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Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles Betting Preview

First place in the NFL’s worst division is on the line Sunday night when the 2-5 Dallas Cowboys face the 2-4-1 Philadelphia Eagles. The spread has continued to climb, landing on the Eagles as 9-point favorites at home with the over/under set at 43 points.

Somehow, things in Dallas are worse than anyone could have expected even after Dak Prescott was lost to a season-ending injury. The Cowboys have been outscored 63-13 over the last two games, including a pitiful 25-3 loss to Washington last week. Dallas has already lost a rather tenuous hold on first place in the NFC East, and with the Steelers on tap for next week, the Cowboys can’t afford to lose this week.

Meanwhile, the Eagles have catapulted themselves to the top of the NFC East with a comeback win over the Giants last week. Philadelphia deserves a little credit for staying competitive in losses to the Steelers and Ravens in recent weeks, but last week’s win was more about a collapse by New York. Nevertheless, Philly has an opportunity to seize control of the division if they can get the home win over Dallas.

Sitting Out

Injuries continue to be the dominant storyline in Philadelphia. DeSean Jackson and Zach Ertz are out again, as is Miles Sanders. Alshon Jeffery is also unlikely to play this week. On top of that, Lane Johnson is playing through some ailments to try and give some sort of help to an injury-riddled offensive line.

To his credit, Carson Wentz has done a decent job of trying to overcome all of the injuries surrounding him. Wentz has as many interceptions as touchdowns this season though, and has been sacked 28 times in seven games behind that makeshift offensive line.

On the bright side, Wentz and the Eagles will face the worst defense in the NFL this week. The Cowboys are giving up close to 35 points per game, and parted ways with some notable defensive players this week. They couldn’t even get a handle on Washington’s sub-par offense last week, so it’s far from a sure thing that they’ll have success against even a watered-down Philadelphia unit.

Next Man Up

Just a few weeks after losing Prescott, the Cowboys might be down another quarterback after Andy Dalton suffered a concussion last week. Dalton is likely out, which forces Mike McCarty to turn to rookie Ben DiNucci.

Obviously, starting the rookie would be far from ideal for Dallas in their current situation, but the Cowboys still have an impressive set of skill players. McCarthy’s unit still leads the NFL in passing yards, even after two horrid offensive weeks.

Much like Dallas on that side of the ball, the Philadelphia defense also has some considerable weaknesses. The Eagles have been terrible against the run throughout most of the season, which should help Ezekiel Elliott find some running room after being held below 50 yards in three of the last five.

While Philadelphia’s defensive line hasn’t fared well in run support, they do a great job of putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. This facet of the game will likely be the key against a Cowboys rookie QB, especially against a banged-up Dallas offensive line.

With all of the injuries the Eagles have had to endure this season it’s hard to imagine Philadelphia being able to cover a 9-point spread. As bad as the Cowboys have been, getting blown out by a division rival for a second straight week seems unlikely. Keep in mind the Eagles barely beat the Giants a week ago.

Bet on the Cowboys to beat the spread in Philadelphia.

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