Commanders vs Eagles Odds: Philadelphia Large Favorites in Division Game

The Washington Commanders visit the Philadelphia Eagles for an NFC East game on Sunday. The Eagles are undefeated on the season, joining Miami and San Francisco as the only 3-0 teams in the NFL. After winning a pair of close games to begin the year, the Commanders were thumped 37-3 by Buffalo last week to drop the team to 2-1 straight-up and 1-2 against the spread. The Eagles have covered two of their three games. The Commanders vs Eagles odds have Philadelphia favored by 8 points and a total of 43.5.

Commanders an Undeserving 2-1

Washington is 2-1 in the NFL standings, but that’s not a true representation of the team. The Commanders defeated Arizona 20-16 and Denver 35-33 to open the season. Any thoughts of being an upper-tier team were dashed last week by Buffalo in the first true test Washington had this season. The Commanders will get another this week.

Washington isn’t a huge threat offensively, ranking No. 23 in total yards per game and No. 20 in scoring at 19.3 points per game. The Commanders have been a better-rushing team than a passing team this season. The team’s 5.0 yards per carry ranks No. 3 in the league. Washington’s 5.5 yards per passing attempt ranks No. 24.

On the defensive side of things, the Commanders are No. 14 in total defense, but No. 27 in scoring defense, allowing 28.7 points per game. Washington hasn’t been particularly good at stopping the run or the pass but has defended the pass a little bit better.

Eagles Haven’t Missed a Beat

The Philadelphia Eagles picked right up where they left off last season, showing why they’re one of the NFL favorites to win the Super Bowl. Philadelphia is No. 6 in total offense and No. 7 in scoring offense with 28 points per game. Jalen Hurts hasn’t needed to do a whole lot so far, with the running game doing most of the heavy work. Philadelphia is No. 2 in the NFL with 185.7 rushing yards per game.

The Philadelphia defense has been decent, ranking No. 12 in total offense and No. 10 in scoring defense at 19.7 points per game. The Eagles have been better against the run, leading the league in rushing yards allowed. The pass defense hasn’t been anything special, but they probably won’t need to be against Washington. Linebacker Zach Cunningham landed on the NFL injury report today and is listed as questionable due to his ribs. He’s the team’s No. 2 tackler.

What to Expect

From a matchup standpoint, this isn’t an ideal situation for Washington. The Commanders like to run the football, but now face the best team in the league at stopping the run. That’s likely to lead to more passing than normal for the Commanders and quarterback Sam Howell, who hasn’t been that good to begin with. Howell has been sacked 19 times in three games and could be in for another long afternoon if the running game can’t do anything.

The Eagles are likely going to come out and run the football. The Commanders have struggled to stop the run and Philadelphia should have success on the ground. The Eagles will throw some to keep the defense honest. But so far this season, the Eagles have shown a willingness to keep the ball on the ground if the running game is working.

Who to Bet On?

The Commanders vs Eagles odds of Philadelphia -8 (-115) might be a little low, although Philadelphia is coming off a short week. The biggest problem for Washington is the match-up problem the Eagles and their run defense pose. You don’t want to put Howell in a position where he’s having to throw every down, but that could happen here. If the Eagles can tee off on the quarterback, they’ll make things miserable for Washington offensively.

The Commanders vs Eagles odds of 43.5 on the total might seem a shade low, but there could be a lot of rushing attempts, especially on the side of the Eagles. Philadelphia will run the ball all game if it’s working. Teams haven’t been able to run many plays against Washington, as the Commanders usually have a time-of-possession edge. But Philadelphia can also keep the ball for long stretches of time.

The public is backing the Eagles fairly well, but the latest NFL lines haven’t shown much movement. The Eagles are a solid choice for teasers this week, with bettors able to move the line down to -2.

For NFL odds this week, NFL betting news, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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