Cowboys vs. Eagles predictions: Odds, total, player props, pick, how to watch ‘Sunday Night Football’

The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys will draw an arc for Week 6 in the NFL on Sunday when these NFC East rivals go head-to-head in prime time. Alongside the battle for the top spot in the division, it’s no exaggeration to say that this could very well be a preview of the NFC Championship.

Philly is 5-0 to start the season and Dallas has four straight wins despite losing quarterback Dak Prescott to a thumb injury. A big part of these two teams’ success has been outstanding play on defense, with each ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in DVOA on this side of the ball.

Here we will be looking specifically at the different betting angles this game has to offer. Along with the spread and totals, we’ll also take a look at some players’ props and offer our picks on how we think this showdown will play out.

All NFL odds via Caesars Sportsbook.

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Date: Sunday October 16 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
TV: ABC | Electricity: fuboTV (try for free)
Consequences: CBS Sports App
Opportunities: Eagle -6.5, O/U 42

line movement

Featured Game | Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

Back when that line first debuted in the spring, the Eagles were a slim 1-point favorite. Fast forward to the season and looking ahead, Philly had 5.5 points, likely due to a combination of his unbeaten start and, of course, Prescott’s injury in Week 1. Prior to week 5, this number saw some movement and surged as high as Eagles -6.5. That declined after Week 5 but has since risen back to that number and sits at Eagles -6.5 to close out the week.

The selection: Eagle -6.5. This will result in Philadelphia’s offensive line diluting the impact of Dallas’ passing rush. According to Pro Football Focus, the Eagles have the highest pass blocking rating in the NFL, but the Cowboys boast the best pass rush, so something has to give up here, especially when you look at Jalen Hurt’s split when he/doesn’t stand negative pressure. Under pressure, his passer rating was 22nd in the league. Without pressure he is fifth. The Eagles have the staff to fend off Dallas enough for Hurts to succeed and win the game by touchdown. Speaking of hurts, he’s 4-0-1 ATS in his career as a home favorite that includes a 2-0 SU and ATS record this season.

key trend: The home team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven matches.

Over/Under total

That total originally opened at 51, but has dropped significantly, likely due to the dominant defense each of these teams possess. The lookahead had a total of 45.5 and has only gone down from there and now stands at 42.

The selection: Over 42 A little against the grain here. The Under stands 7-3 between these sides this season, but that figure still feels a little too low despite both clubs having dominant defences. Philadelphia has routinely moved up teams in the first half and has averaged a league-high 21.2 points per game in the first two quarters. Will they lose more than 20 points in the first half against Dallas on Sunday? Probably not, but they should have a respectable day offensively to get into the mid-to-high 20s, which will take light work from the Cowboys.

key trend: 6-1 in the Eagles’ last seven home games.

• Passing touchdowns: 1.5 (above +159, below -224)
• Passing yards: 221.5 (above -109, below -125)
• Frenzied courtyards: 4.5 (above -129, below -106)
• Longest passport completion: 34.5 (above -121, below -113)
• Interruptions: 0.5 (above -139, below +102)

The Under on Rush’s rushing yards seem like a good game here. While there’s always a risk of the Eagles flushing him out of the bag and forcing him to scramble for yards, we always have the squats in our back pockets to get his totals moving our way. In his four starts, Rush has only gone over that prop once (Week 4 vs. Commanders) and he has two games where he rushed for negative yards. I’d also lean slightly over Rush’s total passing yards, even though the Eagles hold opposing quarterbacks at one of the lowest passing yards-per-game averages in the league. He’s surpassed that number twice in his four starts and I expect Dallas will be trailing this game, which will force Rush into more passing attempts.

Props by Jalen Hurts

• Passing touchdowns: 1.5 (above +112, below -154)
• Passing yards: 234.5 (above -115, below -119)
• Frenzied courtyards: 48.5 (above -121, below -113)
• pass attempts: 32.5 (above -104, below -131)
• Longest passport completion: 38.5 (above -113, below -121)
• completions: 19.5 (above -125, below -109)
• Interruptions: 0.5 (above -115, below -119)

The Over on Hurts’ Rushing Yards prop is a good way to look here. In addition to the design runs he will have on this offense, the Cowboys will put pressure on hurts, which will force him to stoop and run. Hurts are also averaging 13.6 rushing attempts per game this season and have exceeded that number in three of their five games played. His all-time touchdown assist at +123 isn’t exactly of much value, but it’s worth some attention given that he’s had a goal in all but one of his games this season. If you’re feeling brave, Hurts is 7/1 to score two or more touchdowns in this game, which he’s already done twice this season.

Player Props to Consider

Tony Pollard Total Rushing Yards: Over 32.5 (-113). Pollard was a home run hitter for the Cowboys that season, owning the club’s longest-running game and earning a Game of the Season in Week 6. He has exceeded that number in three of his five games this season and faces an Eagles defense ranks 20th in DVOA against the run.

DeVonta Smith Total Receptions: Over 4.5 (+126). Just like the value here. AJ Brown should get most of the attention from the Cowboys’ secondary, and Smith has seen his passing game volume increase lately. In two of his last three games he has seen 12 and 11 goals. He’s also exceeded that catch total in three of his five games this season, hitting 82.4% of his goals since Week 2.