NFC East Betting Preview – 5 Best Bets And A Potential NFC Darkhorse
The NFC East is made up of some of the NFL’s most popular franchises such as the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. In recent years, the division has been among the worst in the league with Washington famously winning a division title despite a losing 7-9 record in 2020. In this NFC East betting preview we are going to see that there are a couple of teams in the division that could surprise many this season.
NFC East Betting Odds
Washington Commanders
2021 Record: 7-10
Division Odds: 6/1
Over/Under This Season: 7.5
Key Players: DT Jonathan Allen | WR Terry McLaurin | DE Chase Young
New QB Wentz
The Commanders’ major offseason move was their trade for QB Carson Wentz in the offseason. Wentz is an interesting player. He was on track to be the league’s MVP in 2017 until a season-ending injury late in the season saw him miss out on the award.
That was five years ago and Wentz has never come close to hitting the heights of 2017 in the years since then. Wentz might be a slight upgrade at the QB position for Washington over Taylor Heinicke but that’s not saying much.
Talented Offensive Supporting Cast
Despite the question marks surrounding Wentz there are plenty of bright spots on this offence. The offensive line is a top ten unit in the NFL and should give Wentz time to operate from the pocket and open up space for RBs Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic in the running game.
Terry McLaurin is one of the league’s bright young stars at the wide receiver position so you can expect him to be Wentz’s favourite option in the passing game. Slot receiver Curtis Samuel is coming off an injury plagued season last year but when healthy he can do a lot of damage in the short passing game.
First round pick WR Jahan Dotson has created a lot of buzz this preseason and is expected to start straight away. Rookie receivers have been able to provide an instant impact to offences in recent seasons so the addition of Dotson could be a major boost from day one.
Dominant Defensive Front
Young star DE Chase Young is expected to miss the first few games of the season as he continues to recover from an ACL injury he suffered last season. If Young can get healthy and return to the level that he is capable of it will be a massive boost for this defence.
Jonathan Allen and Montez Sweat are the other two stars on the Washington defensive line. When healthy, the Commanders have one of the most dominant defensive lines in the league. Opposing offences are going to struggle to run the ball against them and opposing QBs are going to struggle to get time to pass the ball down field.
The linebacker core for this team is weak but they can survive thanks to the talent on the D-Line in front of them. The secondary is about league average and they will be greatly helped by the pressure the defensive line will put on quarterbacks.
Talented Roster With A Suspect QB
This is a tough team to evaluate. On one hand I don’t particularly trust the quarterback but on the other hand he is in a great position to succeed with the offence that he has around him. If Carson Wentz can just be steady and not try to do too much then I think this offence can have a lot of success.
The defence can have a lot of success if they get Chase Young back and healthy early in the season. This team has the talent across the roster to be a dark horse for a division title even if they are not a sexy pick.
Prediction: Commanders Over 7.5 Wins
Dallas Cowboys
2021 Record: 12-5
Division Odds: 6/5
Over/Under This Season: 10.5
Key Players: QB Dak Prescott | LB Micah Parsons | DE Demarcus Lawrence
Key Losses Will Set Cowboys Back
Dak Prescott is a top 10 quarterback who has shown an ability to play at an elite level for long stretches. Prescott is also protected by a top ten offensive line in the league which is headlined by arguably the league’s best Guard in Zack Martin.
Unfortunately, the offensive line did suffer a major blow when star Left Tackle Tyron Smith suffered a torn hamstring during a preseason game recently. The hope is that Smith can be back on the field come December but this is far from a guarantee given his age and injury history.
A New #1 Receiver
In terms of pass catchers, the loss of the team’s #1 receiver last year, Amari Cooper, is a blow but WRs CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup have the ability to get open and beat their defenders in one-on-one matchups. Lamb in particular will be the player that defences are game planning to stop.
Lamb might struggle to adjust to being the #1 receiver in this offence as he hasn’t played that role in the NFL as of yet. At TE, Dalton Schultz is one of the very best in the league and will be a big target for Prescott in the red zone.
Running Back Dilemma
The running back conversation around Dallas is a fascinating one. Ezekiel Elliott is the big name player but in the last couple seasons his backup Tony Pollard has outproduced him on the field. Dallas seems hellbent on sticking with Elliott as the starter so we’ll see if that pays off for them long term.
A Defence Set To Regress
Their interior defensive line looks very weak so they could struggle to create pressure up the middle. The D-Line suffered a setback with the loss of DE Randy Gregory in free agency. The edge however is a different story altogether. Perhaps the two best players on the Dallas roster are Demarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons. The pair form one of the best pass rushing combos in the league and will be a nightmare for opposing offensive lines and QBs.
The linebacking group looks about league average. Free agent signing Anthony Barr could provide some help at the position.
The defensive back group is also about league average. Trevon Diggs is a ball hawk player who was the league leader in interceptions last year. However, those interceptions come at a cost as he is also prone to get burned for touchdowns often too.
Cowboys Will Struggle Against The Run
As a whole, I think this defence will excel when opponents are passing the ball and the star pass rushing combo of Parsons and Lawrence can wreak havoc. However, this defence will be vulnerable to the run and this could cause them issues during the season as teams can take advantage of this weakness which will keep their potent offence off the field.
I expect this to be a year where Dallas takes a step back due to a loss of depth and starters on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
Prediction: Cowboys Under 10.5 Wins
Philadelphia Eagles
2021 Record: 9-8
Division Odds: 6/4
Over/Under This Season: 8.5
Key Players: QB Jalen Hurts | CB Darius Slay | WR A.J. Brown
Success Dependent On Young QB Jalen Hurts
This team has boom or bust potential this season. There is a case to be made that the Eagles could be a conference dark horse. Their success is largely dependent on the performance of young quarterback Jalen Hurts.
There have been signs of promise evident from Hurts in his NFL career so far but he has relied too much on his legs and not enough on his arm. If Hurts can become better at passing the ball down the field and reading defences then the rest of the league could be in a lot of trouble because this is a very talented roster.
Top O-Line And Receiving Group
Hurts will have an easier life this year with the addition of true #1 receiver A.J. Brown via trade this offseason. The trio of Brown, TE Goedert, who is a top 5 TE, and DeVonta Smith form one of the best receiving groups in the league.
On top of this, the Eagles have a top five offensive line which will give Hurts time to operate in the pocket and pick defences apart. RB Miles Sanders can prosper this season behind an offensive line that will give him plenty of running lanes to exploit.
Solid Defence
The defensive line is definitely above league average and players like Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham will be a handful for offensive linemen. The linebacker group behind them also looks talented and is probably among the ten best in the NFL.
Their passing defence will cause offences a lot of issues with lockdown Cornerback Darius Slay joined on the other side by another top CB in James Bradberry.
Hurts So Good?
The defence isn’t going to win games for the Eagles by themselves. However, the offence is so talented that a defence that is a little better than league average is all they need to win the division and to potentially even advance deep into the playoffs. I expect this team to win the division and make a run in the playoffs.
Prediction: Eagles Over 8.5 Wins
New York Giants
2021 Record: 4-13
Division Odds: 8/1
Over/Under This Season: 6.5
Key Players: RB Saquon Barkley | QB Daniel Jones | DE Leonard Williams
Questions At Quarterback
Like many other teams, the success of the Giants this season is largely dependent on the performance of young QB Daniel Jones. At times it has looked like Jones is the QB of the future for New York and then at other times he has looked downright terrible.
New Coach At The Helm
The Giants have a new coach at the helm this season after the Joe Judge experiment failed to move the franchise in the right direction. HIghly regarded offensive mind Brian Daboll is the new coach charged with turning around the fortunes of a proud franchise.
Talented But Inconsistent Receiving Options
Jones has some talented receiving options to target in the passing game too. Kenny Golladay was a big acquisition in the free agent market last offseason but struggled to make a positive impact on the field. In his three previous seasons before that he had consistently been a top 20 receiver in the league. A return to his prior form would be a much needed boost for the Giants passing game.
Kadarius Toney is going into his second year in the league and flashed superstar potential at times last year. Toney can be electric with the ball in his hands due to his game breaking speed and elusiveness in the open field. I expect Daboll to scheme plays that will see Toney get plenty of touches.
Improved Offensive Line
The offensive line has one of the best young Left Tackles in Andrew Thomas. In addition to Thomas the team drafted Evan Neal #7 overall in the draft who can make a positive impact from day one. This year’s O-Line should be an upgrade over the previous year which might only mean an improvement to league average but this could make a significant difference for the Giants in terms of success in the passing game.
In terms of the running game the Giants have Saquon Barkley who is a top player when healthy. At his peak, Barkley is one of the best RBs in the league but it has been a while since he has played at that level. Saquon is going into a contract year so he has every incentive to perform well this season.
As a whole this offence does have a lot of talent and potential but there are a lot of ifs, buts and maybes that need to go their way.
Question Marks On Defence
The big addition to the defence comes via DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, the #5 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft. The D-Line is probably an above average unit which could perform like a top ten group if Thibodeaux can make an instant impact in the league.
At the linebacker position the team is weak, probably among the worst in the league. The defensive back unit is also not particularly strong either. They rank as a bottom ten group in the league in terms of talent.
The Outlook Is Bleak
To be totally honest, I think it’s bleak for the Giants. There are some young and talented players on the team but overall the roster is just not good enough to compete for the division and I wouldn’t be surprised if the team has another top ten pick in next year’s draft.
Prediction: Giants Under 6.5 Wins
NFC East Best Bets
Philadelphia Eagles To Win The Division @ 6/4
The Eagles look to be in prime position to strip Dallas of the divisional title. This is a team that has one of the most talented rosters in the NFL and a young mobile QB who is continuing to get better with Jalen Hurts. The addition of WR A.J. Brown, a top ten receiver in the league, along with the continued development of DeVonta Smith at the other WR spot makes for a potent passing attack.
Dallas have lost talent on both their offensive and defensive units through trades, free agency and injuries so I expect them to regress this year. Neither the Giants or Commanders are in a position to contend this season so this makes the Eagles the best bet to win the NFC East in 2022.
Washington Commanders To Make The Playoffs @ 13/8
The Commanders have a lot of quality players across their roster. The offensive line is a top ten unit in the NFL while the receivers are very young and very talented. The defensive line is incredibly strong and will cause problems for every team that they face. In a weak NFC conference, with three wildcard spots on the line, these odds look like a great value.
Dallas Cowboys Under 10.5 Wins @ 4/6
The Cowboys have all the signs of a team that is going to regress this year. The depth they used to have at the receiver position is no longer a strength like it once was. The loss of Tyron Smith is a major blow to the offensive line and offence as a whole. On the other side of the ball, the defence will struggle to replicate their performance from last year after they got a lot of turnover luck. Eleven wins is a high bar to clear and I don’t see this team being of that calibre any more.
NFC East Straight Forecast: Eagles 1st, Commanders 2nd @ 11/1
The Eagles have all they need to go ahead and win the division this season. A talented receiving group, top offensive line and a mobile QB who is continuing to improve paired with a quality defence. Current divisional champions Dallas are a team that look like they could take a step back this year and this Commanders team are on the rise. These odds of 11/1 look very attractive for punters.
Eagles To Be NFC #1 Seed @ 14/1
This is a more speculative bet but there is a case to be made for the Eagles being atop of the NFC at the end of the regular season. Each of the top teams in the NFC have questions marks surrounding them going into the season.
The Buccaneers have lost a lot of talent, changed their head coach and had a shaky preseason in general. The Packers traded away their number one receiver Davante Adams who is arguably the best receiver in the league and have done little to replace him. The Rams lost a pivotal member of their Super Bowl winning team in Von Miller and QB Matthew Stafford has a concerning elbow injury.
All of these question marks around the NFC’s top teams give the opportunity for a dark horse contender like the Eagles to swoop in and claim the #1 seed.
Remember to always gamble responsibly.
