Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles Picks and Prediction, Thursday, September 4, 2025
The NFL season kicks off with the defending champions hosting one of their bitter rivals, so jump on board with our Cowboys vs. Eagles predictions now and don’t miss a minute of the action. Dallas (7-10 SU, 7-10 ATS in 2024) suffered their first losing season since 2020 and in the process, replaced its head coach for the first time in five years. Philadelphia (18-3 SU, 14-7 ATS in 2024) was the last team standing, capturing its second Super Bowl title in the last eight years. The NFC East rivals kick things off at 8:20 EST from Lincoln Financial Field and if you want more NFL winners, check out our award-winning NFL Predictions.
Dallas hits the reset button
After three straight 12-win seasons fell short of anything worthwhile, the Cowboys decided to provide their fanbase with little hope from the jump, burying their chances with a 3-7 SU start. They fired Mike McCarthy and promoted Brian Schottenheimer from offensive coordinator to the team’s new head coach.
Last season, Schottenheimer’s offense was pass-heavy, ranking second in the league in completions with 826 and third in pass attempts with 1,251. Dak Prescott, normally the man behind those numbers, is looking for a big bounce back after only being able to play in eight games last season due to a season-ending hamstring injury. Prior to going down, he was averaging 247.3 passing yards a game and he threw for 11 TDs while getting intercepted 8 times. He’ll have his top wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, and top tight end, Jake Ferguson, back in the mix. The team also added former Steelers receiver George Pickens. The running game, which averaged 100.3 yards a game last year, will have a different look with former Broncos running back Javonte Williams taking over the starter’s role.
"It doesn't matter who the hell you're going against," Prescott said of facing the Eagles in Week 1, via DallasCowboys.com. "Much respect and credit to them, but the emotions would just be about this team, and us starting the right way."
The defense also made a change at the top, bringing in former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus to take over the coordinator’s position. Last year, the Cowboys gave up 27.5 points per game, the second-worst mark in the NFL. The season starts with a bit of a sting in the wake of the Micah Parsons trade (12 sacks LY) which has left a massive hole in the defense. The team also lost fellow edge rusher Chauncey Golston (5.5 sacks) and top tackler LB Eric Kendricks. Dante Fowler Jr. comes over from Washington to provide some experience to the D-line, but they are porous across that front. The starting linebackers' group has mostly new faces, minus Damone Clark, whose production dipped last season. In the secondary, Trevon Diggs is now the top corner, but he was limited to just 11 games a year ago. Safeties Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker are the team’s best 1-2 option of any defensive unit.
Injury report (with practice availability as of Monday)
- DT Perrion Winfrey (back) DNP
- CB Trevon Diggs (knee) full participant
- T Tyler Guyton (knee) full participant
- TE Brevyn Spann-Ford (ankle) full participant
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Philadelphia gears up for title defense
The Eagles were able to work their way back to the Super Bowl and exacted their revenge from two years prior, taking down the very Chiefs team that thwarted them in 2023. Now the team looks for a fifth title game appearance in the last nine seasons, with an eye on a third title in that span and second under Nick Sirianni.
The offense will now be under the watchful eye of coordinator Kevin Patullo who takes over for Kellen Moore, now the head coach in New Orleans. Jalen Hurts is still very much at the head of an offense that ranked seventh in the league in scoring (27.2 ppg) and eighth in total yards (367.2 per game). In his fifth season at the helm, the QB threw for 2,903 yards and 18 TDs while also rushing for 630 yards and 14 TDs. The addition of Saquon Barkley last season was the ultimate difference maker after he rumbled for 2,009 rushing yards and 13 TDs. On top of those monster pieces returning, Philadelphia also has top receivers A.J. Brown, DaVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert all back to catch bullets from Hurts.
"As a unit, we’ve evolved and been able to find different ways to win on both sides of the ball,” said Hurts, via DelawareOnline.com. “That’s what it’s about − really being able to remain a sponge, remain diligent in everything, and learn from all of your experiences. That’s how you grow."
Philadelphia boasted the best defense in football last year, allowing just 278.4 total yards and 17.8 points per game. Vic Fangio is back in his second year as coordinator. The linebacker group sees the team’s top tackler, Zack Baun (151 tackles in 2024), returning alongside Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who could have a breakout in his second season. First round selection Jihaad Campbell, a standout at Alabama, provides depth at the unit. Reed Blankenship (4 INTs) will need to step up with the departure of C.J. Gardner-Johnson from the unit, and at corner, second-year starter Quinyon Mitchell will need to leap. The line remains stout, led by Jordan Davis at nose tackle.
Injury report (with practice availability as of Monday)
- G Landon Dickerson (back) DNP
- QB Tanner McKee (thumb) DNP
- S Andrew Mukuba (hamstring) limited
- OLB Josh Uche (groin) limited
- DT Jalen Carter (shoulder) full participant
Spread
Eagles -7.5 (5 units)
Philadelphia dominated last season’s two meetings against Dallas, winning both with an average margin of victory of 31 points per game. The Eagles are going to be flying high after unveiling a new Super Bowl banner, especially in the face of one of their most heated rivals. While the Cowboys have had to regroup and reload, Philadelphia is bringing back nearly every piece that helped them win a title last season. The biggest issue here for Dallas is their defense, which was bad enough last season but now must face the new one without one of the game’s best defensive pieces. And the wound left by Parsons’ departure is very fresh for this group, which obviously cannot replace that type of production. Put that up against the Hurts/Barkley offense, and this is going to be a very long night for the visitors. On the other side, the Eagles' vaunted defense is going to put tons of pressure on Prescott in his first real game back, which is going to lead to mistakes, of which he made a lot of in his short time playing last season. Philadelphia is 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games against Dallas.
Take the Eagles to cover.
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Rob Vincilleti | +1,502.00 |
| 2 |  Pro Sports Picks | +1,421.00 |
| 3 |  Brick Haus Sports | +634.00 |
| 4 |  David Delano | +492.00 |
| 5 |  Michael Briggs | +355.00 |
Total
Over 47.5 (4 units)
Last season, the total went 1-1 when these two teams met and they combined to average 44 points per game. The Cowboys were unable to do anything against the Eagles’ defense last season, unable to score more than 7 points in either game. It must be noted that Dak missed both of those matchups and while the results may have remained the same, the Dallas offense would most certainly have fared a bit better. He is at full health coming into the new year, so he should be able to push things more than the team was able to last season. With Prescott, the Cowboys scored 20 points or more six times in eight games. We know how loaded Philadelphia is and with it being the first game of the season, health will be at an all-time high, so they should be able to roll over this Dallas defense without much resistance. The over is 7-3 in the last ten games between these two.
Take the over.
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