ODDS TO WIN THE DIVISION (Bovada sportsbook)
Philadelphia Eagles -105
Dallas Cowboys +140
Washington Redskins +900
New York Giants +1200

The NFC East has long been one of our favorite divisions to watch. These are throwback teams that still have the hint of angry rivals who truly don’t like each other in a new NFL where everyone is friends. This division has 2 top heavy veteran teams in the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, and 2 teams looking to find their way in the Washington Redskins and New York Giants. It’s been 15 years since this division winner has won that title in back to back seasons, something Dallas will be looking to do.

Dallas Cowboys

2018 Record – 10-6
2018 Record Against the Spread – 9-6-1

The Dallas Cowboys and particularly head coach Jason Garrett are modern day Rasputins. Just when you think they’re buried they find a way to climb back. And before we take too many shots at their owner Jerry Jones and the organization let’s give credit where credit is due. The trade for Amari Cooper turned out to be damn near brilliant, a move that most people, ourselves included, questioned and mocked during the transaction. On paper the Cowboys are primed to have a strong starting unit on both offense and defense.

If I’m a Cowboys fan, the thing that worries me the most is the coaching. Yes it’s overplayed to take shots at Garrett, but to at least some extent they’re warranted. Will new OC Kellen Moore be able to make this offense more explosive? Let’s not confuse them with the triplets of the 90’s, but Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliot and Amari Cooper proved last year to be a formidable trio. The offensive line is still solid and if Jason Witten can be anything close to the Pro Bowler he was a few years back Prescott will really benefit. The ‘Boys also had a nice signing bringing Randall Cobb in to replace veteran Cole Beasley and we don’t expect them to miss a beat there.

While the offense has some recognizable talent, the defense is where we expect this team to really shine. This group quietly put together a very good season and was key in getting them to the division title a year ago. The addition of veteran DE Robert Quinn to play across from Demarcus Lawrence was a nice piece to the puzzle and adding some muscle at DT with their 2nd round pick in Trysten Hill should help. If this defense can play at or above the level that they did in 2018, the Cowboys will almost certainly be back in the playoff hunt with their eyes on even bigger prizes.

2019 Strength of Schedule – Tied 14th (.504)
Team Win Total Odds – 9 Wins (over +110, under -130)
BetCrushers Projected Record – 11-5
This season win total prop seems too low at 9 and +110 and we’ve already locked that over in. 10-6 or 11-5 seem very plausible. Barring substantial injuries, this team should absolutely be in the hunt for the playoffs.

Possible to Wagers To Play – Against the Spread
Normally the Cowboys are one of the most publicly bet teams which leads to bad things at the sportsbook if you’re on them. For whatever reason this group still doesn’t seem to get the respect, particularly on the defensive side of the ball that they deserve. Look at betting them ATS at home if the price seems fair.

Fantasy Players To Watch – Ezekiel Elliot (RB), Amari Cooper (WR), Cowboys (DST)
Ezekiel Elliott rarely seems to have that “monster” type fantasy performance of 200 yards and 3 touchdowns, but he’s about as consistent as you can hope for in this era of fantasy football. If you want an RB1 you can lock in every week and know you’ll get some points from he’s your guy. We’re a little more hesitant on Amari Cooper this year even though he flat out crushed it for a lot of people in 2018. He very well could have another strong season, but we wouldn’t reach too early for him in drafts.

Philadelphia Eagles

2018 Record – 9-7
2018 Record Against the Spread – 7-9

If you made a habit of betting on the Philadelphia Eagles last year you were probably disappointed more than you were pleased. This team underachieved for much of the regular season before getting it together the last 3 weeks of the season and in the playoffs. For those that have been following us here at BetCrushers you probably know where we stand on this year’s Eagle’s team. This group has all of the makings of a team that could make a deep run into the playoffs. If we started this year at the end of last year the Eagles would already be in the mix, but throw in what looks like a very productive and efficient offseason and this squad looks ready to roll. Carson Wentz is healthy, hungry, and by all accounts motivated and matured. The addition of Desean Jackson is a quiet one that could help propel the scoring off the charts. If you’re a defensive coordinator, good luck trying to matchup with his speed, Alshon Jeffery on the other side and a TE entering his prime in Zach Ertz. Bring Jordan Howard in at RB and adding Miles Sanders in the draft has the running game in tact, and using their first round selection on Andre Dillard is a move that Wentz should be thrilled about.

Defensively this team looks very similar to the group from a year ago. The front seven looks pretty stout once again with some key faces and some nice additions in Malik Jackson and Zach Brown. As was the case last season, the secondary is still a bit of a concern. Injuries depleted this group a year ago and it’s hard to know how ready to go this group will be. If the pass rush can get home and they can remain tough against the run, the defensive secondary should be able to hold up. The key for this team will be keeping Wentz upright and healthy. Their lofty aspirations would be derailed quickly if he goes down with trusty Philadelphia hero Nick Foles no longer holding the clipboard.

2019 Strength of Schedule – 26th (.477)
Team Win Total Odds – 9.5 Wins (over -140, under +130)
BetCrushers Projected Record – 12-4
When you look at the Eagle’s schedule it’s not unrealistic to see them winning 11 or 12 games this year. Not only did we lock them in on the over total, but if you read our Super Bowl futures prop, we’ve got them at +1600 to win the Super Bowl.

Possible to Wagers To Play – Over Totals
Early in the season we’ll be looking closely at both the Eagles team over point total as well as the game over point totals. This group should be able to put up points at a higher pace than they did a year ago and the questions in the secondary could lead to quite a few shootouts.

Fantasy Players To Watch – Carson Wentz (QB), Zach Ertz (TE)
For our money there are a lot of names to watch on this team including Alshon Jeffery, Desean Jackson and Miles Sanders to name a few. But the bread and butter of this team and possibly your fantasy team could and should be Wentz and Ertz. It’s almost impossible to take Ertz too early, and Wentz should be a top 5 quarterback at a minimum.

New York Giants

2018 Record – 5-11
2018 Record Against the Spread – 8-7-1

Where do we even start when we try to examine the New York Giants? Generally speaking we try give front office execs and GMs the benefit of the doubt when it comes to personnel and decision making, but when it comes to the Giants we’re as baffled as everyone else is. We completely understand the concept of rebuilding, but this organization seems to be lacking a clear vision. Or if they have one, it’s really tough for anyone outside to recognize. The only thing that makes any sense is that this team had quit a year ago and they feel new talent, even if lesser talent, is better than a team that isn’t trying. The Giants have had some bad luck and unfortunate things happen over the past two seasons that have lead to some poor records, but there isn’t much to indicate they will be able to generate much momentum this year.

Gone are Damon Harrison, Landon Collins and Olivier Vernon on the defense and of course Odell Beckham, Jr. at wide receiver. The Giants rolled the dice with their first round pick Daniel Jones, the QB out of Duke in hopes he will be the successor to Eli Manning. Speaking of Eli, he’s still penciled in as the the starter. Over/under on how many games it takes before the folks in New York are calling for the rookie? All of this almost overshadows the one ray of hope that this team has in running back Saquon Barkley. He very well may be the best player in the league but it still figures to be a very long season for him and the G-Men fan base.

The infusion of new players on defense could provide a spark of energy and there is some potential on the roster. But overall, this looks like it could end up being one of the worst defenses in the league. They could struggle both stopping the run and manufacturing pressure on the opposing quarterback. The secondary could be a bright spot but it’s tough to see them being strong enough to cover if there ends up being a lack of pass rush. In summary, the 2019 season for the New York Giants can probably be summed up as a learning experience. How will Daniel Jones do? Are there other hidden talents on this roster? Just what is the plan moving forward with so many holes to fill?

2019 Strength of Schedule – Tied 27th (.473)
Team Win Total Odds – 6 Wins (over -105, under -120)
BetCrushers Projected Record – 5-11
The Giants ended last season with a 5-11 record and there isn’t anything that was done in the offseason to lead us to believe that they can do any better this year. Truth be told, 5-11 may be a generous prediction seeing as the Giants look as though they’ll only be favored in 2 to 3 games.

Possible to Wagers To Play – Against the Spread
The Giants actually performed well against the spread last season as they were generally competitive in most games. It’s possible that this year’s team has a lot more “learning opportunities” and possible blowouts. We’re looking at laying points against this team, particularly when they’re on the road.

Fantasy Players To Watch – Saquon Barkley (RB), Evan Engram (TE)
Saquon Barkley is a no-brainer but Evan Engram might be the value guy to grab at TE if you aren’t fortunate to land one of the elite tight ends early. He showed some flashes that made him a high draft pick and if the rookie gets his shot at QB they often lean on big tight ends. Be very wary of taking the familiar names in Sterling Shepherd and Golden Tate too early, particularly if you’re not in a PPR format.

Washington Redskins

2018 Record – 7-9
2018 Record Against the Spread – 9-7

It was really hard to watch the Washington Redskins last year as they were definitely the team that was snake-bitten. It started in the pre-season when their 2nd round draft pick Derrius Guice went down with a torn ACL and continued throughout the year seeing the offensive line decimated and ultimately starting QB Alex Smith and backup Colt McCoy sent to IR ending any hope of a playoff berth. For the sake of karma we’re hoping that this year’s team is able to stay healthy and maybe even competitive.

There are some interesting pieces on this roster but none more visible than the depth chart at QB. When it became clear Alex Smith wouldn’t be able to come back for the 2019 season the Redskins were active bringing veteran QB Case Keenum over and selecting who many thought was the player with the most upside in the draft in Dwayne Haskins out of Ohio State. The team has a 3 man competition (including Colt McCoy who is actually listed as the depth chart starter) and hasn’t announced who their opening week starter will be. The one thing we do know is that Haskins will most likely get some snaps and potentially be the starter if this team isn’t going anywhere.

Running back provides some nice story lines as the earlier mentioned Guice will be back off of his injury and by all accounts has looked good in his early workouts. Add in Adrian Peterson who just continues to be a physical freak along with pass catching Chris Thompson and this group should shine. Much of that is of course predicated on the offensive line which should bounce back to be healthy and a quality group. The area of concern along with QB is with outside weapons. Jordan Reed has not been able to stay healthy or dominate, and Josh Doctson and Paul Richardson don’t exactly strike fear in opponents at the wide receiver position.

Speaking of depth and injuries, the Redskins need to cross their fingers that their defense can stay healthy. Their starting bunch has the ability to be a quality group, but the lack of talented and proven depth could end up being a problem. The Skins got a potential steal with DE Montez Sweat in the draft and Ryan Kerrigan remains one of the unsung impact players in the league. Throw in the addition of Landon Collins in the secondary and this group should be good enough to keep them hanging around in most games. Jay Gruden has proven he can get his team to play hard even with the odds stacked against them. While this Redskins team will most likely be home for the playoffs, be careful in thinking that they’ll bulldozed each week.

2019 Strength of Schedule – 32nd (.469)
Team Win Total Odds – 6.5 Wins (over +100, under -110)
BetCrushers Projected Record – 7-9
If the Redskins can stay healthy this year their starters are good enough to beat most teams on any given game day. But the lack of depth is very worrisome as is the lack of explosive playmakers. Although they have the softest schedule on paper, it’s unlikely that this team will be able to be much better than they were a year ago.

Possible to Wagers To Play – Against the Spread
This scrappy team was good last year against the spread and we think that trend could continue this season. While they may hover around the 6 or 7 win range, it’s possible they’ll be in a lot of close games if they can get decent play at the QB position. If this group is getting points we’ll be tempted to take them.

Fantasy Players To Watch – Derrius Guice (RB)
Other than some occasional spot plays, there doesn’t appear to be a lot in the way of fantasy value on this team. Jordan Reed could be a good TE insurance policy for you, although his inability to stay healthy is enough to keep us away. Guice could be a gamble, but potentially a gamble you may want to take if you’re a risk taker. Because of the crowded backfield it’s possible Gruden would split time, particularly with Chris Thompson being a factor in passing situations, but Guice will be eager to make his mark.