Dallas hasn't won a game in Philly since January 2022 and have lost three of the past five meetings, including both from last season. Granted, neither team had their starting quarterback hit the field in the second meeting.
But despite the over 60-year rivalry, what's to expect tomorrow between these two teams? Well, let's run it down for each of the teams.
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Dallas Cowboys (+8.5) - New Faces, Establish Run
The Cowboys are coming off a disappointing 7-10 season, which was the worst since 2020 when they finished 6-10. They finished 2024 with the 16th overall offence (21st in scoring) and the 28th overall defence.
With the recent trade of defensive superstar Micah Parsons, the team proceeded to sign cornerback DaRon Bland to a $92 million extension in a head-scratching course of events.
Not only did the Cowboys give away Parsons, but possible future Hall of Fame guard Zack Martin retired back in February after 11 seasons with Dallas. But enough of the departures, who's new? Well, to start, the Cowboys' backfield got a makeover.
After ranking 27th in rushing offence last season, the team brought in veteran backs Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, both of whom had a combined 718 rushing yards - less than former back Rico Dowdle's 1,079.
They upgraded their receiving core after bringing in George Pickens after a trade with the Steelers - establishing what could be one of the best WR duos in football. And besides Martin, their entire offensive line remains the same - with rookie Tyler Booker replacing Martin. Although that unit with Martin still ranked 25th last season.
Their defensive line will be looking different. Outside of defensive Osa Odighizuwa and defensive end Dante Fowler Jr., some new help on the line includes DE Marshawn Kneeland and recently acquired DT Kenny Clark. Dallas also drafted edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku out of Boston College, who led all of college football last season with 62 pressures - more than No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter.
However, their linebackers look different. Marist Liufau, Kenneth Murray, and Jack Sanborn will all be seeing a lot more snaps this season. So their front seven is a big question mark.
Kaiir Elam is a new face in the secondary who'll lineup opposite of Bland and Trevon Diggs while Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson return this season as the team's safeties. So a lot of new faces for the Cowboys.
The keys for the Cowboys the game against the Eagles for them would be to force turnovers and establish the run - keep the Eagles' offence off the field for as long as possible. The less time that Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts see the field, the better chance they have at winning.
As much of a dual-threat offence the Eagles have, they have to shut down Barkley and the run game if they want to win. But when that offence gets on the field, force Hurts to throw the ball - which is a tall task in of itself after coming off a year he threw only five interceptions.
Philadelphia Eagles (-8.5) - Play your game
What's more to say about the Eagles? They're the defending Super Bowl champions after thrashing the Kansas City Chiefs and they're equipped to run it back.
Unlike the Cowboys, Philly is rolling out practically the same exact offensive unit as last season. After right guard Mekhi Becton left, former backup Tyler Steen is the team's new right guard - that's it. Every other starter is the same. And this was a unit that ranked 8th overall last season and 7th in scoring.
So how about the defense? Well, again, it's practically the same as last season. The only changes are that rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell is listed as the official starting middle linebacker, while three-year man Kelee Ringo took the starting cornerback role from Adoree Jackson, who is still on the team. Ringo will be lining up opposite of last year's CB1 Quinyon Mitchell.
So the unit that ranked as the best overall defence last season (second-best in scoring) is going to come out on Thursday, picking up right where they left off. There's no reason why they should lose this game, but as the saying goes - any given Sunday.
The key for the Eagles to win the game against the Cowboys is to just play their game. The Eagles were 8-1 at home last season and were the best overall team on all fronts. So long as they don't commit bad penalties or turn the ball over, they'll show why they're resounding favorites for a reason.
Conclusion
The Cowboys and Eagles both have healthy injury reports heading into the game in regards to starters, so all hands are on deck. Last year, the Eagles outscored the Cowboys 75-13 and took home wins in both games.
While establishing the run is the goal for Dallas, the Eagles also have to contain CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, which is no easy task even for the best defence. They'll have to get pressure on quarterback Dak Prescott, who is 9-4 against Philly in his career, every single chance they can to prevent them from moving the ball.
But, overall, the Eagles are lined up to take the season opener.
Fans will be able to watch the Cowboys-Eagles game on NBC, Peacock, NFL+, Hulu, and Fubo.