The new NFL season begins on Thursday night as Dallas Cowboys visit the Philadelphia Eagles. Matt Temple-Marsh has the best bets.
NFL betting tips: Cowboys @ Eagles
2pts Dallas Cowboys +7.5pts at 20/21 (General)
1.5pts Jalen Hurts 34.5+ rushing yards at 20/23 (BoyleSports, Betway)
1pt CeeDee Lamb 100+ receiving yards at 12/5 (bet365)
| |
Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles
- Kick-off time: Friday, 0120 BST
- TV: Sky Sports Main Event
- Spread: Cowboys +7.5
- Total: Over 47.5
The NFL season kicks off with a massive NFC East rivalry as the defending Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, host the Dallas Cowboys.
Coming into this game as the Super Bowl champions, the Eagles get to raise their brand-new banners in front of their rivals. They swept the Cowboys in the previous season and are riding an 11-game home winning streak. And their offense is largely intact, with Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley returning. Barkley had a stellar 2024 season, rushing for over 2,000 yards and claiming the offensive player of the year award.
The Cowboys are a bit of a question mark heading into this season. While they get a healthy Dak Prescott back, their defence is now without star player Micah Parsons – who has been traded to the Green Bay Packers in a blockbuster deal that raised eyebrows in Dallas.
The Cowboys' offense struggled without Prescott last season and their running game was particularly weak, ranking near the bottom of the league – it looks like they’ve done very little to improve this, leading to what could be a difficult season for first time head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
CeeDee Lamb 100+ receiving yards
The big return for the Cowboys is Prescott, who at his peak is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL – look back to his 2023 season where he finished second in MVP voting.
His chemistry with star wide receiver CEEDEE LAMB is clear to see, where in that 2023 season he posted 1,749 receiving yards.
This game is going to be an uphill battle for the Cowboys in a hostile environment. They’re likely to be trailing and forced into a pass-heavy attack, and the addition of George Pickens is great news for Lamb.
This is the first time in the WR’s career that he has another real threat lining up alongside him, helping to draw coverage elsewhere. Lamb will see a bounty of targets and is value to go over the century mark.
His over/under line is somewhere around 75 for the more cautious, but several firms offer bigger than 2/1 about over 100 or something around that mark, and it looks great value.
Jalen Hurts over 34.5 rushing yards
JALEN HURTS silenced his doubters with his performance in the Super Bowl, as he dominated as a passer and a rusher – he is up there with the very best.
Last season he picked up 630 rushing yards through 15 regular-season games (42 yards/game) alongside a huge 14 touchdowns. The price for a touchdown is far from generous, so I’m targeting his rushing total.
His season average is above the 34.5-yard threshold (the specific figure varies between bookmakers, so shop around), and in his last game against Dallas he scrambled for 56 yards. Saquon Barkley erupted last time these sides met, but prior to that it has been a bogey team for him – as he averages just 67 yards per game.
There are a lot of new parts on defence for the Cowboys and their linebackers particularly look shaky. Hurts can move the chains with his legs, and soar past the over.
Cowboys to cover
With the Micah Parsons departure there’s serious pressure on the DALLAS COWBOYS, and it’s going to be tough. Lincoln Financial is one of the hardest places to play, let alone on the night the Eagles raise their Super Bowl banners.
But the Cowboys won’t go down easy – they have a lot to prove, and they come into this game with a brand-new head coach, Brian Schottenheimer. The hire was met with criticism, but the early reports are nothing but positive from Dallas.
They’re also bolstered by defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, one of the better defensive schemers in the league. They have a flurry of new additions on defence, and of course the return of Prescott at QB.
The Eagles boast arguably the best roster in the league, but they have suffered losses on both sides of the ball and lost their offensive coordinator – plus the Super Bowl hangover is a real thing. A late backdoor cover by the punchy Dallas offence is well within the realm of possibilities in what could be a back-and-forth affair.
Posted at 1130 BST on 02/09/25
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at and .
