NFL Game of the Week – Eagles and Giants with TONS on the Line

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

Sunday, January 3rd – Cowboys Stadium, Arlington – 4:15 PM ET

NFL Point Spread: Dallas -3, O/U: 47.5

Without a doubt the most relevant match in the NFC this week. The winner of this game gets top spot in the NFC East and can possibly find themselves as the number two seed in the conference. If the Eagles win, they automatically gain the second seed in the NFC, regardless of Minnesota wins or not. If Dallas wins, they’ll need the Vikings to lose to the Giants and have Arizona lose to Green Bay in order to clinch a first round bye. The Eagles have the momentum in the game, as they are riding a six game winning streak. But the Cowboys are heating up themselves. Two weeks ago they ended New Orleans’ undefeated season and last week shut out their division-rival Redskins 17-0.

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What The Eagles Have To Do To Win

The Eagles have one of the, if not the, most versatile offenses in the NFL. There are just so many ways that Donovan McNabb and company can beat you. DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek and LeSean McCoy have all contributed to the Eagles current win streak. Add in Brian Westbrook, who is making his second appearance since missing several weeks with a concussion, and the Eagles offense is peaking at precisely the right time. Andy Reid will need to use all of his weapons to defeat the Cowboys, who have allowed only 16.7 points per game; that statistic is ranked fourth in the league.

What The Cowboys Have To Do To Win

In the season’s earlier meeting between the two clubs, the Cowboys beat the Eagles 20-16. They did so by keeping a ton of pressure on McNabb and forcing him out of the pocket on numerous occasions. That sort of pressure begins and ends with DeMarcus Ware, whose 11 sacks on the season has garnered him yet another Pro Bowl selection. There aren’t enough players on the defensive side of the ball to cover all of Philadelphia’s weapons, so the Cowboys will have to get to McNabb with lots of blitz plays and force the quarterback out of his comfort zone. Dallas had four sacks and two interceptions the last time these two teams met, so they know it can be done.

Outlook & Pick

There NFC East title is on the line, so there is no way either team is going sit their starters in order to keep them healthy for the playoffs. In fact, there is a chance that these two teams will meet again in the first round. If Minnesota, Dallas and Arizona all win, the Cowboys and Eagles will own the fourth and fifth seed, respectively. But the Eagles are flying high (pun intended) and show no signs of falling. Their offense is clicking and Westbrook should look much crisper in his second game back than his first. Philadelphia just has too many weapons working for Dallas to contain them.

NFL Point Spread Pick: Philadelphia +3 & over 47.5

Prop Betting: Team To Score First And Score In First Six Minutes

The Eagles are going to throw a lot of different offensive looks at the Cowboys early to keep them on their toes. One of those is surely to be a deep pass to either Jackson or Maclin, and there is a very good chance that it will be a successful play.

Prop Betting Pick: Eagles Will Score First, Score In First Six Minutes