Eagles Travel to Washington As Week 1 Favorites
Who: Philadelphia Eagles v. Washington Redskins
When: Sunday September 10th, 2017 1:00PM EST
Where: FedEx Field—Washington, DC
The NFC East will jump into the new season with divisional games to lead things off. While the Giants and Cowboys are slated for a Sunday Night Football thriller, a lesser-hyped matchup will take place on Sunday afternoon, between the Eagles and the Redskins. Admittedly, these two sides are expected to populate the bottom two positions of the division by the time the season comes to an end, but expectations are rarely ever met in the NFL.
For the Eagles, they will be entering this season full of hope and looking for a turnaround from an expectedly poor 2016/17 campaign. Carson Wentz will be returning for his 2nd full season, this time with more weapons and experience at his disposal. Unlike last year, when the Eagle’s run game was not taken seriously by any opponent, this year will see Philadelphia start a Super Bowl Champion in the backfield in the form of LeGarrette Blount. Alshon Jeffrey is a new receiver for the Eagles, and through the preseason he seems to be jelling with the team well.
The Redskins did not end up making the playoffs, but they finished the 16/17 campaign with a winning record; their second in as many seasons. With the now very experienced Kirk Cousins at the helm, they will be looking to prove their worth and to prove that the NFC East is not just the Cowboys/Giants show. Do the Redskins have a legitimate shot at making it to the post-season this year? That much remains to be seen, but what we do know is that they are poised to be just as good, if not better, than they were a year ago.
Game Overview and Analysis
The -1 (-110) Philadelphia Eagles (-115) will travel down I-95 to take on the Redksins, and when they arrive there they will be favored to win the game. Though this may seem surprising, these types of rivalries are always hotly-contested battles.
Carson Wentz will be under center, and as was briefly touched upon above, he will have plenty of new weapons at his disposal. The fact that there will be any semblance of a run game is what sticks out to me most. Last year, opposing teams flat-out were not concerned about the Eagles’ run game, and for good reason because it was not much of a threat. This year, with Blount coming off one of his best seasons ever, the Redskins (and Philly’s other opponents) will have to take the run game seriously. In addition to this, the acquisition of Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith mean that Carson Wentz will have more than just Zach Ertz to throw to. Their offensive line will still be called into question, but things seem to have gotten a little better in the trenches.
After hyping the Eagles up that much, it might seem as though the +1 (-110) Redskins (-105) do not have much of any chance. This could not be any further from the truth. Rather than Desean Jackson, who departed to the Bucs, Kirk Cousins will instead have QB turned wideout Terelle Pryor Sr. to throw to. Despite the difference in name, the plan of attack will be the same this year as it was last year. Between Pryor and Josh Doctson, the Redskins wide receivers are sure to give an untested Eagles secondary fits.
Expect the Skins to attack the Eagles’ secondary early and often via a number of different avenues. They will spread the offense out, send running backs on routes out of the backfield, and even employ some rollout schemes. I think the Eagles will need a massive performance from their unproven defense in order to really have a shot of living up to their favorite designation. If they do not come out to play on the defensive side of the ball, I do not think it will matter much what Carson Wentz and Co. are capable of doing.
Betting Prediction
If you are thinking about making a moneyline bet on Bovada, I think you have to go with the visiting Eagles (-115). Though they will be on the road playing in front of fans that abhor them, I think the Eagles’ offensive weapons will overpower the defense of the Redskins. Of course, the Philadelphia defense needs to show up and take care of their part, but even an average performance on the defensive side of things should be enough to see Philadelphia to victory.
A point spread bet on the Eagles -1 (-110) is also a smart bet. Even if the Eagles only win by 1, your bet will push. In all honesty, however, I think the Eagles will take care of the Redskins without an abundance of trouble.
The over/under for this game is 48 points (-110/-110) and I think this is something you might want to stay away from. If you are going to make a pick, I would definitely take the over (-110) as both offenses are capable of putting points on the board.