The Eagles—somehow leading the NFC East with an abysmal 2-4-1 record—enter Week 8 as 11-point home favorites (at least for those betting on FanDuel Sportsbook) against Dallas. On the surface that may seem ambitious—the Eagles’ two victories this year have come by a combined six points. Despite Philadelphia's uninspired play this year, there is a case to be made for the Eagles covering, and here it is.
According to John Breech of CBS Sports, the slumping Cowboys are an embarrassing 0-7 against the spread this year. If that trend continues in Week 8, Dallas will become just the third team since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970 to start 0-8 against the spread, following the paths previously traversed by both the 1991 Bengals and 2003 Oakland Raiders. The Bengals broke their dry spell in Game No. 9 while it took the Raiders until Week 11 (following a Week 8 bye and a push against the Jets in Week 10) to record their first cover.
None of this bodes well for the Cowboys, who currently hold just a 6.4-percent chance of reaching the postseason, according to ESPN’s NFL Power Index. FiveThirtyEight.com holds them in slightly higher regard, pegging their playoff odds at a marginally more forgiving 11 percent.
As for Sunday night’s game in Philadelphia, it appears Dallas will be down to its third-string quarterback—seventh-round rookie Ben DiNucci of James Madison—with Dak Prescott (ankle) on I.R. and Andy Dalton still in the concussion protocol, the result of a brutal and highly illegal hit by Jon Bostic (who was promptly ejected) in last week’s loss to Washington. Between their litany of injuries (the offensive line is in shambles with starters Tyron Smith and La’El Collins both lost for the year), the team’s continued defensive woes (last in both points and rushing yards allowed) and Ezekiel Elliott’s recent struggles holding on to the football (four lost fumbles), 2020 has been a horror show of a season for Dallas with no end in sight.
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