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Eagles vs. Cowboys predictions: Expert picks for Week 9 NFC East showdown

The Birds and Boys both look like playoff teams as we reach the midpoint of the season.

Philadelphia Eagles fans were already looking ahead to Sunday's matchup with the Dallas Cowboys during last week's win over the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field.
Philadelphia Eagles fans were already looking ahead to Sunday's matchup with the Dallas Cowboys during last week's win over the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer

There’s a normal football week, and then there’s Dallas Week. From memorable games to unforgettable villains, there’s not shortage of reasons why this rivalry matters, regardless of how good the Eagles and Cowboys are. And when they’re both not just good, but also Super Bowl contenders, the stakes are even higher.

That’s exactly the scenario this year as the top two teams in the NFC East — not to mention two of the best teams in the entire NFL — prepare square off at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday in their first meeting of the season.

Despite their league-best 7-1 record and home-field advantage, the Birds are currently just three-point favorites over the 5-2 Cowboys in this Week 9 matchup. But that’s the oddsmakers — what do the experts in the local and national media have to say? Will A.J. Brown continue his hot streak? Will Jalen Hurts keep beating teams with his passing? And will the defense be able to stop Dak Prescott?

» READ MORE: What the Cowboys are saying about the Eagles ahead of Sunday’s NFC East showdown

As we do each week, let’s take a look at some predictions, starting with our own beat writers ...

Inquirer beat writer predictions

We’re not going to spoil all of our writers’ predictions — you’ll have to click over to see what Jeff McLane, EJ Smith, and Olivia Reiner think — but here’s a snippet from Josh Tolentino, who has the Birds improving to 8-1 with a win on Sunday.

Last year, the coaching staff showed it was capable of successfully game- planning against Micah Parsons. Without Trevon Diggs, the Cowboys’ pass defense is still playing at a high level. The Eagles counter with perhaps the hottest connection in the NFL right now in Hurts-Brown. The complete recipe to victory, though, should involve a healthy dose of Swift, who ranks fourth in the league in rushing yards. The Eagles have obvious reasons to fall in love with the pass, but this Cowboys defense is susceptible to allowing big gains on the ground, and Swift should be looking to take full advantage.
Josh Tolentino

For the rest of his prediction, including his final score and picks from the rest of our beat writers, check out our Week 9 picks here.

National media predictions

Here’s what those around the country think about Sunday’s matchup between the Eagles and Cowboys ...

  1. ESPN.com: A good start for the Birds, with seven of their 10 experts predicting they beat Dallas this weekend.

  2. NFL.com: All five NFL.com editors are taking the Eagles to win and cover, although some just barely.

  3. CBS Sports: Five of their eight NFL experts are picking the Birds to win straight up, and four think they also cover the spread.

  4. Sports Illustrated: For the second week in a row, all seven MMQB writers think the Eagles will win.

» READ MORE: Fox’s Mark Schlereth rips WIP hosts over criticism of Eagles broadcast

  1. The Ringer: The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia makes his picks against the spread. This week, he’s got the Eagles winning and covering.

  2. Yahoo Sports: Frank Schwab also picks against the spread, but he’s taking the Cowboys to at least cover — he doesn’t mention whether or not they’ll actually pull off the upset.

  3. The Athletic: Ten of their 11 writers are backing the Birds.

  4. USA TODAY: Six of their eight football writers are predicting an Eagles’ win.

» READ MORE: The education of Jalen Carter: Cold tubs, Eagles vets in his ear, and 401(k)s

  1. Pro Football Talk: Mike Florio and Chris Simms are taking the Birds because the Cowboys “are a different team when you put them on grass.”

  2. Bleacher Report: Their consensus pick is an Eagles win and cover, with six of their seven writers picking the home team.

  3. Sporting News: While Bill Bender has the Birds coming away victorious, Vinnie Iyer has them heading into the bye week with a loss.

Local media predictions

Let’s take a look at who some local writers are picking to win ...

  1. PhillyVoice: Beat writer Jimmy Kempski is taking the Eagles to win.

  2. Bleeding Green Nation: All eight of their writers are going with the Birds.

  3. Delaware Online: Ten of their 11 prognosticators believe the Eagles will win on Sunday.

  4. Blogging the Boys: At Bleeding Green’s Dallas counterpart, it’s no surprise that six of their seven writers are taking the Cowboys.

  5. DallasCowboys.com: At the team’s official website, three of their five staff writers are picking the team that employs them.