A sad excuse for a division in the NFL a few short years ago, the NFC East could very well be the toughest this year. The only unbeaten team remaining through the first five weeks of the 2020 campaign, the Philadelphia Eagles look to stay hot when they host the Dallas Cowboys in the Week 6 edition of Sunday Night Football. I doubt many had the Eagles as the lone remaining unbeaten, but strong play from Jalen Hurts has them humming. This is Philly’s stiffest test of the season against a team that’s won and covered four in a row behind backup Cooper Rush. Even if Dak Prescott is ready to play he probably won’t.
The Week 6 Sunday Night Football contest between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles will take place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia at 8:20 p.m. ET on October 16, 2022 and will be televised on NBC.
Cowboys vs Eagles Odds
Dallas Cowboys +6 ( +211 )
Philadelphia Eagles -6 ( -255 )
Over/Under 41.5
Odds Analysis
Last week we saw the Cowboys roll into LA catching 5.5-points and they dismantled the defending champs 22-10. Playing as a dog is nothing new for Dallas, especially since Prescott went down in Week 1. The Cowboys got points in three of their previous four games winning all of them outright and covered as a 3-point favorite in a 25-10 win over Washington. Philly had its three-game ATS winning streak end last week failing to cover the 5.5-point line in their 20-17 win over Arizona. The Eagles have been favored in every game and are 3-2 ATS. Dallas held every opponent to fewer than 20 points pushing the total down slightly after opening at 42.5.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys led the NFL in total offense and scoring last season often overshadowing a defense that played well. With some key members from last year’s squad gone and Prescott on the shelf, the offense hasn’t been as explosive. In fact the Cowboys have failed to score more than 25 points in a game and rank 25th with an average of 18.6 points. That’s nearly two touchdowns less than last season. Yet here they are entering a huge divisional matchup with a 4-1 record. Rush has managed games, the team has valued the football and the defense has done the rest.
Rush threw just 16 passes last week completing 10 of them for 102 yards. He has yet to throw an interception and the Cowboys have gone three straight games without a turnover. They’re tied with Philadelphia having the fewest giveaways this year. Defensively the Boys have held all five opponents to under 20 points helping them cash the UNDER in four games with a push. They registered five sacks last week and are one behind San Francisco for the NFL lead with 20. And they’ve had success recently against the Eagles with payout wins in three straight while going 7-2 SU and ATS in the last nine meetings.
Philadelphia Eagles
It’s still relatively early but you can count the Eagles as a Super Bowl contender. That typically happens when you’re the last remaining unbeaten team. There’s been superb balance on the club so far with Hurts leading the fifth-best scoring offense at 27 points per game. They’re also second in total offense averaging nearly 420 yards. Hurts has thrown for 1,359 yards completing 68 percent of his passes. And he’s deadly when forced out of the pocket with another 266 yards on the ground. He’s run for six TDs with just four scoring passes. He’ll need to be elusive against a strong Dallas pass rush.
Hurts will play a big role in the outcome but I think it comes down to how the Eagles’ defense performs. Philly leads the league with a plus-9 turnover margin and disrupting Rush could mean an extra possession or two. During their three-game losing streak to the Boys the Eagles defense has surrendered an average of 43 points losing by at least 20 points each time. They limited Kyler Murray to 250 yards passing with an interception last week and are fifth against the pass. Forcing Rush to beat them with his arm will increase Philly’s chances of winning.
Cowboys vs Eagles Predictions
Just two years ago Washington won the division finishing two games below .500. Things have changed in a short time and this matchup will give one team an early edge in the standings. While Hurts has strong numbers but I’m still not convinced he’s an elite quarterback and he will be tested by a strong Dallas unit. The teams value the football and haven’t allowed big plays, which is why I’m leaning toward the UNDER. And I’ll have to back the points in this one.
Prediction: Dallas Cowboys +6 / UNDER 41.5
