Cowboys vs Eagles betting - NFC playoff picture still not set
Betting sports: Cowboys control their own destiny
- WHO: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles (-1.5)
- WHAT: NFL football betting
- WHEN: Sunday, December 28 at 1:00 p.m.
- WHERE: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA
- KEY STATS: Dallas is 4-0 in games with a line between +3 and -3 this season; Philadelphia is 1-3 in games with a line between +3 and -3 this season
- PICK: Cowboys
Any NFL betting fan who keeps tabs on the NFC East knows that several NFL jobs may be at stake in Sunday’s exciting Cowboys vs Eagles line. At the very least, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips needs a win – and a playoff berth – to keep his job, while Donovan McNabb’s team must beat the Cowboys vs Eagles odds if he wants to remain behind center for the Eagles.
Online sports betting fans and sportsbooks alike may lean toward picking the Eagles, who are 4-1 against the spread in their last five meetings with the Cowboys. Philadelphia also has the luxury of playing at home, where they’re 5-2 this season.
The Eagles offense, however, is a bit of a wild card heading into Sunday’s contest. NFL betting fans are likely impressed with the Eagles’ passing attack, which ranks sixth in the NFL at 259 yards per game. But that stat was heavily padded during a three-game winning streak during which they carved up the mediocre pass defenses of the Cardinals and Browns. The Cowboys rank fourth against the pass (189.1 yards allowed per game) and, if the Eagles’ Week 16 performance is any indication, present a much bigger challenge.
This past Sunday, against a much tougher Redskins defense, the Eagles offense completely shut down, much to the chagrin of NFL betting players who picked Philly. Donovan McNabb spent much of the day bouncing passes in front of receivers and making them come back to the ball, even when he wasn’t pressured. Rookie DeSean Jackson, after beating speedy ’Skins corner D’Angelo Hall, dropped two easy touchdowns on the only good deep balls McNabb threw all day.
Perhaps the most important factor of all in the Cowboys vs Eagles line is Brian Westbrook’s health. He was held to just 45 yards on 12 carries and no touchdowns in Sunday’s loss to Washington and clearly isn’t 100 per cent. Of his 14 total touchdowns this season, only four have come in Eagle losses. In other words, when Westbrook doesn’t find paydirt, Philly doesn’t win. He’s the key cog in Philadelphia’s offense. With Westbrook hobbled, the Eagles aren’t nearly as attractive as an NFL betting pick.
On the other side of the ball, the Eagles’ stellar defense has kept them in games all season long. Brian Dawkins and company should make life difficult for Tony Romo, who has struggled recently against tough defenses like Pittsburgh and Baltimore and frustrated those who bet online on the Cowboys. Still, the Eagles recent defensive success came against the atrocious Browns, who may never score a touchdown in the NFL again, and the Redskins, who lost their offensive magic after a strong start to the year. The versatile Cowboys have far more weapons at their disposal and should find a way to score and beat the Cowboys vs Eagles spread, even though Romo will likely turn the ball over a couple times.
Like many NFL Week 17 picks, Sunday’s game could really come down to the wire and likely has many football betting fans sitting on the fence. Can Donovan McNabb feed off the home crowd and pull out one last miracle? Will Tony Romo continue to build his reputation as a choke artist? Ultimately, the pick comes down to Westbrook’s health. As he goes, the Eagles go, and he simply isn’t fully healthy heading into Sunday.
STAN’S PICK: Sure, Marion Barber is hurt too, but Tashard Choice has filled that void admirably for Dallas. With respect to Correll Buckhalter, the Eagles don’t have that kind of replacement. While Philly’s defense will keep the game close as usual, the Eagles simply won’t score enough points to win. Bet online on the Dallas Cowboys to clinch an NFC Wild-Card playoff berth.
For more NFL odds and Cowboys vs Eagles betting, bookmark the BetOnline.com internet sportsbook.
Stan Simmons first tasted football through the college game, but his football handicapping has strictly focused on the professional sport. Not many people devote as much time to the NFL as Simmons. For six days a week he works, labors and handicaps the sport, and on the seventh he rests as the games play out. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
