NFC East Odds: Is There Value on the Cowboys With Dak Prescott Returning?

NFC East Odds: Is There Value on the Cowboys With Dak Prescott Returning?

The NFC East looks to be a much closer race than most had thought before the NFL season began. With Dak Prescott back in action and a red-hot start by the Giants, how do the NFC East odds look against undefeated Philadelphia heading into Week 8?

Do you think the Cowboys or Giants have what it takes to catch the Eagles? Use the best sportsbook offers in your state to wager on the NFC East division winner

NFC East Odds

Philadelphia Eagles (-400, Previous: -250) (Bet $400 to Collect $500) Best odds available at BetMGM (click here)

The NFL's last undefeated team looks simply unstoppable right now. They have scored the fourth-most points in their conference (despite already having a bye), and have allowed the second-fewest behind the Cowboys. Assuming they can hold off their divisional foes, only the Minnesota Vikings are within a game of them in the race for the number one seed in the NFC.

And if their dominant talent on offense and defense wasn't enough, they got even better on Wednesday when they traded for Chicago Bears' star defensive end Robert Quinn. Quinn is a three-time Pro Bowl player and is considered one of the best edge rushers in the game. It's a rich-get-richer situation for the Eagles right now, which explains the massive gap between their odds and those of Dallas and New York, who are not far behind in the standings.

Dallas Cowboys (+500, Previous: +340) (Bet $100 to Collect $600) Best odds available at BetMGM (click here)

In oddsmakers' eyes, despite being a game behind the Giants, the Cowboys are still tracking quite a bit ahead of the G-Men. The Cowboys have already beaten the Giants head-to-head 23-16, and their defense has become one of, if not the best, units in the league. They have allowed the fewest points to their opponents in the conference and are second only to the Buffalo Bills in the entire NFL.

Dak Prescott is now back, which is a huge boon to what was a scuffling offense. But now Ezekiel Elliott is hurt (perhaps just temporarily). Tony Pollard will step up in his place as long as he is out, which may not be a bad thing. Pollard averages more rushing yards per attempt, more passing yards per attempt, and more yards after contact per attempt than Elliott. He may provide a spark that propels them to one of the best records in the conference. But will they catch the Eagles? With a loss to Philadelphia already, it seems unlikely unless the Eagles start facing injury.

New York Giants (+800, Previous: +1200) (Bet $100 to Collect $900) Best odds available at BetMGM (click here)

The New York Giants are the absolute number one surprise of the 2022 NFL season, starting the year 6-0, including wins over NFC contenders like Green Bay and AFC powerhouses like Baltimore. New Head Coach Brian Daboll has this team buying into his vision of tough, smart football. And now their +30 point differential is the third-best mark in the conference. This strong start has been for real.

The Giants are still a mess on offense regarding the health and consistency of their pass catchers. Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay, and Collin Johnson are all hurt. So is tight end Daniel Bellinger. And they just traded away Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs on Thursday. That leaves Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton as the receivers. But Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones have both been so effective rushing the ball this year, and the defense has stepped up, so the passing game has been an afterthought in the wins.

Washington Commanders (+12500, Previous: +15000) (Bet $100 to Collect $12,600) Best odds available at FanDuel (click here)

The Commanders have no realistic shot at winning this division, especially after the hot start from each of the three teams above them. But it has been interesting to watch their long odds slightly shorten after Taylor Heinicke was inserted at quarterback in place of Carson Wentz. Heinicke finally unlocked Terry McLaurin last week, and he certainly can do no worse than Wentz going forward.

They have won two games in a row to salvage a 3-4 start, and with a weak NFC, they could be shooting for a Wild Card berth. But they would need one of New York or Dallas to significantly fall off, and the schedule ahead looks bleak with the Eagles, 49ers, Vikings, and Giants twice, all in the next eight weeks. They have some feel-good stories around the team with Brian Robinson and Ron Rivera, but those don't win games, and the rest of the division looks to win a whole lot more of them than Washington.