First place in the NFC East is up for grabs on Sunday Night Football in Week 8. The top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles (2-4-1) host the rival Dallas Cowboys (2-5) at Lincoln Financial Field for an 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. Dallas enters Week 8 tied with the Washington Football Team for second in the NFL’s most disappointing division; a win puts the Cowboys in the top spot. Here, we’ll shop the SNF betting odds at the top US sportsbooks and make our picks and best bets for the Cowboys-Eagles moneyline, spread and over/under.
The Eagles squeaked out a 22-21 home win over the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football in Week 7; the Cowboys took a 25-3 road loss against Washington. Cowboys QB Andy Dalton was knocked out of that game by a concussion and is questionable for Week 8 while in the NFL’s concussion protocol. Seventh-round rookie QB Ben DiNucci replaced him Sunday and is in line for his first NFL start on the national stage.
Sunday Night Football betting advice will be provided here as a “pick” or a “lean”. Leans are generally reserved for when more news pertaining to injuries or player availability is needed; they may also be recommended in anticipation of the odds and lines moving toward more profitable numbers. Picks can be made at any point through the week at the odds listed at the time of publishing.
My Sunday Night Football Betting Preview at TheLines dives deeper into the Cowboys-Eagles matchup to help you prepare for your Week 8 betting picks. There, we look at the on-field matchup, betting trends for both teams, and betting information from some of the top US sportsbooks.
Cowboys at Eagles odds
Cowboys at Eagles picks: Moneyline
The availability of Dalton doesn’t really have much impact on our pick to win this one. Since stepping in for an injured Dak Prescott in Week 5, he has completed just 61.9% of 84 pass attempts for 452 yards with a single touchdown and three interceptions. After Dalton guided Dallas to a come-from-behind 37-34 victory over the Giants in Week 5, the Cowboys have taken back-to-back losses by 20 or more points.
Dallas also got a jump on the NFL trade deadline by dealing DE Everson Griffen to the Detroit Lions for a draft pick. DT Dontari Poe and CB Daryl Worley were released Wednesday as snaps will now be given to younger players on defense. The offense, an early-season strength under Prescott, has scored a total of 13 points in the last two games. RB Ezekiel Elliott was held below 50 rushing yards in each outing. He lost two fumbles in the 38-10 Week 6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Injuries remain a major concern for the Eagles. RB Miles Sanders (knee), OT Lane Johnson (knee, ankle), and LB Nathan Gerry (ankle) were the most notable names to miss practice Wednesday. WR Jalen Reagor (thumb) and TE Dallas Goedert (ankle) were designated to return from the Reserve/Injured list this week, but they remain questionable to play Sunday.
Philadelphia still has enough to get past Dallas with relative ease. Side with QB Carson Wentz and his crew of replacement offensive weapons.
The pick: Eagles -420 or better
Cowboys at Eagles picks: Against the spread
The Eagles are one of the heaviest betting favorites of Week 8. Their line ranges from 7 to 9 points, but their two wins this season were by just 5 and 1 points. The Cowboys are 0-3 on the road; each of their last three losses overall was by more than 10 points. The Eagles are 1-2-1 straight up and 1-3 ATS at home.
Dallas’ offense has dropped to an average of just 25.1 points per game on the season, while Philadelphia is averaging 23.3 PPG. Both teams are in the bottom third of the NFL defensively; the Cowboys allow a league-worst 34.7 PPG and the Eagles give up 28.0 PPG. The Cowboys are 0-7 against the spread and are the only team to not cover yet this year. They lose by 9.6 PPG and fail to cover by 10.9 PPG. The Eagles, however, are just 2-5 ATS overall and 0-4 as favorites. They’ve failed to cover by 11.2 PPG in those situations.
Still, this is the pick that’ll hinge on Dalton being able to start over DiNucci. The Cowboys have plenty of receiving threats, but they’ll need a quarterback to help take the pressure off of Elliott and the banged-up offensive line. Lean to the Cowboys, but back off and pass if DiNucci is under center.
The lean: Cowboys (+9 or better)
Cowboys at Eagles picks: Over/Under (total)
The projected total of 43 or 43.5 is one of the lowest on the Week 8 slate. Both teams are 4-3 against the Over/Under on the season. They top point projections by more than 6 points per game.
Those Over results for the Cowboys all came with Prescott at QB; they hit the Under in each of the last two games. The Eagles gave up 30-plus points in each game of back-to-back losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens before the 22-21 win over the Giants.
Neither defense is worth much confidence but there’s so little to fear with the Cowboys offense that the Under is a safe play. Get it early in case Dalton is officially ruled out; the line will drop if DiNucci is declared the starter.
The pick: UNDER (43.5 or better)
