October 26, 2011

NFL Week 8 Betting Previews- Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Week 8 Betting Previews- Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Point spread: Philadelphia -3.5

Over/Under: 50.5

In one of the classic rivalries in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys square-off against the Philadelphia Eagles in front of a prime-time audience this Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field. Kick-off is slated for 8:20 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBC.

Last Sunday’s 34-7 romp over St. Louis as a 14-point home favorite raised Dallas’s overall record to 3-3 straight-up (3-2-1 against the spread) but its season so far has been one big roller-coaster ride. The other six games have been decided by four points or less and most of them were not decided until late in the game.

At the center of it all has been Tony Romo, who has been both chastised and praised for his play so far. Overall his numbers have been solid with a 64.5 completion percentage and over 1,700 yards passing, but his six interceptions and one lost fumble proved to be costly mistakes in a couple of losses. A key to winning this game could be rookie running back DeMarco Murray, who could give the Cowboys a much needed running game. Last week against the Rams, he set the team’s single-game rushing record with 253 yards on 25 carries.

Philadelphia is coming off a bye week which could prove to be bad news for Cowboy fans. Since taking over as head coach in 1999, Andy Reid is a perfect 12-0 SU following a bye. What has not been perfect has been the Eagles’ play this year.

The inability to hold onto the ball on offense coupled with the inability to stop the run on defense has led to a less than stellar start for a team that was touted as a Super Bowl contender at the beginning of the year. The result has been a 2-4 start both SU and ATS with the total going ‘over’ in four of the six games.

The Cowboys are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games as an underdog and the total has gone ‘over’ in 12 of their last 15 games against the NFC.

The Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a bye week and the total has gone ‘over’ in 13 of their last 19 games overall.

Head-to-head in this series, Dallas is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings overall and 5-2 ATS in its last seven trips to Philadelphia. The total has gone ‘over’ in four of the previous seven meetings.

Turnovers, mistakes, and penalties could loom large in this game as the team that avoids them the best will win. Give the straight-up edge to Philadelphia coming off a bye and playing at home, but stick with the past trends in this one as Dallas covers with the 3.5 points.

Philadelphia 27 Dallas 24

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Dave Schwab

DJ is a freelance writer that concentrates on his true passion in life; the world of sports. He produces a number of articles each week for BangTheBook.com as well as a select group of other websites that specialize in providing the most up-to-date information for the sports gaming industry. His goal is to write insightful articles on a wide variety of sporting topics that can provide an edge to today's sophisticated online player.