Caleb Wilfinger
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Football is finally on the immediate horizon! In fact, if you are in the business of watching preseason action, it’s already here. Week 1 will kick off on September 5 with Thursday Night Football between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. Here at Pickswise we are building up to the new season and you can check out our NFL futures guide, which has our Super Bowl winner picks, MVP best bets, player award predictions and much more.
For now, our handicapping team is breaking down every division with in-depth team analysis and best bets. Let’s dive into the NFC East, which will generate plenty of headlines all season long as the home of both the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. Here are the NFL odds and our expert NFL picks for this fascinating division.
NFC East Odds
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook and available at time of publishing.
- Philadelphia Eagles -120
- Dallas Cowboys +160
- Washington Commanders +900
- New York Giants +2000
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Philadelphia Eagles (-120)
The Eagles were dancing through the raindrops for the majority of the 2023 campaign. Even after a 10-1 start, there were sharp bettors who were content to fade the Eagles on numerous occasions down the stretch, and I was right there with them following Philadelphia’s string of statistically improbable wins. Things started to go south for the Eagles in December, as Nick Sirianni’s bunch not only struggled mightily on offense, but fell off a cliff defensively as well. Philadelphia limped into the postseason after dropping 5 of its last 6 games and falling out of the top spot in the division. The Eagles were unceremoniously defeated in the Wild Card round by Tampa Bay, which has soured public opinion on Philadelphia a bit heading into this season.
With all of that said, I’m optimistic that Jalen Hurts and company will bounce back this season, especially considering the state of the other true contender in this division. Saquon Barkley replaces D’Andre Swift in the backfield, and the former Giants running back should do wonders for an offense that is already well-stocked at wideout and tight end. Defensively, I do have questions about the pass rush without Haason Reddick, but this has been a unit that consistently gets after the quarterback year after year, and that should continue under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Philadelphia does have an above-average schedule by projected win totals, but the Eagles should get off to a good start thanks to 3 games against NFC South opponents and a matchup against the Giants all within their first 6 contests. The Eagles also have a favorable schedule in December, ending their season with the Panthers, Steelers, Cowboys, Commanders and Giants.
Philadelphia Eagles best bet: Eagles to win the NFC East (-120)
Want more NFL futures picks? Head over to our NFL futures betting guide to find ALL of our predictions for the 2024 season
Dallas Cowboys (+160)
While I’m cautiously optimistic about the outlook for the Eagles this season, I can’t say the same about the Dallas Cowboys. At this point, it’s fair to acknowledge that the Cowboys probably missed their Super Bowl window over the past couple of seasons, if they were even a true Super Bowl contender in the first place.
Despite the fact that he’s coming off the best season of his career, it’s clear that the organization has little trust in Dak Prescott from a long-term perspective. Furthermore, Dallas is weaker on the offensive line this season and has very little to offer at the skill positions besides CeeDee Lamb, and he’s currently holding out for a big contract that he may not receive before the season starts. The defense is due for a ton of turnover regression as well, which doesn’t bode well for a team facing a first-place schedule. Jerry Jones has made it very clear with his words and actions that Dallas is more interested in being in the headlines than actually winning meaningful games, and I think we see that mentality play out on the field this season.
Dallas Cowboys best bet: Cowboys under 10.5 wins (-175)
Lock in our Super Bowl 59 predictions at +1400 and +2000 odds
Washington Commanders (+900)
For the first time in at least a couple of years, there’s a genuine sense of optimism around the Washington Commanders as we head into the 2024 season. And while I still have questions about Jayden Daniels and his ability to translate as a successful NFL quarterback, there’s little doubt in my mind that this offense should take a noticeable step forward with him at the controls. Washington’s skill position talent is solid across the board but I do have concerns with the pass defense, especially against a schedule where the Commanders will face 7 of the top 15 or so quarterbacks in the league by my count.
With Dan Quinn in as the new head coach, I can at least project a baseline level of competency for this Washington team in Daniels’ rookie season. I do still have questions about the upside of this team, so instead of targeting a win-total wager, I’ll take the Commanders to finish with more wins than the New York Giants for my best bet.
Washington Commanders best bet: Commanders to win more games than the Giants (-140)
Get the latest NFL MVP odds and find out our expert’s longshot prediction at +5000!
New York Giants (+2000)
Bringing up the rear in the NFC East is the New York Giants, a franchise that appeared to be heading in the right direction after an inspired 2022 season before regression hit this team like a truck last fall. Could things look different this season? I’m not too sure at this stage. Daniel Jones should be good to go in Week 1 after rupturing his ACL last fall, but the sixth-year quarterback has a lot to prove on the field if he wants to justify the egregious contract he was given after the 2022 season. Drew Lock is waiting in the wings if things don’t go well to start the season, but having a pair of quarterbacks who essentially are playing at a backup level is not a recipe for success in today’s NFL.
Head coach Brian Daboll has a lot on his plate with turning around this offense, while Shane Bowen has to do his best to hide some glaring holes on this defense. Factor in the fact that the Giants have the 10th-hardest schedule in football and I can’t see them clearing 6 wins this season.
New York Giants best bet: Giants under 6.5 wins (-130)
See our NFL game picks and best bets to make right now for the 2024 NFL season
NFC East division predictions
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Dallas Cowboys
- Washington Commanders
- New York Giants
NFC East Best Bet: Philadelphia Eagles to win NFC East (-120)
Given my negative thoughts on multiple teams in this division and my hesitation with what the Commanders can truly achieve in year 1 of a new head coach and quarterback, the logical thing to do is target the Eagles to win the NFC East with my best bet. Philadelphia is far from perfect, but the Eagles do have one of the better rosters in the NFL and things can only improve after the way last season ended on both sides of the ball. As long as Hurts and Sirianni can work out their issues from a season ago, this team should be able to reach 10 or 11 wins and take home the division crown.
Pickswise NFL Division predictions and previews
Want more of Pickswise’s NFL division previews? Check out every other division below!
- AFC East odds and predictions — Bills, Jets or Dolphins, who will reign supreme?
- AFC North odds and predictions — see our expert’s +600 pick to win the division
- AFC South odds and predictions — get our best bets for EVERY team
- AFC West odds and predictions — can ANYONE stop the Chiefs?
- NFC North odds and predictions — see our prediction to win the division
- NFC South odds and predictions — can the Falcons FINALLY fly high?
- NFC West odds and predictions — find out our +600 and +200 picks
