Part of that is just popularity. Cowboys fans always inflate the lines, by sheer volume, and oddsmakers factor that into the equation.
The smart bet is to go on the other side of the line, but people often bet with their hearts (a great way to lose money).
Not really, it's a reflection of just how bad Philly has been. They were bludgeoned by the Vikings yesterday and looked as bad as we did.
On a neutral field, this would be a pick em game because neither is much better than the other. The problem is the Eagles probably should have an edge here because they can stop the run and I suspect we can't exploit their pass D. On the flipside, say what you want about Wentz, but he's not terrible and he'll likely pick apart our soft zone defense unless Richard has some changes up his sleeve.
Losing this game would be even more embarrassing. This is a home game against a team that, frankly, isn't all that great themselves. This is a game a quality coaching staff wins.