The 2021 NFL schedule has been released and it’s already being dubbed as the biggest season ever, as teams will play 17 regular-season games for the first time ever. Today I’m going to break down the NFC East and give you my predictions.
Many years ago, the NFC East was not only the premier division in the NFL, it was perhaps the best division in all of sports. This is no longer the case as recent memory has shown us. However, the division still has star power. The Eagles, Giants and the Washington Football Team all play in huge television markets and the Dallas Cowboys are one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Just in case you forgot, the Washington Football Team won the division last year with a 7-9 record. The 2021 win Totals are courtesy of PointsBet.
Dallas Cowboys (Over 9.5 -110) (Under 9.5 -110)
2020 Record: 6-10 SU / 5-11 ATS
The Dallas Cowboys suffered one their worst seasons ever in 2020. Many will point to the Dak Prescott injury as the issue, but they still would have been subpar if Prescott was playing. The Cowboys were poorly coached, and they were terrible on defense. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones took the patient approach with head coach Mike McCarthy, but other members of the coaching were not so lucky. Dallas still has a ton of offensive firepower, but it will have to be better on defense if it’s going to make a strong push.
The Cowboys will open with a pair of tough road games when they travel to Tampa Bay and then to Los Angeles to face the Chargers. Dallas then comes home for three straight games against NFC opponents. I see them starting 3-3 in their first six games, as they head into their bye week. The critical stretch for the Cowboys will be between Weeks 11-16 when they play the Chiefs, Raiders, Saints, Giants, and Washington twice. If they can come out of that six-game stretch with at least a .500 record, then I think they’ll get to 10 wins.
My Pick: Over 9.5
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Washington Football Team (Over 8 -140) (Under 8 +120)
2020 Record: 7-9 SU / 9-7 ATS
The Washington Football Team changed their name and won the NFC East in 2020. It took only seven wins for Washington to secure the division, and while it wasn’t the most impressive showing they still found a way to get it done. Quarterback play was the main problem for D.C. last season. Dwayne Haskins was a disaster. Alex Smith tried hard and I can’t even remember who the other QBs that took snaps were. Washington has a very good young defense and are also solid in the trenches. They also have a pair of good young playmakers in Terry McLaurin and Antonio Gibson. Washington is certainly a team on the come up.
The Football Team is a very popular Over play at PointsBet. A lot of people think they will win Over eight games and another division title. Ryan Fitzpatrick will bring some veteran leadership to the quarterback position and as long as they can stay relatively healthy they should be in good shape. Washington ends the season with five straight games against divisional rivals. That really makes me like their Over a lot.
My Pick : Over 8
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New York Giants (Over 7 -125) (Under 7 +105)
2020 Record: 6-10 SU / 9-7 ATS
The New York Giants had another rough season last year. Saquon Barkley tore his ACL early on in the season and it was really all downhill from there. Daniel Jones did show improvement in his sophomore season, and rookie head coach Joe Judge did a good job with having his team prepared and motivated. The Giants did add a true playmaker for Jones in Kenny Golladay, which will be a nice boost to their offense.
I see the Giants falling just short of eight wins, but I’m not looking to wager on it. New York has a key stretch between Weeks 5-9 when it plays the Cowboys, Rams, Panthers, Chiefs and Raiders. After that, they have a bye week before a matchup with the Buccaneers. That stretch will determine the Giants season this year.
My Pick: Under 7
Philadelphia Eagles (Over 6.5 -140) (Under 6.5 +120)
2020 Record: 4-11-1 SU / 6-10 ATS
The Philadelphia Eagles had a very disappointing season last year. Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz are both gone, and it just doesn’t feel like the Eagles won the Super Bowl recently. Jalen Hurts has the starting quarterback gig all to himself, at least for this season.
The Eagles win total is set at 6.5 which I think is very low. If they can’t win 7 games in a 17-game season then Hurts is not the answer at quarterback. Between Weeks 12-17, the Eagles face the Giants twice, Washington twice, the Jets once and close the season with a home game against the Cowboys. Maybe it’s worth noting that the Eagles will be boarding plenty of flights for their final six weeks to close the season.
My Pick: Over 6.5
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