The NFC East has not failed to live up to the preseason hype that US sportsbooks were boasting about the division. While the New York Giants certainly have failed to measure up (we can pin that one on Ben McAdoo however) the rest of the division is in playoff contention. At the top of the East are the Philadelphia Eagles, the team boasting the best record in the NFL. On the heels of the Eagles are the 5-4 Dallas Cowboys, who will have an opportunity to assert their dominance over Philly this upcoming Sunday night. This NFC East rivalry promises to be one of the best matchups we’ve seen all year, but there is one problem: the Cowboys will be without star running back Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott was handed a 6-game suspension for disorderly conduct before the season began and the 2-year player did everything he could to fight the NFL’s ruling. Each week, Elliott managed to find a court that would suspend the commissioner’s ruling. But time ran out on Elliott and the Cowboys as the dust has settled and he will be on the sidelines for the next several weeks. Right when Dallas needed him most. Without Elliott in the backfield, it’s unlikely that the best sportsbook odds will be giving the Cowboys much of a shot.
Betting Philadelphia
While the Cowboys may be struggling the opposite is true for Carson Wentz and the Eagles. Wentz is hitting his stride in his second year in the NFL and so is Doug Pederson, Philly’s head coach who is in his second season at the helm. The two seem to be a perfect match as Philadelphia’s 8-1 record is the best in the NFL. Furthermore, the Eagles wield one of the best offenses in the NFL. At the moment, the Birds rank 2nd in scoring, 4th in total offense, 14th in passing offense and 4th in rushing offense. It’s going to be pretty tough to stop a team putting up those kind of numbers and the Denver Broncos found that out the hard way this past Sunday. The Eagles trampled the Broncos 51-23, proving that not even one of the best units in the league can deter them. The latest sportsbook news has Carson Wentz pegged as one of the contenders, if not leaders, in this year’s MVP race. Wentz has 23 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 2,262 passing yards and a 104.1 passer rating to his name.
Betting Dallas
The Cowboys enter this Week 11 contest sporting a 5-4 record that pegs them as Philly’s biggest threat in the NFC East. It’s unlikely that Dallas could contend with the Eagles for the NFC East title, even if they do manage to pull off the upset this upcoming Sunday night. However, the Cowboys could manage to qualify for the playoffs via a Wild Card berth and a win against the Philadelphia would be a step in the right direction. But Dallas will need to do it without Elliott who is arguably an even more integral part of their offense than Dak Prescott. We got our first glimpse of the Elliott-less Cowboys this past Sunday and it was not pretty as the team came up short 7-27 against the struggling Falcons. It’s more likely than not that the same thing will happen to Dallas this Sunday. Looking over the odds, betting Philadelphia on the spread is your best sportsbook option.
Best Sportsbook Betting Lines:
Philadelphia Eagles -3½ (-117) 49 (-110) -205
Dallas Cowboys +3½ (-103) 49 (-110) +172