 9:25 AM PDT

Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott confer.
Following Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the odds of the Dallas Cowboys winning the NFC East have increased to +225. Photo by Keith Allison (Wiki Commons).
  • Following Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, odds have faded of the Dallas Cowboys winning the NFC East to +225
  • Dallas must win Sunday and hope the Eagles lose to win the NFC East title
  • Any other scenario and the Cowboys are eliminated from postseason contention

The odds of the Dallas Cowboys winning the NFC East are slim at best, but they have nobody to blame but themselves.

As inconsistently and as incompetently as they’ve played all season long, Dallas came to Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field with a simple mission – beat the Eagles and they’d be in control of their NFC East destiny.

Instead, the Cowboys did what they’ve done so effectively all season long – they blew it, big time.

A 17-9 loss at Philly left Dallas 7-8 for the season and one game behind the Eagles for the NFC East lead with a game to play. To make the playoffs, the Cowboys need the 8-7 Eagles to lose on Sunday at the 4-11 New York Giants while they are winning at home against the 3-12 Washington Redskins.

Sportsbooks don’t like the chances of that coming to fruition and list the Eagles as the odds-on -325 chalk to win the NFC East. The Cowboys are given odds of +225 to win the division title.

2019 NFC East Odds

Team Odds
Philadelphia Eagles -325
Dallas Cowboys +225
New York Giants N/A
Washington Redskins N/A

Odds taken on Dec. 23rd

A week ago, the Cowboys were the -165 favorites to win the NFC East in the NFL Divisional odds. The Eagles were +130 to take the title.

Where Have the Cowboys Gone?

The Eagles took the field Sunday minus three wide receivers (Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, DeSean Jackson), two running backs (Jordan Howard, Darren Sproles) and their starting right tackle (Lane Johnson). If ever a game was there for the taking for Dallas, it was this one.

Instead, coming off their biggest win of the season, a 44-21 rout of the defending NFC champion Los Angeles Rams, the Jekyll-Hyde Cowboys went off the rails again. It was their most important game of the season and all the NFL’s #1 offense could manage was a trio of field goals. The Eagles out-gained Dallas 431–311.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, second in the NFL in passing yardage (4,599) and fifth in touchdown passes (26) never found the end zone. Running back Ezekiel Elliott, 5-0 in his career against Philly entering the game and coming off a combined 248-yard effort with Tony Pollard in the rout of the Rams, was held to 47 yards on the ground.

Even In, Odd Out

In 1999, the Cowboys went 8-8 and made the NFL playoffs as an NFC Wild Card team. They haven’t qualified for postseason play in successive years since 2006-07.

Lately, there’s been a familiar pattern at work for Dallas. In 2013, the Cowboys missed the playoffs. They were NFC East champs in 2014, and then went 4-12 in 2015.

NFC East titles in 2016 and 2018 were sandwiched around a 2017 playoff absence.

And in 2019 . . . well, you can figure out trend in play here.

Cowboys’ NFC East Chances Grounded

As if any sort of symbolism to represent Dallas’ season was necessary, it was supplied after Sunday’s game. The Cowboys’ team plane was grounded, classified as not viable for flying.

The Cowboys are 5-2 against losing teams and 2-6 against winning teams.

Prescott is battling a shoulder injury. The defense can’t cover running backs or tight ends. They accounted for 16 of Eagles QB Carson Wentz’s 24 Sunday completions.

The Eagles aren’t much better but when they needed it down the stretch, they won three straight.

Philly is 10-1 in its last 11 against the Giants.

Pick: Philadelphia Eagles (-325).

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