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Jeremy Perry
Eagles vs. Cowboys Point Spread: NFL Week 16 Odds, Prediction
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has a shoulder sprain and Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons is ill. Hurts is officially out while Parsons is a question mark.
The Eagles have long been the best team in the NFL and NFC this season but will the Hurts injury derail them this week? Let’s take a closer look.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Cowboys have won four of their last five overall but are just 1-3 ATS in their last four outings. They have won seven straight at home, though, and covered the spread in five straight at AT&T Stadium.
Philadelphia is 9-1 straight up in its last 10 games but just 5-5 ATS. The total has gone over in seven of Philadelphia’s last nine games as they’ve been engaged in a number of high-scoring affairs. Philadelphia won the last meeting between these teams earlier this season, coming away with a 26-17 victory.
Philadelphia Eagles
With Hurts out, the entire dynamic of this game changes. The Eagles offense is second in the NFL in points per game (29.4) and third in yards, but that’s with Hurts under center. Hurts was among the frontrunners to win the NFL’s MVP award, so now a lot has to change. Remember, the Eagles run the read-option quite a bit with Hurts and they rely on his legs to run and make plays. Gardner Minshew III is not that as he’s not nearly as fleet-footed.
The good news for the Eagles is that they’re not just 13-1 because of one player. They’ve been playing complete football on both sides of the ball. And if the Dallas Cowboys continue to be sloppy and mistake-prone as they have been in recent weeks, the Eagles should be able to get to 14-1 – even without Hurts.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are pretty much set in terms of their playoff situation as they will be the No. 5 seed in the NFC, barring a complete collapse. That means they would visit the NFC South champion in the wild card round of the playoffs, which is probably a good thing.
However, they need to play well before the playoffs begin and that’s not happening right now. They were lucky to beat the Houston Texans a few weeks ago, then lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Sunday, blowing a 17-point, third quarter lead and losing on a dropped pass which turned into a game-ending pick-six.
The Cowboys are often sloppy and careless, and they need to enter the playoffs by displaying much better habits as the current level of play won’t cut it at all. Facing what is likely to be a shorthanded Eagle team, the Cowboys have a chance to score a big win which gets everyone’s attention and sets the standard this team needs to establish for the next several weeks.
One concerning note: Micah Parsons is sick. A virus is going through the Cowboys right now, and multiple players might either be sidelined or reduced in effectiveness by the time the game actually arrives on Saturday afternoon. Be on the lookout for updates and information.
PHI
DAL