Can the Cowboys luck continue? After getting a gift from the Giants last week, Dallas looks to make it two straight in the NFC East, getting a leg up on their division rivals. DeMarco Murray gets a first crack at his old mates after leaving for the City of Brotherly Love as a free agent in the offseason. Don’t expect the ‘Boys to give him much love as they go for their fourth straight win in Philly.
ODDS
The line opened at Philadelphia -5 with a total of 55 and has held firm. The Eagles have had a difficult time at home in games against division opponents, going just 2-6 ATS in their last eight. The total is the highest on the board for Week 2 and the over has some value with teams that like to score.
KEY INJURIES
Dez Bryant – Suffered a broken foot against the Giants. He had surgery Monday and is expected to be out at least six weeks. Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley will likely take on more of a role in the offense with Bryant out. The Cowboys also traded for receiver Brice Butler.
Ronald Leary – Didn’t practice this week and is questionable after sustaining a groin injury in the second half against the Giants. If he can’t go, Mackenzy Bernadeau will start at guard.
Randy Gregory – Will be out of action for several weeks after spraining his ankle against the Giants. He played well and would have been a vital part of the Cowboys pass rush.
David Molk – Tore his bicep in Monday’s loss and is done for the year, leaving the Eagles with more questions on the offensive line.
KEY MISMATCH
Statistically the Cowboys did a nice job defending the run last week, limiting the Giants to 99 yards on the ground. New York’s Shane Vereen caused problems for the Dallas linebackers, though, because of his versatility. He finished with three carries for 14 yards but was also New York’s leading receiver with four catches and 46 yards. Similar to Vereen, Philadelphia’s Darren Sproles is a matchup nightmare. Sproles has the ability to earn hard yards on the ground, catch passes out of the backfield and even line up in the slot. Sproles saw a bulk of the action in the second half last week, helping the Eagles rally to take the lead late in the game. He had seven catches for 76 yards and added 50 yards on five rush attempts. As if that’s not enough, the Cowboys will also have to contend with former teammate and last year’s rushing leader DeMarco Murray and Ryan Matthews in different sets. Murray will play a role in the game, but Dallas should be more concerned with stopping all three backs.
KEY STAT
25.0 – Philadelphia’s third-down conversion rate. The Eagles converted just three third-down chances last week and ran only 68 plays, effectively stalling their up-tempo offense. Dallas did a nice job holding the Giants to six conversions on 14 third-down chances.
BETTING ANGLE
A workhorse running back with the Cowboys last season, DeMarco Murray’s limited action in the Eagles opener was surprising. He hopes it doesn’t happen again when he faces his former team this week. Murray led the NFL with the 17th-most rushing yards in history with 1,845 last season, while carrying the ball 392 leading Dallas to the NFC East title. The Cowboys, however, chose not to match Philly’s offer during free agency, letting him go to greener pastures. He would like to show Dallas that the decision was a mistake but will need more touches than he had last week. Murray carried just eight times for nine yards in Monday’s loss at Atlanta.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Eagles were hurt by too many bad penalties last week that thwarted drives and took them out of their up-tempo pace. Watch for the Eagles to be more disciplined, especially on offense where tempo is vitally important for them to function. Murray didn’t have much of an impact in his first game with the Eagles, though matchups had plenty to do with that, according to coach Chip Kelly. Murray is simply too talented to waste and the Eagles will get him involved more in the offense. The Cowboys lost some talent to injuries last week, most notably Bryant, but the loss of Leary on the O-line is big and Gregory was working into a stud pass rusher. Those two will affect Dallas more. The Eagles will exploit a shaky secondary and get their first win of the year.
Philadelphia 31, Dallas 23
BookMaker sent out the NFL online odds for this Sunday game at Philadelphia -5 with a total of 55. Use BookMaker’s live betting feature to bet on this game while it’s happening.
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles is slated for Sunday, September 20, 2015, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field. The contest will be broadcast regionally on FOX.
