The Philadelphia Eagles (1-1, 1-0 away) battle the Dallas Cowboys (1-1, 0-0 home) in an NFC East rivalry showdown on Monday Night Football. After a 17-11 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia aims to rebound, while the Cowboys try to make it two-straight after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers, 20-17.
The kickoff for the contest is at 8:15 p.m. EST inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. According to the oddsmakers, the Cowboys are a 3.5-point favorite, and the total over-under is at 52 points.
What to Know – Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia has a chance to start the season 2-0 on the road with a win Monday night. The Eagles opened the season with a convincing 32-6 victory in Atlanta against the Falcons.
The Eagles’ offense averages 21.5 points and 389.0 yards of offense per game. Defensively, Philadelphia has been one of the best in the league, holding opponents to 11.5 points and 297.0 yards of offense.
Monday’s contest will be the first for Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts against Dak Prescott. Hurts, the Texas native, makes his first prime time start of his career. The second-year pro has thrown for three touchdowns and rushed for another through the season’s first two games.
Starting running back Miles Sanders has carried the ball 28 times for 129 yards, and Hurts’ favorite target in the passing game has been Quez Walker (five receptions, 140 yards). Hurts’ Alabama teammate DeVonta Smith has eight catches for 87 yards and one touchdown.
What to Know – Dallas Cowboys
Dallas returns home after a pair of road tests to start the season, marking the first start for Prescott since the gruesome injury he suffered at AT&T field last October. The Cowboys dropped their season opener to the defending Super Bowl champions, 31-29, before rebounding against the Chargers last week.
The Cowboys score 24.5 points and total 449.0 yards of offense per game. Dallas’ defense is conceding 24.0 points and 432.0 yards of offense to opposing teams. Dallas aimed to improve their defense in the offseason, bringing in veteran defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and using their first six draft picks on defenders.
Prescott has completed 76.5% of his passes for 640 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions this year. The Cowboys have used a two-headed rushing attack between starter Ezekiel Elliott (27 carries, 104 yards, one touchdown) and backup Tony Pollard (16 carries, 123 yards, one touchdown). Pollard is averaging 7.7 yards per carry.
CeeDee Lamb (15 receptions, 185 yards, one touchdown) has emerged as Prescott’s favorite receiving target, along with Amari Cooper (16 receptions, 163 yards, two touchdowns). The two wide receivers have seen over half of the targets from Prescott.
The Pick is In
Dallas finally gets their home season-opener in what will be a packed AT&T Stadium in prime time. Both teams should be able to move the ball up and down the field against these defensive units, creating an exciting MNF matchup against hated rivals.
The Cowboys have the home-field advantage and the edge, but the safe play here is to expect a lot of points and the over.
Betting Pick: Over 52