Monday Night Line: Cowboys at Eagles, lines and leans for MNF (Oct. 25)
Quick Read
The Dallas Cowboys (2-4) visit the Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) on Monday Night Football at 5:15 p.m. PT on ESPN and ABC, the only game Monday.
DraftKings has Dallas favored by 4.5 with a total of 43.5, a big swing from an Eagles -3 opener after Jalen Hurts went on injured reserve.
Our leans: Eagles +4.5, Under 43.5 and CeeDee Lamb over 81.5 receiving yards.
Last Thursday's picks went 1-2, so the combined Night Line record is 5-7-0 and the Monday Night Line is 3-3-0.
Monday Night Line | Betting analysis
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The matchup
Week 7 closes Monday night at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, where the Eagles (2-4) host the Dallas Cowboys (2-4) at 5:15 p.m. PT on ESPN and ABC. It is the only Monday night game on the schedule, and both teams are trying to stop a slide in an NFC East led by the New York Giants at 3-2-1.
Philadelphia has lost four straight for the first time since 2020, and the Eagles have scored only 58 points in those four losses, the Associated Press reported. Tanner McKee makes his second start with Jalen Hurts on injured reserve and expected to miss the rest of the season because of blood clots. McKee went 26 for 45 for 215 yards and one touchdown in last week's 25-14 loss to Carolina, per NBC Sports. Dallas has lost two in a row, 24-16 to Tampa Bay and 23-13 at Green Bay, and has scored 29 points combined in those games. The Cowboys beat the Eagles 24-21 in their last meeting, on Nov. 23, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
Last week grading
Thursday Night Line (Patriots at Bears, final Bears 30, Patriots 24): Patriots +3 lost, Under 50.5 lost (54 points), Luther Burden III over 56.5 receiving yards won (four catches, 130 yards and a touchdown, per the ESPN box score). Thursday Night Line is 2-4-0. Nothing else was left to grade, so the Monday Night Line stays at 3-3-0.
The lines
Odds from DraftKings via ESPN, checked at about 7:55 p.m. PT Sunday, Oct. 25:
Spread: Cowboys -4.5 (-108), Eagles +4.5 (-112)
Total: 43.5 (Over -118)
Moneyline: Cowboys -225, Eagles +185
This line has flipped. DraftKings opened the Eagles as 3-point favorites with a total of 48.5 and Philadelphia at -162 on the moneyline, so the spread has moved 7.5 points toward Dallas and the total has dropped five points since Hurts was ruled out. ESPN's feed did not show an Under price when we checked. Lines move, so check your own book before kickoff.
Three key factors
Injuries. Philadelphia has ruled out receivers DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle), cornerback Michael Carter II (abdomen) and outside linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. (concussion), per the official injury report and ESPN. Running back Saquon Barkley (hamstring) is questionable after missing the past two games, but he was a full participant in Saturday's practice, NFL.com reported. Guard Landon Dickerson, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, cornerback Jakorian Bennett, linebacker Jalyx Hunt and tight ends Grant Calcaterra and Eli Stowers are also questionable, while tight end Dallas Goedert is available. Dallas has ruled out tackle Drew Shelton (hamstring), receiver KaVontae Turpin (ribs) and linebacker Dee Winters (calf), with linebacker Marist Liufau and safety P.J. Locke questionable. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and cornerback Cobie Durant carry no game status and are expected back, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer and Cowboys Wire. Watch the final inactive list about 90 minutes before kickoff.
Matchups. Dallas ranks 30th in the league in defense under first-year coordinator Christian Parker and has allowed 4.7 yards per carry, the AP reported, which is the opening for a healthy Barkley. Without him, Dameon Pierce was the only Eagles running back to get a carry against Carolina and ran for 35 yards. On the other side, Dak Prescott has thrown for 1,639 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions, per ESPN, and NBC Sports notes he has thrown at least 40 passes in each of the last four games because the Cowboys can't run. Javonte Williams still has seven rushing touchdowns, and CeeDee Lamb leads Dallas with 48 catches for 577 yards. McKee will be without his top two receivers, so first-round rookie Makai Lemon and Goedert should see more targets.
Trends. Dallas is 3-3 against the spread this season and Philadelphia is 1-5, per the AP. NBC Sports notes the Eagles are 0-3 against the spread at home this year, but also that Dallas is an NFL-worst 1-7 against the spread as a road favorite since 2024 and Philadelphia is an NFL-best 6-2 against the spread as an underdog over the same stretch. The Under has hit in four of the last five meetings, according to CBS Sports. The forecast at Lincoln Financial Field, via ESPN, calls for about 59 degrees with gusts near 12 mph and no rain.
Our leans
These are leans, not locks. We went 1-2 on Thursday, so take them for what they are.
Spread: Eagles +4.5 (-112). The market has moved a long way from Eagles -3, and Dallas has not earned that much respect lately with 29 points in its last two games, a bottom-tier defense and a second straight road trip. Barkley's likely return gives McKee a real running game against a defense allowing 4.7 yards a carry. The risk is obvious: a backup quarterback without his top two receivers.
Total: Under 43.5. The number has already dropped five points, but Philadelphia is averaging 17.7 points a game, per CBS Sports, and has scored 58 points in four losses. Dallas has been held to 16 and 13 points the past two weeks, and the Under has hit in four of the last five meetings. Both offenses are thin on healthy playmakers.
Player prop: CeeDee Lamb over 81.5 receiving yards (about -113 at DraftKings, per the odds comparison site Snori). Lamb is averaging 96.2 receiving yards a game and has cleared this number in three of six games, and Prescott keeps throwing 40-plus times with Dallas unable to run. Philadelphia is also without cornerback Michael Carter II. He had 70 yards at Green Bay and only 9 against Tampa Bay, so it is not a sure thing. FanDuel lists him at 78.5, so shop around.
Season record
Combined season record: 5-7-0 (W-L-P)
Monday Night Line: 3-3-0
Thursday Night Line: 2-4-0
Sources
ESPN game page: DraftKings odds, injuries, team leaders, forecast and the AP preview
NFL.com: Saquon Barkley questionable after a full practice
Philadelphia Inquirer: Eagles final injury report
Cowboys Wire: full Saturday injury report for both teams
NBC Sports: betting trends and quarterback notes
ESPN box score, Patriots at Bears: Thursday final and Luther Burden III receiving line
Cover photo: Lincoln Financial Field (aerial view), by Ron Reiring, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 2.0. Cropped.
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Disclaimer
This column is for entertainment and information only and is not financial or betting advice. Sports betting involves risk, and you could lose money. Any bet you place is at your own risk. Bet only what you can afford to lose, and only where it's legal for you; in Oregon, you must be 21 or older. If gambling stops being fun, help is free and confidential: call 1-877-MY-LIMIT (1-877-695-4648) or visit OPGR.org.
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