The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles Battle it Out for Top Spot in NFC East
The Dallas Cowboys want revenge, and they want it bad. More importantly, however, they want to win the NFC East division title, and there is very little chance they will do that if they do not score a road victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night. Game time at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia is 8:30 PM ET, and NBC will televise the game live.
Dallas is still licking its wounds from the 33-10 beating it took on Thanksgiving from the Eagles, who ripped apart their defensive line for 256 yards, 156 of them from LaShawn McCoy. There was also obviously a huge effort from the defense, which held running back DeMarco Murray in check (only 73 yards). So naturally the Cowboys are looking for some reversal of fortune here, and the interesting thing is, they have been spotless as a road team, winning all six times they have traveled.
These teams are tied with 9-4 straight-up records, and while Dallas is 7-6 against the spread, Philadelphia has posted an ATS mark of 7-5-1.
NFL Odds for Week 15 – Cowboys vs Eagles
In the Sunday night football betting odds at Pinnacle, the Eagles are favored:
NFL Point Spread: Philadelphia Eagles -3.5 2.060, Dallas Cowboys +3.5 1.854
Money Line: Eagles 1.584, Cowboys 2.540
Over/Under: 55 points
If Dallas loses this game, that would constitute a series sweep by Philadelphia and that means that in the final two games, Dallas would have to win both, with the Eagles losing both, in order for the Cowboys to come out on top of the division. At any rate, Dallas is a prime wild-card contender.
But it is Philadelphia that is probably more eagerly seeking redemption right now. The Eagles ran into a determined Seattle Seahawks team last Sunday and not only had their worst offensive performance this season, but amassed the lowest yardage total Chip Kelly has ever presided over, as a college or pro coach. They had only 139 yards from scrimmage, in a dreary effort that made you wonder how they could’ve possibly stayed within ten points of the defending Super Bowl champs.
However, Pinnacle customers know that it is the defense that will have its work cut out it for in this game. The Eagles have allowed only 57.6% completions on the part of the opposition, but they have also surrendered 26 touchdown passes and 14 passing plays of 40 yards or more. The key to their defensive game plan is obviously going to be getting pressure on Tony Romo, who is hurting at the moment with injuries to his ribs and back but is known to get the ball down the field rather than play the “dink and dunk” game. Philadelphia has 44 sacks on the season, second only to Buffalo in the NFL rankings. They had better not ignore the fact that they have to slow down Murray, whose yardage total is up to 1606. The Cowboys want to be balanced; in fact they have run the ball more than they have passed it. So can the Eagles upset that balance?
If they can, it may be a long evening for the Cowboys, who have allowed 89 points over their last three games. They have guaranteed themselves winning record, but if they missed the playoffs once again, could that spell the end of Jason Garrett’s tenure as head coach? Remember that Philly had a 10-game home winning streak until losing to Seattle, so they are very formidable at Lincoln Financial Field.
