2022 NFC East Title Odds, Picks & Predictions: Cowboys & Eagles Are the Favorites

The NFC East is always exciting, even when every team is not in playoff contention. Who could forget the Philadelphia Eagles tanking in Week 17 of 2020 to cost the Giants a position in the playoffs? This division has been the model for parity in the NFL. No team has won the NFC East in back-to-back seasons since the Eagles in 2001-2004. Since then, each team has won the division at least three times. 

Is this a bad omen for the defending NFC East champ, Dallas Cowboys? The Cowboys are coming off their best season since 2016, with a 12-5 record in 2022. Dallas leads all NFC East teams at +140 to defend their division title. Despite a solid regular season, Dallas faltered in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. Their now infamous loss to the 49ers marked 26 years since they have been in the NFC Championship Game. 

The most likely challenger to that accomplishment will be the Eagles (+150). By all accounts, the Eagles had a fantastic offseason. They made the biggest splash in the draft, by trading one of their three first-round picks for Pro Bowler A.J. Brown. Brown brings a level of experience and talent that elevates a young, up-and-coming WR core, headlined by DeVonta Smith. 

Even after the preseason, the Eagles were not done re-tooling. Philly traded for C.J. Gardner-Johnson just 10 days before their first game. The fourth-year safety will help bolster a position of need for an Eagles defense that is touted for its front 7, but left a lot to be desired in the secondary. With all these offseason moves, the Eagles gained a ton of ground on the Cowboys from when the odds were first released.

Following a tumultuous offseason surrounding their owner, the Commanders are currently +500 to win the division just two years after winning in 2020. Finally, the Giants round out the list at +750. This will be an evaluation year for the Giants, with their new head coach Brian Daboll. The Giants are running it back with Daniel Jones as the QB; much to the dismay of the Giants faithful. 

It certainly feels like the Cowboys and Eagles are on a collision course to battle for the NFC East title. The two teams play for the final time in the regular season at Dallas on Christmas Eve; a game that could go a long way to deciding the division. 

2022 NFC East Title Odds

2022 NFC East Champion Prediction: Eagles | +150 at BetMGM

With his new weapons, all eyes will be on third-year QB Jalen Hurts. In his second year as the full-time starter, this feels like a make-or-break year for the young QB. Hurts showed plenty of promise as a playmaker and intelligence running the offense.

However, he exited last year with plenty of questions about arm strength and the ability to read the defense in the pocket. If second-year coach Nick Sirianni can help fix or at least mask Hurts’ deficiencies, Philly has a great chance of competing with Dallas for the division. 

With their new talent and renewed focus under Sirianni, I love the value of the Eagles regaining the NFC East throne. 

The Challenger: Cowboys | +140 at BetMGM

The defending NFC East champs had a very quiet offseason. Their focus was mainly around re-signing key defensive pieces like Leighton Vander Esch and Malik Hooker. They also dropped some heavy contracts by waiving La’el Collins and trading away Amari Cooper.

Despite playing in all 17 games, RB Zeke Elliott received the fewest amount of rushes in 2021 in his entire six-year career. Hampered by lingering knee and ankle injuries, Elliott could never get to 100%. 

The downside of winning your division is playing a first-place schedule in the following season. The Cowboys have some tough games in 2022, highlighted by trips to Green Bay and the Rams in L.A. With a tough schedule and major inconsistencies haunting the franchise for the past two-plus decades, I don’t like the value we’d get on the Cowboys, making them my challenger to the Eagles.