DALLAS — With over 85,000 hotel rooms lining the Las Vegas Strip, I took a brief trip to the Bellagio sportsbook early Tuesday morning to gauge the betting climate for the upcoming Cowboys-Eagles game this Sunday. The neon lights revealed a tempting line — Dallas, +3.5. Nearby, a man in a tracksuit placed a hefty $10,000 wager, which, truthfully, is well beyond my budget. His bet? Seattle against Tennessee. While that didn”t provide me any insight, let me offer you some advice for a fraction of the cost of what the DMN paywall charges: be wary of the illusion that the Cowboys represent.
The allure is undeniable. The Eagles, boasting an 8-2 record, appear surprisingly lackluster. Their recent performance against Detroit was uninspiring, winning 16-9, and a week prior, they squeaked past Green Bay, 10-7, after a scoreless first half. Remarkably, the only team the Eagles have defeated by more than seven points this season is the New York Giants. However, despite the Eagles” struggles, they still have a strong winning record to discuss.
Wide receiver A.J. Brown has advised fantasy players to reconsider their expectations due to his diminishing stats. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has thrown for fewer yards than the Raiders” Geno Smith. Meanwhile, running back Saquon Barkley is feeling the effects of last year”s heavy workload, averaging just 3.8 yards per carry. Defensive issues persist, as no Eagle has recorded as many sacks as the Cowboys” James Houston.
The Eagles excel at two primary tactics: executing the Tush Push for short gains and touchdowns, although they even fumbled that aspect with penalties recently. Yet, they consistently find ways to win. The Eagles reached the Super Bowl in 2022, held a 10-1 record in November 2023, and won the Super Bowl in 2024. Their current 8-2 record in 2025 speaks to their sustained success, even as their fan base remains anxious over weekly performances.
On the other hand, the Cowboys displayed their best performance of the season during Monday night”s game, emerging from a challenging bye week following the loss of teammate Marshawn Kneeland. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer noted that the team is now energized and motivated to honor Kneeland. If the league allowed them to face Pete Carroll”s Raiders every week, I suspect they would relish the opportunity. However, this isn”t unprecedented for Dallas. They are coming off a win against a struggling team, and that is the only notable achievement on their record this season.
Dallas”s most significant victory came against Washington, who currently holds a 3-8 record. Their other wins have been against teams like the 2-8 Raiders and Jets, and the 2-9 Giants. The Cowboys have struggled against better teams, failing to come within 10 points of Arizona (3-7), Chicago (7-3), and Denver (9-2). The closest they came to success were their narrow losses to the Eagles, where they lost 24-20, and a 30-27 defeat against Carolina, which could be categorized as “impressive losses.” Nonetheless, limiting Rico Dowdle to 183 rushing yards hardly qualifies as noteworthy.
However, one cannot overlook the potential of Dak Prescott connecting with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. The Eagles continue to field Adoree” Jackson as a cornerback, presenting a vulnerability. Moreover, Dallas”s tackle-heavy defensive line could pose problems for Hurts, especially with the Eagles missing key player Lane Johnson. Hurts has faced 26 sacks already this season, a number that rivals the hits taken by Smith before his encounter with Dallas on Monday night.
There are valid reasons to believe this matchup will be competitive, far more so than when an 8-2 team faces a 4-5-1 squad. Even if the Cowboys manage to pull off an upset, it wouldn”t significantly alter their position in the NFC East standings. They would still need the Eagles to lose three more games while somehow defeating formidable opponents like the Chiefs, Lions, and Chargers.
Despite the challenges, the possibility of Eagles losses looms. Yet, the number of defeats needed for the Cowboys to regain footing in the division is unlikely to materialize, especially against an Eagles squad that, while flawed, seldom leaves the field empty-handed. The Cowboys are crafting their path in their unique way, but they will need more than just a win against the Commanders to prove they are ready to challenge an Eagles team that has consistently found ways to win.
