Will the Philadelphia Eagles bounce back from their first loss of the season?
Bettors and sportsbooks believe so as a matchup with the Detroit Lions looms on Sunday.
Last week and this week for the Eagles
Last week, it was the Battle of The Birds, it was the Atlanta Falcons who won outright and covered the two-point spread as a two-point home underdog.
The game was nothing short of crazy, as both teams scored late to keep the momentum shifting. Whenever you are playing on the road, things can get tricky, and they get even trickier when you need to try to cover Faclons receiver Julio Jones.
This week, The Eagles have a date at home against the Lions, a team they haven’t played since 2016, or beaten since 2013.
Eagles odds vs. Lions
Right now, the Eagles are a touchdown favorite at most sportsbooks, and the over-under is currently set at 48.5 points. The Lions and The Eagles both come into this game 1-1 on the season, but the Lions are 1-1 against the spread while The Eagles are 0-2.
And the Eagles are a -290 favorite to just win the game; the Lions are +245 to win.
Four things to watch for in Eagles vs. Lions
- A lot of things can be unpredictable with sports, including injuries. However, it has become more and more likely that quarterback Carson Wentz may miss a series or two during any given game. Last week he took a big shot to the ribs, and it looked like he was going to need to rest. Thankfully he laughed it off and re-entered the game. In an event where Josh McCown needs to take the reins, it is unlikely that the Eagles would cover the spread especially with it looking more and more likely that wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery will miss this game.
- The Lions defense has looked great for seven of eight quarters this season. Until the fourth quarter it looked like the Lions were going to not only win, but cover the spread Week 1 against the Cardinals, as the defense made QB Kyler Murray look absolutely terrible. Murray ended up leading the Cardinals back to a tie, but in Week 2 the defense again made QB Phillip Rivers look bad as well. If the defense can keep it up, QB Matthew Stafford and the Lions could be in a great spot.
- A big question remaining is when, if it all, will the rushing game get going. Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard have a combined 115 yards on the season, and even with Darren Sproles’ additional 47, The Eagles sit at 23rd in the NFL in rushing. You’d like to see Howard or Sanders find the end zone, or crack 100 yards combined, and this may be possible considering the Lions are allowing 104.5 rushing yards per week.
- The Lions have the second-best defense against tight ends this year, but that may be in part to the lack of talent that the Chargers and Cardinals had at the position. Having said that, it is important for Eagles TE Zach Ertz to get on track this season, and with no Jeffrey or Jackson, Ertz may need to have a huge day for the Eagles to cover the spread.
