Ratings predictions: Eagles-Cowboys and more

The Cowboys’ sudden swoon has given Sunday’s matchup with rival Philadelphia a sense of urgency. On the line is the NFC East lead and the prospect of a sub-.500 record. Despite both teams’ recent success, Eagles-Cowboys has not cracked even a 12.0 rating on SNF since 2015 (13.6). Expect that to change this time around.

Anything above a 12.2 would be NBC’s highest Week 7 rating since 2014 (49ers-Broncos: 13.8). The rivals’ Sunday night game last year (in Week 10) had an 11.5. Prediction: 12.6.

The Saints have held up remarkably well without Drew Brees, both on the field and in the ratings. Expect a good number for their matchup with NFC North contender Chicago on Sunday. Last year’s comparable Dallas-Washington game on CBS set a reachable bar with a 12.2 rating. Prediction: 12.9.

Expectations were high going into the Astros-Yankees ALCS rematch, given the strength of their seven-game matchup two years ago and their lofty records this season. Yet the first three games each declined from that 2017 series, including the lowest rated ALCS Game 3 in four years on Wednesday. That streak ended with a double-digit increase for Thursday’s Game 4, but the series still seems destined to finish among the lower rated LCS — especially if Justin Verlander closes out New York in five Friday night.

Last year’s ALCS Game 5 clincher had a 4.0 rating on TBS in primetime. The 2017 Game 5 had a 3.3 on FS1 in the afternoon. Prediction: 3.6.

Big Ten Network is Nielsen rated for the first time this season, meaning that Friday’s Ohio State-Northwestern game has a decent shot at being its highest rated program ever. Originally scheduled for FS1, the Buckeyes’ rare Friday night game should deliver a solid number relative to BTN’s limited distribution. Prediction: 1.1.

For the fourth straight week, ABC gets a Big Ten game in its Saturday Night Football window. With Penn State undefeated and Michigan always a draw, expect a strong performance. Will that be enough to surpass last year’s 3.8 for Ohio State’s upset loss to Purdue? Prediction: 3.7.

For the first time since August, a UFC main event airs on linear television — but instead of ESPN, this weekend’s card is set for ESPN2. While ESPN and ESPN2 are in a similar number of homes, the latter network rarely draws as well as the flagship. Add to that a healthy dose of college football competition, and Saturday’s telecast should pull a low rating. The previous UFC on ESPN card averaged a mere 0.45 rating, but that was on a Saturday afternoon. Prediction: 0.5.