The second half of the NFL 2021 double header to kick off the final week of the regular season on Saturday night sees the top two sides in the NFC East meeting when the Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys.
Usually matches between these two sides are extremely competitive but with neither of these teams having anything to gain here, we might well be seeing a number of starters rested as both have an eye on big wildcard matches next week.
Philadelphia Eagles
Whatever happens here the Philadelphia Eagles will be heading on the road to someone next weekend having already secured their playoff berth. There are ways they can move from the seventh spot they currently occupy up to the sixth place if they come away with a win here but that isn’t completely in their hands so it is no surprise that the vibes they have given out is that they are more likely to go down the resting starters route and be fresh for next week rather than risk injuries for little gain.
That means we might see more of Gardner Minshew at quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and it will be interesting to see how he goes against a Dallas defence which isn’t the best against the pass in terms of yards they give up. Very rarely does a starter level quarterback who is a second choice get the chance to showcase their talents in primetime like this. While the Eagles might be resting starters a passionate home fan base will want to beat their rivals.
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Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys head to Philadelphia with the NFC East title already wrapped up and a home match next week guaranteed whatever happens here. There is a chance that the Cowboys could end the week as the number two seed with a win here but they would need the sort of mathematical equation that even Carol Vorderman wouldn’t be guaranteed to deliver for that to happen. Mike McCarthy hasn’t gone down the Philly route of suggesting he’ll rest starters but it would make perfect sense for that to happen.
Even if they weren’t planning on resting starters it has now materialised that Covid has hit the Cowboys camp. Two of the bigger players to have been put on Covid reserve are their elite linebacker Micah Parsons and key protective offensive lineman Tyron Smith. If McCarthy does send Dak Prescott into this game without a key protector you wouldn’t think he would be in the game for the whole night. Trevon Diggs and Tony Parsons are other players that are out for the Boys.
Betting
This isn’t the easiest match to bet on with the motivation of both teams not really there. I think Dallas Cowboys are guaranteed to be without more key players than the Philadelphia Eagles though and even if they both choose to rest a similar number of starters and this turns into a Gardner Minshew vs Cooper Rush game for the most part then I like the Eagles when you consider their passing game doesn’t have to worry about Micah Parsons attacking the quarterback or Trevon Diggs waiting for picks.
The Eagles can get the job done on the ground or in the air in that situation but I’m not so sure that Dallas will be able to do it that way, especially if Prescott spends most of the night on the bench. I wouldn’t want to say for sure that Philadelphia will have enough to definitely get the job done here, they have Covid issues themselves after all, but in front of a raucous home crowd who will be eager for their side to win, I do think the home side can stay within four points to cover the spread.
Tips
Back Philadelphia Eagles (+4) to beat Dallas Cowboys for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Coral
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