The Thursday Night Football matchup that will kick off Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season features the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. We’ll be diving into all of the primetime games this season, and this one isn’t any different. With that in mind, keep reading for betting odds, picks and player props for this exciting showdown. Also, make sure you head over to our Week 1 NFL Betting Hub for a look at all of our NFL betting content.
MORE: Head to the Pro Picks page for best bets from all of our VSiN hosts and analysts!
How To Watch Cowboys vs. Eagles
When: Thursday, September 4th at 8:20 pm ET
Where: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Channel: Prime Video (Amazon)
Cowboys vs. Eagles Odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Tuesday, September 2nd. Look around for the best prices!
Moneyline: Eagles -395, Cowboys +310
Spread: Eagles -8.5 (-105), Cowboys +8.5 (-115)
Total: Over 47.5 (-110), Under 47.5 (-110)
Cowboys vs. Eagles Analysis
When lines first became available for the 2025 season opener, the Eagles were 7-point favorites at both DraftKings Sportsbook and Circa Sports. Now, with Micah Parsons having been traded to the Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia is out to 8.5 at DraftKings and 8 at Circa. The total has also moved from 46.5 to 47.5, as many are now expecting Dallas to have one of the worst defenses in football.
In looking at our VSiN NFL betting splits pages, it’s clear there’s still a lot of love for the Eagles. The Over is also the popular play amongst public bettors, but Circa, one of the sharpest books around, does show more handle on the Under.
In my opinion, this spread has gotten a little too high. While last year’s meetings between these teams were extremely lopsided — Philly won 34-6 on November 10th and 41-7 on December 29th — divisional games tend to be tough. Also, Dak Prescott was injured and didn’t play in either one of those contests. Well, Prescott is healthy and feeling great heading into this season.
Naturally, there are reasons to be concerned about the Cowboys defense holding its own against an elite Eagles offense. Parsons is as good as it gets when it comes to rushing the passer, and losing his ability to make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable could lead to a drop in productivity against the pass. Dallas wasn’t great against the pass last year, but the team was 13th in the NFL in Dropback EPA per play allowed (0.058). If the team slides any more than that, it’ll be flirting with danger. But it is worth noting that Kenny Clark, who came over in the Parsons deal, is a three-time Pro Bowler — and made the team as recently as 2023. He should help improve a Cowboys rushing defense that was one of the worsts in football in Rush EPA per play allowed (0.084). Matt Eberflus, the franchise’s new defensive coordinator, can also help there. Eberflus disappointed as the head coach of the Chicago Bears, but he has always been an elite defensive mind. That should come in handy when looking at a Dallas defensive depth chart that is a little better than people think — especially in the secondary, where the team just inked DaRon Bland to a four-year, $92 million extension.
There’s also a pretty decent chance the Eagles don’t bring a playoff-level offensive precision in Week 1. Philadelphia was a little banged up during the preseason, so the first team didn’t get as many reps in as you’d think. The Eagles also lost offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who is now the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Philadelphia did promote from within, rolling with passing game coordinator and associate head coach Kevin Patullo. That should mean that things won’t be tinkered with too much. But this is Patullo’s first time calling plays, and doing so against an experienced coordinator like Eberflus could be a challenge.
It’s also hard not to like the Cowboys to move the ball and put up some points here. The Eagles were third in the NFL in EPA per play allowed (-0.087) in 2024, and they’re undoubtedly tougher to figure out when playing at The Linc. But this Dallas offense is loaded. Prescott is just two years removed from a runner-up finish in the MVP race, and this has the potential to be his best group of pass-catchers yet. CeeDee Lamb is one of the best wideouts in the league, Jake Ferguson is a reliable set of hands at tight end and the team went out and traded for George Pickens in the offseason. Pickens had 63 catches for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns two years ago, and it feels like he hasn’t even come close to reaching his potential. He should emerge as a big-time playmaker in what is a much better situation for him, and his presence will make things a lot easier on Lamb.
Cowboys vs. Eagles Player Props
CeeDee Lamb Over 71.5 Receiving Yards (-114)
In the eight games Prescott played last season, Lamb averaged 82.5 receiving yards per game. With that in mind, a total of 71.5 seems a little low. While Pickens should be a big part of this passing game, there’s more than enough to go around. Dallas’ line is somewhat questionable heading into the year, and the team isn’t in the best of shape when it comes to rushing options in the backfield. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cowboys lean into a pass-heavy attack after struggling to run early on. We also might see a ton of throwing if the Eagles are in control of the game.
Cowboys vs. Eagles Pick
I’m not sure I see the Cowboys winning this game outright, but I think they’re going to be competitive. And that’s how I think the entire season will look for Dallas. While everybody is ripping Jerry Jones for moving Parsons, the Cowboys did pretty well in that deal. Getting two first-round picks, plus Clark, is a strong return for a team that didn’t want to tie up huge money in a non-quarterback (that happens to be injured right now). This Dallas team is still stacked on offense, and Eberflus should be up for the challenge of helping this defense punch above its weight. Hopefully that all starts with a close game to start the season. And hopefully a nice day from Lamb is part of that.
Bet: Cowboys +8.5 (-115) & Lamb Over 71.5 Receiving Yards (-114)
NOTE: If I’m playing a player prop, side or total, I’ll mark it as a “bet” instead of a “lean” in this part of the article. I’ll also add it to the VSiN picks page, meaning it’s one of my official plays for the week. For this game, I happen to be taking the Cowboys and the Lamb prop, but make sure you’re paying attention to the way I mark things in these primetime previews. I do not play any “leans” and they won’t be included in my season-long record.
