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Philadelphia Eagles (+7) (-115) over Dallas Cowboys*
Philadelphia quarterback Donavan McNabb is finally healthy and that was clearly evident last week against the Rams wherein McNabb and the Eagles scored 38 points, including gaining an impressive 414 passing yards (10.6 yards per pass play; 66.7% completion rate) and 522 total yards (7.4 yards per play; 13.7 yards per point). In addition, Philadelphia’s defense looked solid as they limited the Rams to a paltry three points, including 36 rushing yards (2.4 yards per rush attempt), 130 passing yards (5 yards per pass attempt) and 166 total yards (4 yards per play; 55.3 yards per point). Let’s also note that the Eagles are a profitable 11-6 SU/ATS on Mondays behind head coach Andy Reid, including a perfect 7-0 SU and ATS when playing off a win of seven or more points. Conversely, Dallas head coach Wade Phillips is a money-burning 1-6 on Monday Night Football.
After watching last week’s performance against St. Louis, it became apparent that the Eagles have found talent in rookie wide receiver DeSean Jackson who led Philadelphia in receiving yards (6 receptions; 106 yards) and also provided a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown. With Jackson providing a much-needed deep threat for McNabb, look for Brian Westbrook to exploit a Dallas defense that allowed an alarming 5.1 yards per rush attempt last week against the Browns. And, from a defensive standpoint, Philadelphia’s secondary is one of its best units in years with the addition of cornerback Asante Samuel.
Finally, Eagles’ head coach Andy Reid is a remarkable 41-21-2 ATS in his career as an underdog or pick, while Philadelphia is a near-perfect 10-2 ATS as an underdog, including 8-1 ATS as road underdogs over the last three years.
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