NFL Football Betting: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
Who thought this would be such an excellent matchup before the season? The reality is that rookies in just about every sport are better prepared to step right in and play than at any point in history. You see this in the NHL as we speak (Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine) and you’ve definitely seen it in the NFL this season. Sunday night football features a matchup of two excellent rookie quarterbacks. In the Dallas Cowboys’ corner you’ve got a two headed rookie monster with QB Dak Prescott and RB Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott’s success might not have been expected so quickly but he *was* the #4 pick overall. Prescott was selected in the fourth round and no one thought that he’d be so good that Tony Romo would find himself in a ‘quarterback controversy’ when he was healthy enough to play.
In the other corner, Philadelphia has their own exceptional rookie quarterback in Carson Wentz. Wentz was expected to be a good quarterback at the NFL level–he was picked #2 overall so you can’t call him a ‘surprise’. What is surprising is how good he’s been as quickly as he’s been. Throw in a surprising start to the season by Washington and the New York Giants and we’ve got a very compelling race in the NFC East. Right now, Dallas is in first place with a 5-1 record, Philadelphia second at 4-2 and Washington and the Giants tied for third with a 4-3 record.
Typically, it’s a good idea to look for spots to go against favorites in bye weeks. This situation is atypical since it likely gave Dallas a chance to scheme for the Eagles’ newly installed blitz schemes. The way to counter a blitzing defense is with a powerful running game. Ezekiel Elliott is the ‘X factor’ here–he can disrupt the Eagles’ defense and that will open opportunities for Prescott. This is an area that the Eagles simply can’t match and this could win the Cowboys the game. Eagles are a mediocre #17 in rushing yards per game. The Cowboys keep their hold on first place as they ride their rookie one-two punch to a win and cover.
BET DALLAS COWBOYS -4.5 OVER PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
