NFC East Futures Odds Preview
There hasn’t been a repeat champion in the NFC East since 2004 when the Philadelphia Eagles won their fourth straight division title. Will the Dallas Cowboys end the streak this season and live up to the oddsmakers’ expectations?
At Bovada Sportsbook, the Cowboys are +135 favorites to win another division title. Quarterback Dak Prescott returns to lead a Dallas offense that saw a lot of changes at wide receiver during the offseason.
Gone are Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson, and remaining are CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, who’s recovering from a knee injury. Ezekiel Elliott is still the No. 1 guy in the backfield but could lose some carries to the speedy Tony Pollard.
The Dallas defense was surprisingly good last season, led by Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs. Dallas will need to fill a hole left by Randy Gregory, who moved on to Denver.
Eagles add Brown to strengthen passing game
Following Dallas in the NFC East odds are the Philadelphia Eagles at +160. The Eagles will hope to continue to improve around quarterback Jalen Hurts following a 9-8 season a year ago. Hurts has a new weapon after Philadelphia acquired A.J. Brown to pair with DeVonta Smith.
The running game also begins with Hurts, who rushed for 784 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. If the Eagles are going to win the division, they’ll need to improve against the Cowboys – Philadelphia has lost three straight and seven of its last nine against Dallas.
The long shots in the NFC East futures are the Washington Commanders at +500 and the New York Giants at +800.
Wentz looks for redemption as Commander
In their first season as the Commanders, Washington welcomes a new quarterback in Carson Wentz. After a messy divorce in Indianapolis, Washington may be Wentz’s last chance to get his career back on track. He has a reliable target in wide receiver Terry McLaurin, but beyond tight end Logan Thomas there are no other notable names to throw to.
Washington running back Antonio Gibson quietly rushed for 1,037 yards last season and will look to continue that success this year. The Washington defense will hope for a rebound season from Chase Young, who was limited to nine games in 2021.
Jones, Barkley key to Giants turnaround
The Giants begin the Brian Daboll era this season as he takes over as head coach. Quarterback Daniel Jones is back, but this could be his last chance to prove he is the right man for the job.
A healthy season from running back Saquon Barkley would help. Since starting his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns, Barkley has had trouble staying on the field. He was limited to only 593 rushing yards and two touchdowns last year.