Week 3 of the NFL season is here, and this weekend’s schedule features plenty of great games to wager on. West Virginia sportsbooks include a wide variety of markets for every matchup, including team, player and game props.
The excitement concludes on Monday night as two heated rivals face off to see who can get an early leg up on the division. Both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are 1-1 and looking to earn another NFC East title this season.
America’s Team is coming off their first win of the year over the Los Angeles Chargers. Dallas used a much more balanced attack to narrowly edge the Chargers with a last-second field goal.
The Cowboys fell in their opener to the defending champion Bucs in a close contest.
Philadelphia won its first game by defeating the Falcons with ease, 32-6. The Eagles then fell a week ago at home to San Francisco by six points.
Regardless of how these teams are currently performing, these meetings tend to be highly entertaining. The two sides have been the ones battling for the division crown more often than not lately.
Let’s break down the two teams and examine some of the odds available at WV online sportsbooks.
Cowboys-Eagles Preview
This rivalry didn’t necessarily need any more juice; however, new Eagles coach Nick Sirianni provided just that. When he addressed the media earlier in the week Sirianni was wearing a shirt that read “Beat Dallas.”
While you know the fans are ready for a crucial game, it appears the two locker rooms are, too.
Each side earned a victory in 2020, but this game should look a little different than those.
Philadelphia had Carson Wentz starting at quarterback in that first meeting last season, while Dallas went with backups Ben DiNucci and Andy Dalton. All three are not rostered by either team now.
Dallas has starter Dak Prescott back and looking better than ever. The Eagles showcase Jalen Hurts under center, like they did against the Cowboys last December.
That ended up being the game Dallas won, despite Hurts’ 342 yards through the air. The young signal caller is looking solid so far, completing more than 67% of his passes in two weeks.
He’s thrown for over 450 yards, but more importantly, he hasn’t tossed any interceptions in 58 attempts.
Interestingly, Hurts is also Philly’s leading rusher. He’s accounted for 144 yards on the ground after just 17 rushes.
There’s no question that he is the focus of the Eagles offensive attack and who Dallas will try to contain.
Stopping anyone was nearly impossible for the Cowboys’ defensive unit a year ago, but things are looking improved. Under new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Dallas looked much faster and more capable.
The coaching staff knows the defense isn’t going to carry anyone, but if they can just look average, then that is probably enough. That’s the case because the offense in Big D is better than most.
Prescott has more than enough weapons around him to make it very difficult for oppositions. Running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard are quite formidable, to go along with receivers like Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb.
Some divisional games are tough to predict, but it seems likely that a decent amount of points will be scored in this one.
Cowboys-Eagles Odds At WV Sportsbooks
Even with a bunch of injuries last season, the Cowboys’ offense still produced. Nothing has changed in that department, as they’ll enter this one ranked fourth in total yards.
If you pair that with a Dallas defense that is still finding its way, it’s possible this game will turn into a shootout.
According to DraftKings WV Sportsbook, the game’s total sits at exactly 52 points.
Of the four games played by these two, only the Cowboys’ opening week tilt in Tampa reached 50 points.
As for the outcome of the game, the online sportsbook lists Dallas as a slight favorite at home. DraftKings has it laying -3.5 in the point spread, with a moneyline of -180.
Bettors can take Philadelphia on the other side with odds of +155 to win the game outright.
A lopsided result is always possible, but these divisional matchups tend to be much tighter. Both teams know one another’s personnel and scheme, so games usually stay within a few scores.
That being said, backers of both teams should look to secure certain spreads when placing their bet.
Those who like the Eagles should jump on it now, while it remains at +3.5. A field goal often decides close games, and that half-point could make all the difference.
The same logic applies for those looking at Dallas. Bettors should wait to check where the line is throughout the weekend and see if it drops.
Since the majority of online sportsbooks include alternate odds, there are ways to lock in your number now, too.
You can move it down a full point to -2.5 by paying slightly extra with odds at -145. Although this costs more up front, it could turn a loss into a win.
Betting On Monday Night Football Player Props
You can also always choose to completely disregard the standard game lines and instead wager on player props.
Since both offenses can move the football, finding a few friendly player props is certainly possible.
DraftKings shows an option to bet on both quarterbacks’ total for combined passing and rushing yards. Prescott owns a 10-yard advantage in this market, posted at 308.5 yards compared to Hurts at 298.5.
The over and under selections for both players are available at -115.
Some of the receiving props are fairly enticing as well. At the moment, the Cowboys’ Lamb features a receiving total of 80.5, the most on his team. Cooper isn’t available right now but should be prior to game time if he’s confirmed to go.
Eagles rookie DeVonta Smith holds the top spot for the visitors, with his total shown at 51.5 yards.
Both of these markets seem relatively low considering these players’ production. Smith exceeded 70 yards in his first NFL game, while Lamb topped 81 yards both times he’s taken the field this season.
