It’s Eagles vs. Cowboys. It’s Sunday Night Football. It’s first-place on the line in the NFC East. It’s also time to start thinking about how you’re going to bet on this game at PA online sportsbooks.

With the Cowboys installed as a short favorite over the Eagles, Sunday night’s clash between these two bitter division rivals is expected to produce plenty of drama. But the focus of this particular piece will be on the game total and how to bet the Eagles-Cowboys over/under.

There are plenty of factors to consider before locking in a play on the total, including the injury report, recent head-to-head history, and betting trends, so let’s run through what you need to know to get on the right side of the total on Sunday night.

Eagles vs. Cowboys Total

The Eagles-Cowboys total is 48.5-49, depending on the sportsbook.

  • FOX Bet: 48.5
  • FanDuel Sportsbook: 48.5
  • DraftKings Sportsbook: 49

Prices are as of 10:00 a.m. Friday morning.

 

Where To Bet The Eagles-Cowboys Total

FOX Bet PA, which gives new users a $20 sign-up bonus and up to a $100 deposit match when you sign up here, is offering the total at 48.5 points.

FanDuel Sportsbook PA, which gives new users a $500 risk-free bet, also sets the total at 48.5 points.

Meanwhile, over at DraftKings Sportsbook Indiana where you can grab a $200 risk-free first bet, the total is holding firm at 49 points. You can grab that offer if you’re in either New Jersey or Indiana right here.

Note: The over/under was steady at 49 points across most markets earlier in the week, but has since ticked down to 48.5 at some books. We recommend bets on the under choosing the highest total, and bets on the over the lowest total.

 

Cowboys Injury Report

The status of several key players from both sides is in question leading up to Sunday night, but the latest indications are that several key players will suit up for the Cowboys:

Dallas could be without each of their starting offensive tackles in Tyron Smith (ankle) and La’el Collins (knee), though both did participate in individual drills during Thursday’s practice and, as noted above, there is increasing optimism regarding their availability.

There are also numerous concerns for Dallas at wide receiver. Amari Cooper (quad) did not practice on Thursday, but reports indicate he’s getting closer and could be a game-time decision. Meanwhile, Randall Cobb (back) did not practice, and Michael Gallup was limited.

Does Dallas force the issue ahead of a key division game, or do they play it cautious and use the upcoming bye week to get some of these guys fully healthy? Should be interesting.

Dr. Chao, better known as the Pro Football Doc, gives the Cowboys the biggest downgrade on his injury index this week. Why does that matter? Well:

Seems relevant. Yes?

Certainly, the physical limitations or absences of these aforementioned players could significantly limit the Cowboys’ third-ranked passing attack, one averaging 305 yards per game through the air. It’s a sure-fire bet that offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will rely heavily on Ezekiel Elliott after he gained 105 yards on a season-high 28 carries and added 47 yards on five catches against the Jets last week.

With the status of several key Cowboys skill players in question, it also appears increasingly likely that rookie running back Tony Pollard, who’s averaging 4.9 yards per rush on 37 attempts this season, will be more involved:

Defensively, corners Byron Jones Anthony Brown are both dealing with hamstring injuries, also clouding their status. The absence of Jones, specifically, would be huge boost for a sluggish Eagles passing attack that has struggled to make big plays in the absence of Jackson. I mean, this is terrible:

 

Eagles Injury Report

As for the Eagles, they will be without left tackle Jason Peters, wide receiver DeSean Jackson and running back Darren Sproles.

On the other side of the ball, Philadelphia will be without linebacker Nigel Bradham, defensive tackle Tim Jernigan, and cornerback Avonte Maddox, while the status of corners Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills remains uncertain, though it does appear Mills will give it a go:

There was some hope that Jackson would be ready to return by now from an injury that is very obviously more serious than an abdominal strain, but that’s not happening, so there’s no reason to think the Eagles will suddenly produce the explosive plays that have been missing from the offense for over a month now.

Defensively, all you have to do is check Stefon Diggs’ stat line of seven grabs for 167 yards and three scores last week to know how important it would be for the Eagles to get back Darby and/or Mills for this game. Let’s not pretend either guy is going to come in and play at a Pro Bowl level, but, I mean:

The loss of Bradham means you’ll see the Eagles roll with Kamu Gruger-Hill, T.J. Edwards, and Nathan Gerry. Seemingly a suboptimal matchup against a Cowboys offense that figures to rely heavily on the run, this game could be determined by how those three hold up.

 

The History

When I think of recent Eagles-Cowboys showdowns, I think of high-scoring affairs headlined by big plays.

But upon further review, many of these games have been on the defensive side.

Let’s dial it back to the 2010 season when Jason Garrett took over as interim head coach of the Cowboys after Wade Phillips was canned following a 1-7 start.

In 18 meetings between the Eagles and Cowboys in this decade, the two teams have combined to reach the 50-point mark only seven times, while three of those games required overtime to get there. That means the Eagles and Cowboys have reached 50 points only four times in the other 18 games. In fact, eight of the last nine meetings decided in regulation between these two teams, including five games in row, have stayed under 50 points.

Finally, five of the nine games played between the Eagles and Cowboys in Dallas this decade have gone over (three were decided in overtime), with an average total of 50.44 points scored per game.

 

Where The Money Is Going

75% of the bets and 90% of the money is on the over at reporting sportsbooks, pushing it up from an opening of 47. It seems to be holding steady around 48.5. This is the most heavily bet game of the week. Fade the public opportunity?

 

Eagles vs. Cowboys Betting Trends

It’s also worth considering team-specific, matchup-specific, and more general historical trends. The information I was able to gather strongly pointed to a play on the under. Consider the following trends:

  • The under is 100-76-4 ATS in all division games set at 49 points or more and 36-23-1 ATS when set between 49 and 50 points.
  • After the under cashed in the Chiefs’ 30-6 win over the Broncos on Thursday night, it is now 29-15-1 in division primetime games that close with a total of 49 points or higher and 20-8 in primetime division games that close anywhere from 49-51 points.
  • The under is 19-10-1 in NFC East games when the total is set at 49 points or higher and 12-5-1 when set anywhere from 49-51 points.
  • The under is 7-2 overall in games between the Eagles and Cowboys that has a closing total set at 49 points or higher.
  • The under is 31-22 in all Cowboys games started by Dak Prescott and 11-6 in primetime games, including when it hit three weeks ago in their 12-10 loss in New Orleans.

If you’re not interested in playing the under because, let’s be honest, it’s not much fun—then here’s one for the over. The over is 19-8 in Eagles games since Doug Pederson took over prior to the 2016 season.

 

Eagles vs. Cowboys Game Total Pick

The uncertainty surrounding key injuries on both sides makes it hard to know exactly what we’re looking at here, but it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Dallas doesn’t go run-heavy and attempt to control the clock. Meanwhile, DeSean Jackson’s continued absence will likely stunt the Eagles’ explosiveness once again. Maybe Zach Ertz rebounds from a brutal game, maybe someone, anyone, finally makes a big play for Carson Wentz. It’s due to happen, I guess, but I wouldn’t bet on it. The historical trends of division games set at this total is enough to sway me to the under, so that’s my play in this one.

The pick: Under 49 points