TNF betting preview: Eagles host Cowboys in season opener
It's finally here. The NFL season kicks off Thursday night in Philadelphia with an NFC East matchup between the Eagles, who are coming off a Super Bowl championship, and their bitter foes, the Dallas Cowboys.
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🏈 Pick: Eagles (-7.5)
The Eagles begin their title defense against a clown factory that just traded a generational talent in Micah Parsons due to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' ineptitude. These rivals are in different stratospheres of organizational competence.
Philadelphia returns nearly its entire offense from last season's championship team, which featured the league's best running back and best offensive line, a top-three receiving core, and one of the best quarterbacks. A Super Bowl hangover won't hit Philly this season. While the defense is younger with some question marks in the secondary, the front seven should continue to dominate. Plus, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is back for his second season as one of the best coordinators in football.
The Cowboys won't be as bad as their 7-10 campaign last year, but the talent gap between them and the Eagles is wider than it's been in a while. That's part of why this may seem like a large spread for a division rivalry game.
The energy inside Lincoln Financial Field as the Eagles unveil their banner in front of the Cowboys will carry the more talented team to a resounding win.
🏈 Dak Prescott over 249.5 passing yards
The Cowboys will feature a pass-heavy attack this season as Dak Prescott is paired with a dangerous wide receiver tandem in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. The Eagles' biggest defensive liabilities are in the secondary, particularly at the second cornerback and safety spots, which Dallas should target. Plus, the Cowboys will likely trail in the second half as substantial underdogs. If Dallas is down, Prescott will have even more opportunities to accumulate passing yards.
🏈 Jalen Hurts over 36.5 rushing yards
Hurts rushed for at least 37 yards in over half of his games last year. The Cowboys allowed the fourth-most rushing yards per game last season, and now their best defender is playing for the Packers. The threat of Saquon Barkley in the backfield creates opportunities for Hurts to run, particularly when the Eagles utilize the read option.
NFL news editor Brenden Deeg will be providing touchdown scorer props all season long.
🙌 A.J. Brown (+145)
Dallas' defense struggled against wide receivers last season, ranking 24th in touchdowns allowed to the position. A.J. Brown, who missed time with a hamstring injury in camp, has been back at practice over the last week and will be fully healthy for the season opener. He scored in five of the last seven games in 2024, including touchdowns in the NFC championship and Super Bowl.
🙌 Javonte Williams (+185)
We'll trust the Cowboys' depth chart and training camp reporting here. Williams, who was signed this offseason after four years in Denver, headlines Dallas' running backs entering Week 1, and these odds are too good to pass up. You'll rarely ever see an RB1 over +150, so take it while you can.
🙌 Jalen Hurts to score 2+ (+325)
The Eagles won't mess around in the season opener: We expect them to utilize the tush push every chance they get. Hurts scored two rushing touchdowns in his lone start against Dallas last season, and the Cowboys allowed the most scores and yards on the ground to opposing quarterbacks in 2024. Their run defense is set to struggle again this year, so Hurts finding the end zone twice is a great long-shot bet.
Let's have some fun, shall we? Parlays are rarely recommended wagers, but they easily offer the best bang for your buck from an entertainment standpoint. Turning $5 into hundreds is every casual bettor's dream, and the season opener presents a great setup to take a shot at hitting an early lottery ticket.
The legs:
- CeeDee Lamb: Over 89.5 receiving yards
- CeeDee Lamb: To score a TD
- Dak Prescott: Over 39.5 passing attempts
- Dak Prescott: Over 299.5 passing yards
- Dak Prescott: Over 19.5 rushing yards
- Jalen Hurts: To score a TD
The odds: +7856
The logic:
The Eagles are 7.5-point favorites, and the game total is 47.5, which is higher than average. The Eagles should be leading, and if they score four touchdowns - as their team total implies - chances are Hurts scores one of them.
All signs point toward the Cowboys being one of the pass-happiest offenses in the league. Their defense, meanwhile, projects to be one of the worst in the NFL, and nothing suggests their rushing attack will improve from last year. With the Cowboys forced to play catch-up and Philadelphia's relatively weak secondary, it's easy to see how Prescott would throw the ball 40 or more times.
If Prescott does, his chances of throwing for over 300 yards increase. Lamb will be his go-to option and should see a hefty number of targets as the Cowboys' best offensive weapon. There's a chance Pickens is shadowed by Quinyon Mitchell, who finished second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting last year. That would force Prescott to look Lamb's way even more often. Plus, Lamb can operate out of the slot to create different matchups for the Cowboys to capitalize on.
In a game where the Cowboys are expected to call a high rate of passing plays, it could take just one scramble from Prescott to rush for 20 or more yards. The Eagles' defensive line is a problem, and Prescott could be running for his life more than once.
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