Eagles vs. Cowboys Odds: 'Wiseguys Aren’t Betting Philly at Bad Numbers'

Buckle up if you haven’t already.

The Philadelphia Eagles begin defending their Super Bowl trophy Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys, their longtime rival, and with that, the NFL season is off and running.

For most of the offseason, Philadelphia sat around a 6.5-point home favorite with some 7s scattered across the betting screen. Then, Dallas traded its superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers.

"I didn’t think it would actually happen," Westgate SuperBook vice president of risk Ed Salmons told me. "We thought [Parsons] would sit out training camp then just sign the week of the first game like most players do.

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"We moved right when we found out about the trade. It slowly went to [Eagles] -7.5, then back to -7, -120. By Monday morning, the whole market was moving, so we went to -7.5 and now -8. Some are pushing -9 for teasers.

"It has nothing to do with money."

Say what?

"Wiseguys aren’t betting Philadelphia at bad numbers," Salmons continued. "Because of last year’s success, bettors are obsessed with teasers, so books are going as high as they can to see if there’s take back on Dallas."

Take back hasn’t happened yet, although it’s not difficult to envision a wise guy or wise group coming in day of the game to take a "bloated number" with the Cowboys. 

Parsons was extremely valuable, but +8.5 is +8.5.

We’ll see how much the Eagles lean on reigning Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley off a season where he touched the ball almost 500 times.

"He was obviously a huge difference-maker last year," Salmons said. "The one thing the Eagles never had over the last few years was a home-run hitter at running back. When they got one, it changed everything.

"They went back to their bread and butter and ran the rock."

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Assuming health, the Eagles are clearly the team to beat in the NFC East, a division that hasn’t seen back-to-back champions since 2004.

And while Philadelphia is favored, bettors are firing elsewhere.

"Dallas is the biggest divisional liability we have right now," Salmons reported. "We also wrote a $1,400 bet on the New York Giants at 31-1.

"The Giants have a chance to be decent. They have so much talent at the skill positions right now. Daniel Jones was just so bad. This year to last year, there’s so much more talent. [Russell] Wilson can throw the deep ball, too, and Nabers is a top-10 receiver in the league.

"Adding Abdul Carter to the defense frees up other guys."

As for Thursday night, most sportsbooks will be rooting for Dallas, especially to knock out moneyline parlays and teasers hooked to Philly. Odds are good an Eagles 1 or 2-point win would be the perfect result for the house.

Don’t count out a Dak Prescott fireworks show. If the Dallas offensive line keeps Prescott upright, he’s got a slew of guys who can make plays in space.

"I expect a competitive game," Salmons admitted. 

Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and the BetMGM Network. He previously worked for WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. Follow him on Twitter @spshoot.

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