Cowboys at Eagles: Preview, Prediction, Odds

Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Dallas Cowboys won’t be coming at full-force at the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17 as they meet at Lincoln Financial Field. Having locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the playoffs, the Cowboys plan to backpedal a bit from their stance on resting starters. However, what that does mean as Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott will play limited snaps is that it’s Tony Romo time.

Any time that Prescott has struggled this season, the Romo birds have come out and called for him to start. Though it hasn’t happened, the veteran is healthy and will now have a chance to knock off some of the rust from not playing and being injured. Moreover, Mark Sanchez should also see time while most of the starters should get a breather.

For the Eagles, their season is lost in terms of the postseason, but they’d love to finish strong. Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz has faltered down the stretch, though that’s not all on him. However, the Eagles would love to see the youngster bust out of his slump and end the year with a win.

Here are the keys to victory for each team:

More from NFL Spin Zone

Keys to Victory

With Elliott and Prescott likely playing only a few drives in this game, the key for the Cowboys will be their defense stepping up. Yes, some defensive starters will be resting as well. However, Wentz has proven to be susceptible to making mistakes under duress. If David Irving can continue to get after the opposing quarterback as he has recently, Wentz could turn the ball over and set Dallas up for a win even without their full array of starters going.

Meanwhile, the Eagles also need to get after the quarterback—specifically getting after Romo. Not only has Romo not played other than a handful of snaps in the preseason prior to his back injury, but he’s going to be playing behind a makeshift offensive line. Though the Philly defense has trailed off to a degree at the end of the season, they still have Brandon Graham and company to get a mean pass-rush. Force Romo into mistakes as he tries to get acclimated back to the NFL game and the Eagles will be in a nice spot.

Odds

Point Spread: Philadelphia -6.5
Moneyline: Philadelphia -265, Dallas +225
Over/Under: 43.5

Prediction

Though nothing about the Eagles’ play since their hot start screams that they should take down the Cowboys, even with starters resting, I don’t trust Romo. Even if his snaps are limited, he can still make costly mistakes and a ton of rust, age, and injuries might prove to be too much for him in Week 17. This will be ugly, but Philadelphia prevails.

Pick: Dallas Cowboys: 13, Philadelphia Eagles: 17