Cowboys Beat Eagles 38-21, and the Cardinals Line Has Moved Toward Dallas

Cowboys Beat Eagles 38-21 to End a Two-Game Slide

Dallas beat Philadelphia 38-21 on Monday night, per ESPN. Dak Prescott threw three touchdown passes, two to CeeDee Lamb and one to George Pickens, and Javonte Williams ran for a career-high 155 yards on 25 carries, including the final touchdown with 2:21 left.

ESPN reports it was the first time since 1983 the Cowboys topped 200 rushing and 200 passing yards against the Eagles. The win moves Dallas to 3-4, behind the 4-2-1 Giants. Dallas had scored a combined 29 points in its previous two games, and Prescott had thrown four interceptions in them.

Huge road win for us.

Cardinals at Cowboys Odds: What the Market Did

Dallas hosts the 2-5 Cardinals on Sunday. DraftKings opened the Cowboys as 10.5-point favorites and now has them at 6, per ESPN's odds feed as of October 27 at 9:07 AM ET.

The feed does not say why a line moved, so everything after this table is our reading and not a reported cause.

Our Read: Why a Winning Team Can Still See Its Line Shrink

The line fell even though Dallas just won by 17, so the market is clearly pricing more than Monday night.

• The opener was probably built on a bad stretch. If it was set after two losses and four interceptions from Prescott, a Dallas -10.5 number asked a lot, and a win does not obviously change that.
• Beating a struggling team proves less than it seems. Prescott himself noted how hurt the Eagles are on offense, and Philadelphia was quarterbacked by Tanner McKee, who was sacked twice and intercepted once. We would be careful with the 38 points.
• A higher total points to scoring, not blowouts. Five points added to the total suggests the market expects both offenses to score against a Dallas defense that has raised concerns all season, per ESPN.
• The evidence points both ways. Running and passing balance is a good sign for Schottenheimer's offense, but one game against Philadelphia is a small sample against a record of 9-13-1.

None of this tells you which side is right. It explains why a favorite can move toward the middle after a win.

What to Watch Before Sunday

• Whether Williams keeps getting 25 carries, since the run game drove the win.
• How the Cowboys defense handles Arizona after allowing opening-drive touchdowns in each half Monday.
• What the Giants do, with Dallas now chasing them at 4-2-1.
• Whether the line moves again before kickoff.

Compare moneylines in our hold and no-vig calculator

Odds describe a price and not an outcome. Set a limit before you bet, and bet only where it is legal.

More news

• Colts Trade Buckner and Nelson, and the Jaguars Line Has Jumped
• Three Flopping Technicals in One Game Put the NBA's Point of Emphasis on Trial
• Inside the 72-Hour Lakers Sale, and the Buss Family Fight Still Unsettled
• Defending Champion Knicks Start 0-3, and Jalen Brunson Says It Falls on Him