The already spicy NFC East heads for flamin’ hot territory as the traditional two-horse race is poised to become a three-headed monster.
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The Philadelphia Eagles aim to regain their chokehold atop the East and put 2023 in the rearview mirror. Philly’s 11-6 record last season doesn’t fully tell the tale of their 1-6 tailspin to end it, and they hope to silence the doubt caused by that slide this year. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys are running it back in a way that should be very familiar to Maple Leafs fans. In an effort to succeed where they’ve only failed thus far, Dallas has done little in the way of adding. That being said, they already have the talent to make a play for the division this season.
The new-look Commanders make the NFC East particularly interesting this year and have the mojo to mix things up in a major way. Rookie debutante quarterback Jayden Daniels has been surrounded by talent, and long-suffering Washington football fans may well see a Texans-like turnaround in 2024.
Finally, rounding out the division are the newly Saquon Barkley-less New York Giants, who aim to prove they didn’t make a dreadful mistake betting on QB Daniel Jones. Can losing Barkley while shoring up the O-Line and receiver corps result in a bounce back for Big Blue? Read on for the answers!
Here’s our NFC East betting preview featuring odds from bet365.
Philadelphia Eagles to win the Super Bowl
Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl odds: +1400
To win conference odds: +600
Division odds: -125
Odds to make the playoffs: Yes (-270), No (+210)
Season win total: Over 10.5 (-140), Under 10.5 (+110)
2023 record: 11-6
Key additions: RB Saquon Barkley, WR Parris Campbell, CB CJ Gardner-Johnson, WR DeVante Parker, QB Kenny Pickett, LB Bryce Huff
Key subtractions: S Kevin Byard, QB Marcus Mariota, RB D’Andre Swift, WR Quez Watkins, TE Jack Stoll, RB Rashaad Penny, LB Shaq Leonard
Most important game on the schedule: The Eagles start the year on the road for the 5th straight year, and this year I mean REALLY on the road as they “host” the Packers in Brazil. You could be forgiven for calling this game the most important as Philly will want to quickly silence the doubters, but it’s ultimately their two matchups with the Cowboys that will determine both teams’ fates this season, particularly their Week 17 tilt that will likely decide the Division.
Prop to watch: All eyes will be on shiny new RB Saquon Barkley and his immediate impact on Philly’s offence. Given Barkley’s injury history, it’s a risky deal for the Eagles, but one that could pay major dividends should he stay healthy. A fit Saquon can easily eclipse 1000 yards on the season, so if you believe he’ll stay healthy, target season yardage props like Over 1025.5 Total Yards (-115) and Regular Season Rushing Leader (+750).
Potential breakout player: Newly acquired pass rusher Bryce Huff arrives in Philadelphia at the perfect apex of his career. The 25-year-old has increased his sack rate year over year and took a major jump most recently, going from 3.5 sacks in 2022 to 10 sacks in 2023. Moving over from the Jets with a new deal in his pocket, Huff aims to make a major impact on a pass rush-starved defence. Moreover, newly signed Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio is a major boon to Huff’s potential stats as his defences have ranked in the league’s top-five in yards allowed in eight of the last 13 years while placing in the NFL’s top 5 in fewest points allowed seven times over that span.
Betting projection: In the lead-up to their 2024 kickoff in Brazil, the dominating narrative for the Eagles has been and will continue to be; “Has the league figured them out?”. Their 2023 season nosedived to the tune of a 1-6 finish after a comprehensive smackdown at the hands of the eventual NFC champion 49ers. San Francisco severely limited Philly’s ground game and more or less gave the rest of the league the secret sauce for beating them. The Eagles enter 2024, aiming to silence that noise and reclaim their undisputed crown atop the NFC East. Major addition on both sides of the ball (such as Barkley and Huff highlighted above), have been statements of intent from Philadelphia. HC Nick Sirianni returns but with a new look staff headlined by OC Kellen Moore and DC Vic Fangio. Head office clearly wants to tighten the screws, amplify what works and fix what doesn’t, and all these additions bode very well to that end. With their divisional rivals in Dallas making only marginal changes to their roster, the Eagles are primed to put their 2023 season behind them. Target divisional title (-125) and win totals (Over 10.5 (-140)) this year.
Saquon Barkley to win Offensive Player of the Year
Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl odds: +1600
To win conference odds: +650
Division odds: +170
Odds to make the playoffs: Yes -200, No +160
Season win total: Over 9.5 (-150), Under 9.5 (+120)
2023 record: 12-5
Key additions: RB Ezekiel Elliott, RB Royce Freeman, LB Eric Kendricks
Key subtractions: RB Tony Pollard, WR Michael Gallup, OT Tyron Smith, C Tyler Biadasz, DE Dorance Armstrong, DE Dante Fowler Jr., DT Neville Gallimore, DT Johnathan Hankins, LB Leighton Vander Esch, CB Stephon Gilmore, S Jayron Kearse
Most important game on the schedule: The Cowboys have nine games against 2023 playoff teams this year, but it’s a pair of Thursday night games against what should be the very lowly New York Giants that gives me pause. Dallas has a certain knack for inexplicably dropping games to inferior opposition, and a double dose of prime-time tilts against the G-Men certainly has the potential to be thorns in their divisional aspirations.
Prop to watch: This could be Dak Prescott’s final year in Dallas, not necessarily due to his performance on the field but due to the math of it all. Prescott is in the final year of a 55 million-dollar per season deal and can’t be franchise-tagged in 2025. Moreover, his lofty price tag has hamstrung the Cowboys’ ability to improve in any measurable way. That being said, Prescott is coming off an MVP runner-up season and has all the tools necessary to play with the best all season long (or at least until the playoffs start). Betting on career years to coincide with contract years is typically a pretty smart play, so putting some stock in a Dak MVP campaign (+1600) in 2024 could bear significant fruit, even if the team itself doesn’t accomplish its lofty goals.
Potential breakout player: If Prescott delivers on the season expected of him, he’ll be leaning heavily on his receivers once again. Even with the return of Ezekiel Elliot into the RB fold, the Cowboys run game still projects to be mid at best. The Dallas offence will be powered through the air once again, and that bodes well for third-year wideout Jalen Tolbert. The departure of Michael Gallup and the potential for the CeeDee Lamb contract standoff to linger into the regular season could push Tolbert higher in the depth chart. Tolbert is expected to compete with Jalen Brooks and KaVontae Turpin for the role of the third wide receiver, filling in behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, the clear 1st and 2nd options for Prescott. Cooks himself has talked Tolbert up in the off-season, and it’s clear that he has the edge on that coveted 3rd receiver spot in a pass-first offence.
Betting projection: What can be said about the Dak Prescott era of the Dallas Cowboys that hasn’t already been said ad nauseam? They look like world beaters in the regular season, boast top-tier offence and defence statistics and then inevitably fold like a paper plate in the playoffs. Cowboys fans can rally behind the promise of a stellar year from their QB even if his tenure in Dallas is fleeting. The team as a whole hasn’t improved nearly enough to convince the wider football world that they have what it takes to exercise their demons so if you’re in the mood to bet on Cowboys futures, stick to Prescott.
 | To win Super Bowl | To win division | To make the playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | +1400 | -125 | -270 |
| Dallas Cowboys | +1600 | +170 | -200 |
| New York Giants | +10000 | +1200 | +400 |
| Washington Commanders | +12500 | +1000 | +300 |
Washington Commanders
Super Bowl odds: +12500
To win conference odds: +6000
Division odds: +1000
Odds to make the playoffs: Yes +300, No -400
Season win total: Over 6.5 (-130), Under 6.5 (+100)
2023 record: 4-13
Key additions: QB Marcus Mariota, RB Austin Ekeler, TE Zach Ertz, OG Nick Allegretti, OG Michael Deiter, C Tyler Biadasz, DE Dorance Armstrong, DE Clelin Ferrell, DE Dante Fowler Jr., LB Bobby Wagner
Key subtractions: QB Jacoby Brissett, QB Sam Howell, RB Antonio Gibson, WR Curtis Samuel, TE Logan Thomas, OT Charles Leno Jr., OG Saahdiq Charles, C Nick Gates, C Tyler Larsen, DE James Smith-Williams
Most important game on the schedule: It’s hard to pinpoint one spot to target for Washington, but they do matchup against NFC East rivals Philadelphia and Dallas twice each in their final six weeks of the season. The outcome of these four games will tell the tale of the Commanders’ turnaround hopes in 2024.
Prop to watch: The focus will undoubtedly be on Washington’s playoff aspirations this season (+300). The front office has worked hard to fulfill ownership’s pledge for a quick bounce back. 2nd overall pick QB Jayden Daniels will be well insulated and be placed in an environment to succeed right away. Major adds like Austin Ekeler and Zach Ertz will serve as major pressure relief valves for the rookie pivot and should help him acclimate. A wildcard berth is not out of the question at all this year, and we could see shades of Houston’s year-over-year turnaround we saw last season.
Potential breakout player: The Commanders got a super injection of skill in this past draft, particularly due to their six total picks in the draft’s first three rounds. Most notable among them, of course, is their QB of the present and future: Jayden Daniels (although special note goes to the pick of receiver Luke McCaffrey, brother of Christian). The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner piled up accolades and set the D1 single-season passer rating record in his final college season and is primed to make an immediate impact on the NFL.
Betting projection: The undeniable combination of premier draft picks and free-agent acquisitions position the Commanders quite well this season and beyond. Fresh faces are everywhere, from the front office to the coaching staff and all the way down the depth chart. New GM Adam Peters has drawn acclaim for injecting fresh energy into a stagnant roster, bringing in a mix of seasoned veterans and promising rookies. HC Dan Quinn has a proven track record, whether it was shaping the Seahawks into a Super Bowl-winning defence, lifting the Falcons as a head coach, or revitalizing the Cowboys’ defence in 2021. There’s a solid foundation for optimism, and after 18 seasons outside the playoffs, the Commanders have nowhere to go but up.
Jayden Daniels to win Offensive Rookie of the Year
New York Giants
Super Bowl odds: +10000
To win conference odds: +5000
Division odds: +1200
Odds to make the playoffs: Yes +400, No -600
Season win total: Over 6.5 (+115), Under 6.5 (-145)
2023 record: 6-11
Key additions: QB Drew Lock, RB Devin Singletary, WR Allen Robinson, OG Jermaine Eluemunor, OG Jon Runyan, OG Aaron Stinnie, OLB Brian Burns, CB Jalen Mills
Key subtractions: QB Tyrod Taylor, RB Saquon Barkley, RB Matt Breida, WR Parris Campbell, WR Sterling Shepard, TE Darren Waller, OG Ben Bredeson, OG Tyre Phillips, OG Justin Pugh, OLB Jihad Ward, DL A’Shawn Robinson, CB Adoree’ Jackson, S Xavier McKinney
Most important game on the schedule: The Giants travel to Munich in Week 12 for their fourth European game in franchise history but the spot their circling on the calendar this season is most likely the Week 7 return of Saquon Barkley when the Giants host the Eagles at MetLife.
Prop to watch: The Giants have been decimated this offseason, and the departures, particularly on offence, are hard to ignore. Daniel Jones enters a make-or-break season with far fewer options than he once had, and although the team will get an injection of young talent at WR (we’ll touch on that in a second), he’s got a mountain to climb to drag this team into relevance. The likelier outcome is for New York to occupy the lower rungs of the league standings all season long, and although they’ll have good company at the bottom, at sixth-best odds to have the worst record when it’s all said and done (+1000), you could make far worse bets on the Giants.
Potential breakout player: There are few bright spots for Giants fans to hang their hopes on this season but, as with most failing teams, the bright spots they do have came from the draft. Malik Nabers, the 6th overall pick from 2024, is a distinct standout. The Giants opted not to take a Quarterback with the pick, instead choosing to go with Nabers and even if the Daniel Jones era ends in failure and they find themselves shopping for a QB next year, the Nabers pick may yet pay off. Look for him to get one of the more pronounced rookie WR roles in the coming season.
Betting projection: The Giants are on a collision course with a brutal season, and beyond Daniel Jones figuring something out and transforming into a Daniel Jones we’ve yet to see before, New York and their oft-injured and even more often criticized QB are heading for a divorce. In fact, there are those who believe that free agent add Drew Lock would be a preferable choice to the man with the eye-watering $47,855,000 cap hit. In a year where Washington football looks ready to move confidently out of the Dan Snyder era, the Giants are primed to occupy last place in the NFC East for the first time since 2013. In terms of futures, we advise bettors to target worsts instead of bests in this case.
