NFC East Week 5 Bettor’s Playbook: New York Facing Giant Test Versus Dallas Cowboys

Can the NFC East be an NFC Beast again, in Week 5?  And are New Jersey online sports bettors ready to back them?

Three NFC East teams, the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Football Team, are coming off victories.

And the Philadelphia Eagles had their best offensive week, despite being the only NFC East team to lose. They had the misfortune of getting into a shootout with the Kansas City Chiefs.

As Week 5 looms, the New York market enjoys a statistical oddity.

Both MetLife Stadium tenants, the Giants and New York Jets, won their first games Sunday in franchise-record fashion.

It was the first time ever that the Giants and Jets won overtime games on the same day. They were even similar-sized underdogs of about a touchdown.

While the Giants bested the New Orleans Saints 27-21 at +7, the Jets earned a 27-24 nail-biter over the Tennessee Titans at +6. 

The Giants may not be able to control the New York spotlight, but they are back in business before another prime matchup.

NFC East Week 5 Sunday schedule

Eagles at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. 

Giants at Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. 

Washington versus Saints, 1 p.m. 

And based on the most recent results, here are the updated NFC East futures from DraftKings Sportsbook:

• Dallas (3-1) -250
• Washington (2-2) +350
• Eagles (1-3) + 900
• New York Giants (1-3) +1400

How NFC East teams are performing against NJ sports betting lines

Through the first four weeks of the 2021 season, NJ sports bettors are having the most success backing Dallas.

Here are the team records on the moneyline, spread, and over-under (using DraftKings figures at kickoff)

Dallas: 

• 3-1 vs moneyline
• 4-0 vs the spread
• 3-1 on the over

Philadelphia:

• 1-3 on the moneyline
• 1-3 vs spread,
• 2-2 on the over

New York: 

• 1-3 on the moneyline
• 2 -2 vs spread and on the over

Washington:

• 2-2 on the moneyline
• 1-3 vs the spread,
• 3-1 on the over

Giants ‘Jonesing’ for repeat

Whoomp, there it is.

Quarterback Daniel Jones picked a perfect time to enjoy a career day with 402 yards and two touchdowns against the Saints.

Can he keep it up?

This was the best he has looked in two years and the player Giants fans and bettors expected when dubbing him Danny Dimes.

Those dimes became dollars for a sharp minority of New Jersey online bettors in Week 4.

The Giants odds returned a sweet +260 on the moneyline, which 12% of DraftKings bettors nailed. Barely a quarter of the gamblers, 27%, took the G-Men +7.

Against a tough New Orleans defense, Jones threw two touchdowns exceeding 50 yards. 

The Giants also made their off-season moves look good.

Kadarius Toney, their top draft pick, had six catches for 78 yards and a team-high nine targets.  Kenny Golladay, the off-season acquisition from the Detroit Lions had six6 catches for 116 yards. Both had been griping about not getting the ball. 

Keep your eyes on John Ross, a speedster who slipped behind the defense to notch a 52-yard touchdown in his first game as a Giant.

Saquon Barkley, finally looking like a 2020 injury is healed, scored the last two touchdowns, including the game-winner. He’ll be prominent on the prop board this week.

Giants vs. Cowboys odds at NJ sportsbooks

Dallas Cowboys: Big D and Big O

Carolina, the Eagles’ next opponent, brought the league’s best defense into the game and had a 14-13 halftime lead.

But quarterback Dak Prescott continues to dazzle, hitting three different receivers with third-quarter scoring passes in Dallas’ 36-28 victory.

As far as what to watch heading into the Giants game, Zeke Elliott has been the first touchdown scorer of the game for two straight weeks. Some bettors believe it’s good karma to keep backing him. Others believe it will be someone else’s turn to hit this elusive mark.

Dalton Schultz has emerged as an excellent tight end. He has not only scored in two straight games, but the offensive scheme is so good that his role in many passing plays is disguised. He’s a threat to score every week.

And who is Trevon Diggs? Eagles fans know him as the architect of a Pick 6 against the Eagles in Week 3. 

He followed with two more picks against the Panthers for an NFL league-leading five. He becoming the first Dallas player with a pick in each of his first four games since the 1970 merger.

Eagles vs. Panthers odds at NJ sportsbooks

Will 30 be enough this week for the Eagles?

Quarterback Jalen Hurts put up a career-high 387 passing yards and two touchdowns in the team’s 42-30 setback to the Kansas City Chiefs. Maybe those numbers would help deliver a victory for Philadelphia at Carolina. 

The Eagles would like Hurts to spread the ball as he did in this game, rediscovering DeVonta Smith with 10 targets leading to seven catches for 122 yards.

He even utilized the backs, as running back Kenneth Gainwell had six catches on eight targets and tallied the touchdown that brought the Birds within 28-23 early in the fourth quarter.

This week, the Birds get a Hill of a break. They won’t face fleet receiver Tyreek Hill, who burned them for three touchdowns and 186 yards.

The quarterback comparison is more favorable too.  Sam Darnold of the Panthers has been good, but he’s not Patrick Mahomes, who tossed five touchdowns against the Eagles.

Darnold, however, is the first NFL quarterback to rush for five touchdowns in four games. Some of that can be attributed to the loss of star running back Christian McCaffrey, who suffered a hamstring injury in Week 3. He did not play in Week 4 against the Cowboys.

But will this news have an impact on Eagles odds at NJ online sportsbooks?

Bettors will have to watch his availability closely. There is no need to rush McCaffrey back and he could miss the Eagles game too.

Could be a game-time call either way. 

Saints vs. Washington odds at NJ sportsbooks

Washington back to .500

A different year tells a different tale.

This is no longer the vaunted Washington defense, which put the team on its back and propelled it into the playoffs last season.

The Football Team is now ranked near the bottom of all defensive categories. It looked porous again despite a 34-30 triumph over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Washington has given up 102 points in the last three games and can be thrown upon. 

It had to bat down a pass in the end zone after scoring the go-ahead points with 34 seconds left.

On the offensive side, Taylor Heinicke is proving to be a scrappy quarterback. He led the team to a decisive score with 34 seconds left against Atlanta.

Going forward: When Heinicke became the starting quarterback in Week 2, we pointed out his ability to click with Terry McLaurin.   The pair combined for two scores Sunday and are a good combo to consider playing each week.

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman