Eagles vs. Cowboys: The best player prop bets for MNF

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (right) celebrates a touchdown with quarterback Dak Prescott. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire)

Robert Criscola

September 26th, 2021

An intriguing NFC East matchup awaits fans and bettors this Monday night as the Philadelphia Eagles visit the Dallas Cowboys.

The Eagles are off to an uneven start through two weeks, as they crushed the Atlanta Falcons 32-6 in Week 1 before suffering a 17-11 loss at home to the San Francisco 49ers. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have been involved in back-to-back nail-biters, losing on opening night to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before beating the Los Angeles Chargers.

Let’s take a look at the various prop wagering markets and see which players might rise to the occasion in this one.

Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) at Dallas Cowboys (1-1), 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

Jalen Hurts Over/Under 51.5 rushing yards

It’s not often you can back a quarterback to have this many rushing yards with confidence, but Jalen Hurts looks like a good bet to have a big game on the ground in Week 3.

Hurts followed a 62-yard rushing game in Week 1 with 82 yards on the ground in Week 2. In his lone start against the Cowboys last year, Hurts had 69 yards rushing, one of three times he cleared the 51.5-yard plateau in four starts in 2020.

Dallas was one of the easiest teams to run against in the NFL last year, allowing 5.0 yards per rush (30th). Things haven’t improved much in 2021, as they’re allowing 4.5 yards per rush through two weeks, 22nd in football.

NFL pick: Over (-115)

Ezekiel Elliott Over/Under 85.5 rushing and receiving yards

Fresh off his worst season as a professional and a mediocre start in Week 1, Zeke Elliott was able to quiet some of the critics with a 97-yard all-purpose game against the Chargers. However, Tony Pollard continues to breathe down his neck on the depth chart, as he recorded 140 all-purpose yards in Week 2.

Elliott bettors should be wary of Pollard getting more and more touches, a trend that started late last season. This number seems too high for Elliott to obtain on Monday night.

NFL pick: Under (-115)

Dalton Schultz Over/Under 2.5 receptions

Dalton Schultz had a surprisingly quiet game in Week 2, as he was targeted just two times, hauling in both passes for 18 yards. Bettors should dismiss that as an aberration and the take the Over on this very low reception line.

Schultz had six grabs on six targets in Week 1 for 45 yards. In two starts against the Eagles last season, Dak Prescott’s “security blanket” hauled in nine of 12 passes aimed for him for 74 yards. Schultz has had at least three receptions in eight of his last 10 games overall.

NFL pick: Over (-162)