Everything in the world is right again as the NFL is officially back in our lives on Thursday evening with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles playing host to their division rival, the Dallas Cowboys, in the season opener.
Vibes couldn’t be much different for the two clubs entering the 2025 campaign, and my early Cowboys vs. Eagles predictions lean heavily to the hosts.
Find out why in my NFL picks for Thursday, September 4.
Cowboys vs Eagles predictions
Here are our early thoughts on the spread and total for this week’s game. We will have a full game preview (with a best bet and SGP) later in the week.
Early TNF spread pick: Eagles -7.5 (-105)
Things don’t always work out like they’re supposed to on paper, but it can’t be ignored that, on paper, this looks like a horrible situation for the Dallas Cowboys, and I think things could get very ugly.
They have a first-time head coach in Brian Schottenheimer, who most teams probably wouldn’t even have hired to be their offensive coordinator. I think he could be in over his head trying to manage the never-ending drama brought on by Jerry Jones, not to mention playing the defending champs in their building.
This is one of the more difficult environments for visiting teams in the NFL. That was on full display late last season, where a Kenny Pickett-led Philadelphia Eagles team embarrassed Dallas by a score of 41-7.
While Dak Prescott's return is a positive for the Cowboys, we have to consider the possibility that he might not be at his best right away. His season was cut short in 2024 thanks to surgery on his hamstring, which resulted in him missing nine games. In the games he played in, he wasn’t good as he set career lows for quarterback rating and touchdown-to-interception ratio.
We also have a below-average-at-best Cowboys defense that ranked 31st in points allowed last season, and that was with Micah Parsons.
All things considered, I don’t see a logical possibility for the Cowboys keeping this game competitive.
Early TNF total pick: Under 47.5 (-110)
While I fully expect the Eagles to have their way with this Cowboys defense, I don’t have the same confidence in Dallas’ offense contributing to the scoring.
I think there’s a real possibility that Prescott could be rusty, and the Cowboys don’t have much of a run game to depend on. With Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator last season, Dallas averaged just 4.0 yards per rush. This was tied for the third-worst mark in the league, and I don’t expect Javonte Williams to give them much of a boost after averaging 3.7 yards per rush as a Bronco last season.
Then, of course, we have an elite-level Eagles defense that allowed just 16.6 points per game at home last season. Dallas’ best option on offense will be to try to move the ball through the air, but that won’t be easy against the Eagles, who easily led the NFL last season in yards allowed per pass attempt.
It’s fair to point out that the Cowboys were without Dak in their two games against the Eagles last season, but they still only managed a pathetic 13 points… combined.
Cowboys vs Eagles odds
- Cowboys vs Eagles spread: Eagles -7.5
- Cowboys vs Eagles moneyline: Cowboys +300, Eagles -380
- Cowboys vs Eagles Over/Under: 47.5
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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