Here comes the NFL Bet-Fest, the game outside the game.
When the Eagles invade the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, New Jersey online gamblers view the typical slew of betting options with roughly 500 choices per game.
Eagles vs Falcons Betting
It’s easy to get lost in this world of excitement.
The key for gamblers is to wager into a general area they feel comfortable with and then hope to nail a specific target.
Here are several areas of consideration for Eagles fans and bettors.
TEAM VERSUS TEAM
The actual line at midweek was Atlanta -3 across most major sportsbooks. Substantial Eagles action had pushed that opening line down from -3.5. Bettors who made early bets essentially got the Eagles on sale.
RAZZLE DAZZLE MODE
Beyond the basic line, payouts increase, along with the degree of difficulty.
Here’s a lineup from FanDuel
- Which team will score first?
- The Eagles are +102, Atlanta is -124. Bettors can gain a victory right off the bat.
- Which team will score last?
- Same odds. Bettors have an interest right up until the final tick, regardless of the game score.
- Can the Falcons actually blow the Eagles out?
- Fans who believe so can get a whopping +700 if Atlanta wins by 21 or more.
Want to keep that foot on the pedal, with action on every score?
- There is a race to five points
- The Eagles are +104 and the Falcons are -132.
- How about a race to 20? Will the Eagles actually score 20?
- If Philadelphia gets there first, that pays +116. Atlanta has an undesirable number of -148.
BETTING ON BOTH TEAMS
Here’s a way gamblers can make the Eagles and Falcons unite.
Will each team score at least one touchdown in each half?
- The yes is + 138 and the no is -176.
- That’s an interesting consideration because these are not two good defenses. T
- he -176 may be suggesting that the Eagles, who barely started quarterback Jalen Hurts in the preseason, won’t have their timing.
Nonetheless, +138 is a good return for gamblers who believe each team finds the end zone each half.
What will be the highest-scoring quarter?
This is interesting too.
- The first and third quarters are +550.
- The second is +150 and the fourth is +220.
This makes sense because most of the timeouts will be taken in the second and fourth quarters, extending those periods.
Here’s one for total touchdowns in the game.
- The number is 5.5.
- Looks obtainable with Atlanta’s high-octane offense, yet the over is +100 and the under is -122.
- The initial feeling at the books is that defense and field goals will prevail.
The first scoring play can often be rewarding
- An Eagles touchdown is +230
- An Eagles field goal is +350
- A Falcons touchdown is +185
- A Falcons field goal is +340
- A safety by Eagles is +10000, or 100-1. A safety by the Falcons has the same odds
This bet is excellent to track throughout the season. Some coaches won’t go for an early field goal unless they receive a court order. Others will take the more conventional approach.
Bettors who hone in on a team’s offensive tendency will feel comfortable with this bet as time goes on.
They can also “sell out” on one form of score, say a touchdown or field goal from either team. In this example, you would take both, say an Eagles field goal and Falcons field goal as the first score. In a $20 bet, that would return either $35 or $34. In this case, the payout may not justify the risk.
But if those returns were above +400, the bettor gains at least even money from the wager. There are times over the course of the season the payout will be +500 for the first score to be a field goal.
With all bets, gamblers can make a calculated bet and get burned. Wager on the first touchdown and see a score called back. Play the field goal as the first score and see the kick sail wide right. It’s why they call this gambling.
STALKING AN INDIVIDUAL SCORE
Let’s swing over to DraftKings Sportsbook and the world of touchdown scorers.
These are tantalizing, exhilarating and frustrating propositions. Welcome to the individual prop-bet menu, in which a score is an instant cha-ching.
Calvin Ridley stands out as a likely target for the Falcons. He’s at -105 to score a touchdown and +650 as the first scorer. With Julio Jones gone, Ridley is likely to be THE MAN in Atlanta for quarterback Matt Ryan.
It is not surprising in season openers that a team’s premier receiver hauls in a deep ball early from his quarterback. The team is on high adrenaline and tempted to go with its big gun.
Another Atlanta target is Kyle Pitts. The team’s first draft pick and fourth overall selection is a premier tight end. He is +130 on the scoring line and +800 to be the first to reach the end zone.
Pitts, a Philadelphia native, may receive some betting love on that angle alone.
For the Eagles, DeVonta Smith is +190 to hit paydirt and +1200 to be first. The Heisman Trophy winner and Philadelphia’s first draft pick saw little action in preseason. He has good football intelligence, particularly for lining up into the right passing routes. He has breakaway speed and the Eagles may try to find how fast he is on a deep early pass.
Greg Ward is +380 to score. He was a favorite target of Hurts last season.
Did someone say Quez Watkins? We did. He’s at +400 to tally and +2500 to be first.
And of course, there’s Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. His desire to run the ball in the red zone must always be considered in this area. He’s a healthy +275 to score and +1800 to be the first to do it.
A good strategy in these bets is to commit to an anytime scorer, which provides a complete game to work with, and add a stab at a first scorer.
This is a mere sample of what’s available in the NFL.
Want to see 500 more choices? Just go to another game.
DROWN YOUR SORROW
Eagles fans can take a pain pill prior to the pain.
Caesars has an interesting future bet for Eagles fans.
The Eagles to finish fourth in the NFC East is +130. Bettors who make this investment try to secure a financial or emotional victory. If the Eagles hit the cellar, collect the +130. If they perform better, the gambler may cash in on some individual games.
On the spite angle for Eagles fans, the Dallas Cowboys are +600 to finish last. Eagles fans would delight in this outcome.
Good luck hitting the board this week and all season.
