The Philadelphia Eagles could be without QB Jalen Hurts when they visit the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night.
Hurst sprained his shoulder in last weekend’s 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears and may not be available here. The Eagles can clinch home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with a win here. Philly has the best record in the league at 13-1 SU and is also 8-6 ATS.
The Cowboys are 10-4 SU and 8-6 ATS on the season. Dallas returns home after suffering a 40-34 defeat at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars in a loss that snapped a four-game winning streak for them. Dallas opened as a -1.5 point favorite in this game but the line has surged to -5 with Hurts’ status uncertain.
The Eagles have the best record in the NFL this season and they have matched the winningest season in franchise history. In their last game, they outlasted the Chicago Bears 25-20 to give Chicago its seventh straight defeat, their worst losing skid since 2002.
Jalen Hurts suffered a shoulder injury in the second half of the game but continued playing Hurts threw for 315 yards but got picked twice while rushing for 61 yards. AJ Brown had his best game of the season with 181 receiving yards on 9 catches. Philly racked up 421 offensive yards and allowed just 157 yards on the ground.
Hurts is listed as questionable for Saturday and if he is unable to play, veteran Gardner Minshew is expected to get the start for the Eagles. Minshew went 20-25 with 2 TD passes earlier this season in a game where Hurts got injured against the Jets.
The Cowboys saw their four-game winning streak end last week at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars who stunned them 40-34 in overtime. Dallas would have clinched an outright playoff spot had they won that game although they are already assured a wild card position.
Dak Prescott got intercepted by Rayshawn Jenkins in overtime and Jenkins ran it 52 yards for the winning score. Prescott threw for 256 yards with 3 TDs and 2 INTs. CeeDee Lamb led Dallas with 26 receiving yards while Tony Pollard rushed for 75 yards. The Cowboys picked up 397 offensive yards, including 154 on the ground while allowing 311 passing yards and 192 rushing yards.
Dallas is in the Top 10 in both scoring and scoring defense. They are 3rd at 28.1 points per game this season and are 8th in the league at 19.2 points per game allowed this year.
The Eagles are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games played against the Cowboys. The Eagles are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games played against the Cowboys.
Philadelphia Eagles SU trends:
Dallas Cowboys SU trends:
Jalen Hurts’ injury comes at a time when the Eagles are just one win away from clinching the top seed in the entire NFC playoffs and a bye during Wild Card weekend. If Hurts is unable to play against Dallas, then Gardner Minshew will start on Saturday.
Minshew has seen minimal action this season and he has not started since Week 18 of last season, a game which the Eagles lost 51-26 at home to, well, the Dallas Cowboys. Minshew threw 2 TD passes in each of his last two starts last season while completing 67.2% of his passes and throwing just one INT.
With Hurts out, it could be a busy day for Miles Sanders who has topped 140 rushing yards two times over the last four weeks while scoring four times during that stretch. AJ Brown is coming off a season-high 181 receiving yards last weekend but without Hurts, he may not be maximized on Saturday.
Defense was the key to the Cowboys’ 6-2 start but last weekend, they had no answer for Trevor Lawrence who threw for 318 yards and four TDs as Jacksonville beat Dallas. The Cowboys’ defense has now allowed 7 TD passes in their last three games played. Their rush defense also allowed 192 rushing yards in last week’s game against the Jaguars.
Dak Prescott also needs to play better. Although he connected on 76.7% of his passes last week and had three scoring strikes, he threw two interceptions. He has now thrown 7 INTs in his last four games played and has 11 total INTs on the season.
The Eagles are compromised here. If Hurts does not play, then Dallas has the clear edge. If he does, he may not be 100%. Looking ahead, Hurts’ health is going to be crucial for the Eagles and they must protect it at all costs.
If the Cowboys can rediscover their defense, they will be in good shape here. If Prescott gets his game going, it’s going to be a problem for Philly. I think Jalen Hurts’ injury is the key here. I’m going with the Cowboys.
Prediction: Dallas Cowboys
The Eagles are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games played against the Cowboys. Philadelphia is also 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings in Dallas. The favorite is, however, 4-1 AT in the last five games played between these two teams.
Philadelphia Eagles ATS trends:
Dallas Cowboys ATS trends:
Eagles
+5 (-110)
Cowboys
-5 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 12/23/2022
Give the Cowboys the edge here as the Eagles will be without Jalen Hurts or he could play limited due to a shoulder injury. Philadelphia’s goal is to win the Super Bowl so even if the injury isn’t serious enough, they will err on the side of caution with the heart and soul of their offensive machines.
Look for the Cowboys’ defense to shut down Minshew’s passing game and this will force the Eagles to run the football. Meanwhile, the Dallas offense will have its share of troubles against the Cowboys’ defense. However, Prescott is still the better signal caller than Minshew at this stage of their careers. Give me the Cowboys to win this home game and cover the spread.
Prediction: Dallas Cowboys -5
The total has gone over in each of the last four meetings between these two teams. The over is also 5-2 in their last seven games played in Dallas.
Philadelphia Eagles over/under trends:
Dallas Cowboys over/under trends:
Eagles
46.5 (-110)
Cowboys
46.5 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 12/23/2022
Both Philadelphia and Dallas have excellent passing games but they also have great passing defenses, with Dallas ranked 2nd and Philadelphia 5th in passing defense on the road.
Gardner Minshew is a respectable quarterback and he is going to produce for the Eagles. However, without Jalen Hurts’ dual-threat prowess, the Eagles offense isn’t the same. Philly might opt to run the football here which will slow the game and limit scoring opportunities.
Dallas has a pretty good defense although it has not played well as of late. Against Minshew however, they won’t have as much trouble as compared to playing against Hurts. The Philly defense is also good and they should provide some problems for Prescott. I think this one misses the total.
Prediction: Under 46.5
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