NFL Week 9 Preview: Cowboys vs. Eagles Odds and Best Bets

The midpoint of the 2023 NFL season offers some tasty morsels–much more so than the previous week. Dolphins-Chiefs, Bills-Bengals, Seahawks-Ravens. All three would have been worthy entries in this week’s “Game of the Week” column.

But they’re not Cowboys vs. Eagles. Anyone who has fans of these two teams on their timeline knows how much they hate the other. @NFL_Memes lives to make fun of Cowboy fans (when they’re not making fun of Patriots fans)

This is re-posted and shared throughout the SocialVerse each weekend the Cowboys lose. It’s almost cultish, but that’s fandom.

There is a lot on the line in this installment–or as much that can be in their first matchup of the season. This one comes from The Linc, with the winner getting a key midseason leg up in the race for the division, and possibly the one seed in the NFC. So how do we find value in a game in which the teams appear to be evenly matched? Let’s look at the Cowboys vs. Eagles odds and get going.

Looking strictly at his top-line stats, Cowboys running back Tony Pollard appears to be having a fine season in his first year as the starter in Dallas. Pollard ranks 16^th in the league in rushing yards, with just over 60 per game. League average, which is good for someone who is taking on a full workload for the first time. But the trend is not in his favor. Pollard ran for 122 yards against the Cardinals in week 3. Since then, he has totaled 47, 29, 30 and 53 yards rushing.

This is where the Eagles come in. Philadelphia allows just 65.5 yards rushing per game. That leads the league by more than 12 yards. They have let just two running backs gain as many as 50 yards in a game. Do not be scared off by what will likely be a low number.

A trend that has treated us well so far this season is fading offenses that are dependent on turnovers against more disciplined teams. This game fits that bill.

The Cowboys are second in the NFL in scoring, at 28.1 per game. But they have done that despite ranking 15^th in yards per game.

Their scoring output has relied largely on their defense, as it did last week against the Rams.

The Cowboys have five defensive touchdowns this season, plus a safety. That totals 37 points, or 5.3 per game.

Philadelphia has 13 turnovers on the season, but many of those have come in bunches. Plus, they have the defense to make up for being left with a short field to defend.

Note: There is Under 22.5 available at a reasonable price (-125 on DraftKings). But 22 is not a common number, so it’s best to cede the point and take the lower juice.

The Eagles love running the ball, and the Cowboys are at best league-average against the run. That is despite winning games by 20, 23, 35 and 40 points so far this year.

In our Week 5 Game of the Week column, we correctly predicted that Dallas would struggle against a 49ers team that had a more predictive offensive profile. We confidently expect the same script to play out in this game. The Eagles will find success running with Jalen Hurts and D’Andre Swift. The Cowboys offense, not buoyed by a series of short fields and defensive scores, will run into resistance versus an Eagles front that has been one of the most consistent units in the entire NFL.

And then there will be no end to the questions about whether or not they are, in fact, Dem Boyz.

While you get ready for Week 9, Sidelines has you covered. Check out our top-five picks for the ninth week of the NFL season along with key prop bets to consider.