Two teams with matching 2-4 records walk into a division race, and neither looks sure it wants the trophy. The NFL Week 7 predictions are in, and the game everyone will be arguing about is Cowboys-Eagles on Monday night. Both teams are 2-4, both are staring at a division nobody seems to want to win, and one of them is playing without its franchise quarterback.
Kickoff is Monday, Oct. 26, at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, according to the NFL’s schedule. Here’s how the weekend picks shake out, and why this one is more interesting than a pair of 2-4 records suggests. If you want to see how the league got here, our Week 6 aftermath covers the chaos that came before.
What the NFL Week 7 predictions say about Cowboys-Eagles
Yahoo Sports’ Week 7 picks column takes the Cowboys to win straight up and lists the Eagles at +4.5 against the spread. That’s a pick, not a lock. The author is 58-35 straight up this season but only 43-48-2 against the spread, so the point-spread picks have been a coin flip at best.
The lines have wobbled all week. NBC Sports shows Dallas at -4.5, with moneylines of Cowboys -218 and Eagles +180 and a total of 44.5. For comparison, Dallas opened at -3 with a total of 48.5. Other outlets list the Cowboys at -3.5, so check a live number before you bet anything. And please, bet responsibly.
The quarterback problem in Philadelphia
Here’s the thing: the biggest number in this game isn’t on the betting board. It’s the one next to Jalen Hurts’ name, and it’s zero. CBS Sports reports that Hurts is expected to miss the rest of the season with blood clots, and the Eagles say he can’t take part in contact activities during treatment.
As a result, Tanner McKee is under center. His first start came Oct. 18 against Carolina, a 25-15 loss in which he threw for 215 yards and a touchdown. Not a disaster. Not a rescue, either. Any honest Cowboys Eagles prediction has to start with that uncertainty.
Yahoo’s betting advice piece goes further, calling the Eagles’ offense the most banged up in the league. There is some help on the way, though. Saquon Barkley is likely to see his first action in a while, and tight ends Grant Calcaterra and Eli Stowers could make their season debuts, per NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Why the Cowboys aren’t a safe Week 7 NFL forecast pick either
Dallas is favored, but it’s hard to call that a vote of confidence. The Cowboys’ defense ranks last in the league in rushing yards allowed per game at 149.8 and 25th in points allowed at 26.5, according to Yahoo Sports. A run game with Barkley back could test that.
Dallas is also coming off a Thursday night loss to Tampa Bay and a Sunday night loss to Green Bay, and this is its third straight primetime game. That’s a lot of national TV for a team that keeps losing on it. We saw the Green Bay game coming in ESPN’s bold Week 6 picks.
The Eagles aren’t a cover machine either. They’re 1-5 against the spread and haven’t covered at home, SI reports. So the pick that makes the most sense is Dallas to win and Philadelphia to keep it close.
Which is exactly what makes betting on this game so uncomfortable.
The rest of the NFL Week 7 picks slate
Monday night gets the spotlight, but Sunday has plenty going on:
- Chiefs at Seahawks: Yahoo’s column picks Kansas City straight up in a tight game, with the Chiefs +2.5.
- Packers vs. Lions: Yahoo takes Green Bay, with the Packers +3.
- Rams vs. Raiders: Yahoo likes the Rams but gives Las Vegas +4.5 to keep it close.
- Steelers vs. Saints: the first regular-season NFL game in France, played at Stade de France.
Thursday’s game is already final: Chicago 30, New England 24. The Bills, Jaguars, Chargers and Commanders are on bye.
Why Monday matters in the NFL Week 7 predictions
The NFC East is weak enough that a win could put either team in position to take first place in the coming weeks, per SI. At 2-4, that sounds absurd. In this division, however, it’s just the math.
So what do you actually get on Monday night? Two struggling rivals, one backup quarterback, one shaky defense and a division race that’s up for grabs.
Somebody has to win it. The question is whether either of them wants to.
