Upcoming Match-ups

Eagles vs Cowboys Odds, Lines, and Picks

David Golokhov

by David Golokhov in NFL Football

Updated Dec 26, 2020 · 6:48 AM PST

Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) puts his helmet on during NFL football practice, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, Pool)
  • The Philadelphia Eagles will visit the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET
  • The Cowboys have a +7 turnover ratio the last two weeks and have scored three defensive/special teams touchdowns
  • The Eagles rush offense is fourth in the NFL over the last three weeks, averaging 160.0 yards per game

The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys will meet on Sunday in an NFC East showdown of two suddenly competitive teams. The division was the laughing stock of the NFL earlier in the year but the Eagles have been scrappy with Jalen Hurts under center while the Dallas Cowboys have won two straight and three of five.

Remember that there are playoff implications here as both teams still have a shot to win the division. The Eagles are a 2.5-point road favorite for this matchup with the total sitting at 49.5. What’s the best bet for this contest?

Eagles vs Cowboys Odds

Team Moneyline Spread Total
Philadelphia Eagles -142 -2.5 (-112) Over 50.0 (-114)
Dallas Cowboys +120 +2.5 (-108) Under 50.0 (-106)

All odds as of December 24 at FanDuel

Hurts Has Impressed As Eagles Starter

The Eagles seemed dead in the water just a few weeks ago. With Carson Wentz under center, the team had lost four straight and failed to score more than 17 points in any of those contests. Those outings were generally embarrassing as they were marred by mistakes, turnovers and poor play-calling. However, a switch from Wentz to Hurts has given the entire team a shot in the arm.

To start, Hurts isn’t turning the ball over as he has just two turnovers in two starts; Wentz has averaged 1.3 turnovers per game. Hurts is also able to be effective behind a makeshift offensive line. Wentz was sacked more than any other quarterback during his time starting and that impacted his performance. Hurts can seemingly work around that.

But Hurts isn’t simply doing a better job with sacks and turnovers; he’s also outperforming Wentz. Hurts totaled 273 yards and a touchdown in his first start and then piled up 391 yards and four touchdowns last week against Arizona. This team still has flaws but Hurts is giving them a fighting chance. The same couldn’t be said when Wentz was starting.

Cowboys Have Been Competitive

The Cowboys have been a different team since getting embarrassed at home on Thanksgiving. They hung tough in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens and then beat the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers. Of course, wins over the latter two teams is little to get excited about but if you’re a Cowboys fan, you know even the weak teams have given them problems at times.

It’s still tough to have any faith in the Cowboys because their two-game winning streak has been fueled by takeaways and special teams touchdowns. The Cowboys are +7 on the turnover margin over their last two weeks and have received three special teams touchdowns in that span. They were a -13 before that and had zero special teams touchdowns.

The other concern is that their offense still isn’t doing much these days. The Cowboys scored 41 points last week but only had 291 yards of offense. Against Cincinnati, they scored 30 with just 272 yards. Bettors have to be wary that if Dallas doesn’t get the turnovers, we could again see the team that averaged just 17.5 points per game before this short two-game winning streak.

What’s The Best Bet?

The Cowboys have caught some great breaks the last couple of weeks but they’re not a great team. Unless the Eagles are extremely sloppy in this one, they should carve the Cowboys up. Their offense is working again and their defense has been solid throughout the year. They’ll minimize the mistakes, the Cowboys offense will labor and the Eagles will win and cover on the road.

Prediction: Eagles -2.5 (-112), 1 Unit

Author Image