Philadelphia Eagles will take on Dallas Cowboys in the final round of the NFL 2021 regular season on Saturday evening. The home side will face severe selection issues, and they want to try providing an upset here. The visitors have already secured the top spot in their division and want to keep their confidence high ahead of the playoffs.
Luckily for the hosts, they have already clinched the playoffs spot, and this clash is not too important for them. Nevertheless, Philadelphia wants to put a solid performance despite a shortened roster. On the other hand, Dallas looks forward to getting back on the winning track. The away side has played very well lately, and they want to continue in the same fashion in the playoffs.
Philadelphia Eagles – Can they cope with selection issues?
Thanks to a four-match winning streak, the Eagles have secured their playoffs ticket. That excellent run saw them improving to 2nd place in the NFC East, with a 9-7 record. Philadelphia pulled off a huge comeback against Washington last weekend, after being down 10-0 in the first quarter. Their rock-solid defense triggered a second-half turnaround for a massive 20-16 win. The Eagles’ rushing department was excellent in that match, gaining 118 yards and finding the end zone twice.
Philadelphia’s starting quarterback Jalen Hurts has passed for 3,144 yards so far, with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. However, he will likely be out for this game. Hurts has also been the Eagles’ best rusher with 784 yards and ten scores, while Miles Sanders follows him with 754 rushing yards. Jordan Howard and Boston Scott have combined for 779 yards and ten TDs. DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert have led Philadelphia’s receiving department with 800+ yards each and nine touchdown receptions, while Quez Watkins has contributed with 563 receiving yards and a pair of scores. On defense, Alex Singleton dominates with 137 total tackles, while Javon Hargrave and Josh Sweat have logged 7.5 sacks each.
Expected Line-Up (Offense): Kenneth Gainwell, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward, Tyree Jackson, Jordan Mailata, Sua Opeta, Brett Toth, Jack Anderson, Lane Johnson
Expected Line-Up (Defense): Josh Sweat, Javon Hargrave, Milton Williams, Derek Barnett, Tarron Jackson, T.J. Edwards, Patrick Johnson, Darius Slay, K’Von Wallace, Anthony Harris, Steven Nelson
Quarter Back: Jalen Hurts
Kicker: Jake Elliott
with best odds
Dallas Cowboys – Will they get back on the winning track?
The Cowboys also enjoyed a four-game winning streak before losing to the Cardinals 25-22 last weekend. However, that defeat won’t hurt them a lot since Dallas has already secured the top spot in the NFC East with an 11-5 record. They have been very productive in the offense this season, scoring 29.9 points per contest on average. A poor third period cost them a win against Arizona, and despite winning the last quarter 15-3, the Cowboys suffered a defeat. Dallas wasn’t good in the ground game, gaining only 45 yards and failing to find the end zone.
Dak Prescott has gone 4.154 yards through the air this season, with 32 TDs and ten picks, while he has been sacked 29 times. Ezekiel Elliott leads the Cowboys’ rushing department with 915 yards and ten touchdowns, while Tony Pollard has 719 rushing yards and a pair of scores. CeeDee Lamb has been the best in the receiving corps with 1,057 yards and six touchdown receptions, while Dalton Schultz and Amari Cooper have generated 780+ receiving yards each. On the other hand, Jayron Kearse has 101 total tackles, while Micah Parsons has sacked the rival’s QBs 13 times.
Expected Line-Up (Offense): Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Cedrick Wilson, Dalton Schultz, Ty Nsekhe, Tyron Smith, Connor Williams, Tyler Biadasz, Zack Martin, La’el Collins
Expected Line-Up (Defense): DeMarcus Lawrence, Neville Gallimore, Carlos Watkins, Randy Gregory, Leighton Vander Esch, Luke Gifford, Micah Parsons, Anthony Brown, Jayron Kearse, Damontae Kazee, Trevon Diggs
Quarter Back: Dak Prescott
Kicker: Greg Zuerlein
Expert Pick #1 – Dallas Cowboys -7 @-110
Philadelphia cannot count on several first line-up players that are listed out or questionable for this encounter. I don’t expect the hosts to force non-fit players in this match, and they should keep them healthy and fully recovered for the playoff games. Therefore, Dallas should win this match and cover the number, and it’s going to be my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 42 @-110
The Cowboys’ offense has been pretty productive this season, while the Eagles have been involved in many high-scoring matches lately. The Over cashed seven times in Philadelphia’s last ten games, and I expect to see more than 42 points in this one. I’ll take this as my second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Cowboys Over 24.5 @-115
Consequently, the Cowboys should dictate the tempo in this match, and they might produce at least 25 points. The visitors want to bounce back with a win ahead of the post-season, and I fancy the odds for Dallas to go over the margin. That’s going to be my third pick.
