It’s football week! We are just a few days away from the 2025-26 season opening in Philadelphia, with the defending champions hosting the Dallas Cowboys.
After the Micah Parsons departure, is a 7.5-point spread too low for the Super Bowl champions with their entire offense returning for another run at the title?
With these teams trending in different directions, look for Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, and Devonta Smith to start the year 1-0 at home.
With the Cowboys taking the field in Philadelphia directly following the Micah Parsons move, it would be shocking if this squad comes out of the gate against the defending Super Bowl champions and creates close matchups.
Philly is 3-1 over their L4 against the Cowboys, and last season, Hurts and the Eagles won by a combined 62 points. Although Hurts has not covered a 7.5-point spread while favored in three season openers, he is 3-0 with wins against Detroit, New England, and Green Bay.
Look for the positive momentum to carry Philadelphia and the negative momentum via Mr. Jones to tug the Cowboys in the opposite direction.
At -200 odds, this isn’t the sexiest play on the gameday slate, but it’s time to give Barkley the credit he deserves. Saquon was a key reason this team lifted the Lombardi in February, scoring 15 total TDs during the regular season.
He’s only scored 5 TDs in total throughout his career in season openers, but last season against the Packers, he went for three total TDs in a big-time Sao Paulo victory. With Parsons gone and the Dallas defense struggling to contain the superstar last season, it’ll be another big night for Saquon on primetime.
In four season openers, Smith has gone for two scores while going for 6/0/7/7 catches in those games. Hurts likes Smith early in the year, while A.J. Brown sometimes starts out serving as the deep play threat in this offense.
In the first three weeks of 2023 and 2024, Smith has totalled 48 targets (8.0 per game). With Diggs most likely shadowing Brown, it should be a Devonta Smith game, especially after a 120-yard performance against Dallas in Week 17 of last season.