Eagles vs. Cowboys: Week 16 Betting Preview & Predictions

by | 22 December 2022

The 10-4-0 Dallas Cowboys host the 13-1-0 Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys have a point spread of -5 with a money line of -225. The over/under total on the game is currently set at 47 points.

Philadelphia Eagles Dallas Cowboys

Philadelphia Eagles (5)

Record: 13-1-0
Points Per Game: 29.4
Points Allowed Per Game: 19.1

Dallas Cowboys (-5)

Record: 10-4-0
Points Per Game: 28.1
Points Allowed Per Game: 19.2

Dallas Cowboys Offense:

The Cowboys are coached by Mike McCarthy who has been with the team since 2020. They have a current season record of 10-4-0 after going 12-5 last season. All coaches want big games from their offense and certainly Mike McCarthy is no different.

Dak Prescott is the quarterback for the Cowboys. The 29-year-old Mississippi State alum entered the league in 2016 and is looking for a win in front of the home crowd here. Thus far this season he has started 9 games and thrown for 2103 yards with a completion percentage of 68.0 percent. Dak Prescott has thrown 17 touchdowns despite 11 interceptions and has a QB Rating of 93.8.

His main target will be CeeDee Lamb. The home crowd would especially love to see some fireworks from the 23-year-old target. He has made 81 receptions to date on 124 targets, a catch percentage of 65.3%, for a total of 1087 yards. CeeDee Lamb is averaging 13.4 yards per catch with 6 touchdowns thus far. Dak Prescott will be looking to connect with him for more here.

The Cowboys running game is lead by the 27-year-old Ezekiel Elliott. A big game from him could be the key to controlling the clock here. He’s taken 188 carries and rushed for 774 yards thus far this season. His yards per game currently sits at 64.5 YPG, a number that you know Mike McCarthy would love to see him exceed in this game. Ezekiel Elliott has 10 touchdowns this season and 0 fumbles.

Overall, the Dallas Cowboys offense ranks 15 out of 32 teams in Offense DVOA at 4.7%, per FootballOutsiders. The passing game ranks at number 15 with a Passing DVOA of 11.0%. The running game has a Rush DVOA of 8.1%, ranking #5 in the league. This season they have a Red Zone success rate of 0.717 with 33 Red Zone touchdowns in 46 attempts.

Dallas Cowboys Defense/Special Teams:

On the defensive end, the Cowboys have a Defense DVOA of -13.90%, ranking 3 in the league. Specifically against the pass they rank #4 at -14.80% and they’ll need them to show up against Jalen Hurts. The Mike McCarthy-led team has a Defense against the rush DVOA of -14.80%, #10 out of thirty two teams.

Their kicker is Brett Maher who has made 23 of 26 field goals this season, a 88.5% field goal percentage, with a long of 60 yards. The Dallas Cowboys fans don’t want to see him too much, but it’s good to know he can hit another one if needed.

Philadelphia Eagles Offense:

The Eagles are on the road for this one. Nick Sirianni’s squad is 13-1-0 this season after going 9-8 last year. He has been at the helm since 2021 and is looking to grab a road win here. The Philadelphia Eagles have a betting line of 5 or you could bet them straight up at 195.

24-year-old Jalen Hurts will be under center for this one. He entered the league in 2020 after playing his college days at Oklahoma. Jalen Hurts has a quarterback rating of 104.6 on 22 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He’s started 14 games and thrown for 3472yards, a completion percentage of 67.3.

Miles Sanders is the lead back for the Eagles running game. The 25-year-old has taken 215 carries and rushed for 1110 yards this season. His yards per game currently sits at 79.3 YPG and he has scored 11 touchdowns with 1 fumbles.

On the passing front, Jalen Hurts will look to target A.J. Brown against the Nick Sirianni defense. A.J. Brown has 10 touchdowns thus far this season and his team will be looking for more here. On the year, he’s been targeted 118 times and made 74 catches for 1201 yards. A.J. Brown has a catch percentage of 62.7% and his yards per reception is 16.2.

According to FootballOutsiders, the Philadelphia Eagles offense has a Defense-adjusted Value Over Average of 18.4% which ranks at number 2 out of thirty two teams. The Passing DVOA is 26.2%, the number 7 ranked pass offense in the league. When running the ball, their Rush DVOA ranks at 1 with a Rush DVOA total of 19.5%.

If they hope to win on the road, they’ll need to do well in the Red Zone. For the year, they have scored 36 Red Zone touchdowns on 49 attempts, a Red Zone percentage of 0.735.

Philadelphia Eagles Defense/Special Teams:

The team will be looking for touchdowns, but they have Jake Elliott to knock down field goals if needed. His season long is a 54 yarder which is always helpful on the road. Jake Elliott has made 12 field goals on 54 attempts, a field goal percentage of 80.0%.

The advanced stats from Football Outsiders have the Eagles with a Defensive DVOA of -11.10% which ranks at 7/32 in the NFL. They are a different team against the run and the pass though.

Against the pass they rank at #4 out of 32 teams with a Pass DVOA of -14.80%. Comparatively, the run defense has a -17.40% DVOA which ranks at #10.

Key Match-ups:

  • Dak Prescott QB Rating of 93.8 vs. Philadelphia Eagles Pass DVOA Defense of 26.2%
    The Eagles have 15 interceptions this year and 55 sacks. They are allowing 19.1 points per game.
  • Ezekiel Elliott vs. Philadelphia Eagles number 1 ranked DVOA Rush Defense
    Opponents are averaging 4.7 yards per carry against the the Philadelphia Eagles and 121.1 per game.
  • Jalen Hurts QB Rating of 104.6 vs. Dallas Cowboys #4 ranked DVOA Pass Defense
    The Cowboys defense has allowed 19.2 points per game thus far this season. They have sacked the quarterback 49 times and picked him off 12 times.
  • Miles Sanders vs. Dallas Cowboys -12.70% DVOA Rush Defense
    The Cowboys are giving up 133.1 YPG on 4.6 per carry thus far this season.

Eagles/Cowboys Bettting Stats:

Eagles Against the spread: 8-6-0
Eagles Over/Under: 9-5-0

Cowboys Against the spread: 8-6-0
Cowboys Over/Under: 8-6-0

The best bet is Philadelphia Eagles 5 and Under 47.