Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles – Week 16 NFL Betting Analysis
Dallas Cowboys (7-7 8-6 ATS) at Philadelphia Eagles (7-7 5-9 ATS)
While not for all the marbles it is for most of them in this NFC East matchup where the Philadelphia Eagles are a 2-point home underdog against the Dallas Cowboys. The total for this game is posted at 46.5.
The public has massively backed the Cowboys in this game, as they opened as a 4-point underdog and as of Thursday are a 2-point favorite.
The Eagles and Cowboys are both 7-7 and the winner will take sole possession of first place and be in the driver’s season for a playoff berth.
The Cowboys finally got back to their original game plan in their last game running the ball behind a strong line and playing good D. They did just that in their 44-21 win over the L.A. Rams where they racked up 263 rushing yards and the win snapped their three-game skid.
The Eagles have won their last two games wherein each they came back to win. Those wins were against the New York Giants and Washington Redskins, who they beat in their last game 37-27.
These teams met in the Big D earlier this season where the Cowboys played a great game in a 37-10 win over the Eagles.
In the last four games between these bitter NFC East rivals the Cowboys have covered the spread every time.
Finally
The Cowboys have a talented roster that has been a disappointment in a 7-7 season, but they still are in the playoff hunt. In the win over the Rams Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 117 yards and in the win over the Eagles in Dallas earlier in the season rushed for 111 yards. Tony Pollack blew up in the Rams game with 131 rushing yards and in his previous eight games had not rushed for over 28 yards.
Dak Prescott did not have a big game in the win over L.A. but when he does “America’s Team” tends to lose. He passed for 212 yards with two TD and was not picked off. Even in the big win WR Amari Cooper, who has 1,072 receiving yards this season, only had 19 yards but had 106 yards in the win over the Eagles this season.
While the Eagles rank 3rd in the league in run defense, they rank 20th in pass defense, they have to stop Elliot, which they could not do in the loss to the Cowboys earlier this season.
Wentz Does Not Have Much
While Carson Wentz has TE Zach Ertz, who leads the team in receiving yards, he is bereft of WR talent with many players injured. In the win over the Redskins in the Eagles’ last game, Wentz passed for 266 yards with three TD and no picks and his game-winning TD pass went to a WR, Greg Ward Jr, who has been on the practice squad most of the season and was a collegiate QB at the University of Houston.
Wentz has taken his lumps this season but has not had much to work with and he has been big at the end of the last two games. He passed for 191 yards with a TD and a pick in the loss to Dallas this season.
Miles Sanders rushed for 122 yards in the win over the Skins and he has been up and down in the last few games. He will face a Dallas run defense that ranks 12th in the NFL against the run but in the last game against the Rams only gave up 23 rushing yards.
Our Prediction
Can the Cowboys string two good games together in a row? Can Wentz pull out some magic for a 3rd straight game with a depleted Philly team? I would say yes and then no. Dallas will run the ball well behind Elliot and while Wentz will have a good game it will not be enough. The Cowboys will play well for the 2ndweek in a row and win and cover the spread in the City of Brotherly Love.
PICK: Cowboys -2