The Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams have surprised everyone by shooting to the top of the NFC in 2017, and each is looking like a legitimate Super Bowl contender. They will face off in Week 14 in what will be a titanic clash full of playoff repercussions.
The Eagles are tied with the Minnesota Vikings for the best record in the NFC at 10-2, while the Rams sit one game back along with the New Orleans Saints at 9-3. If the Rams pull this one out the NFC will be a muddled mess at the top with only a few weeks left in the season. However, the Eagles can take a big step toward clinching a top-two seed with a win. That’s ultra-important as the top two seeds in the playoffs get a bye in the first round of the postseason.
The Eagles are the slightly superior team but have to play this one on the road, so they will be the underdogs.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 14 game is set for Sunday, December 10, 2017, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Philadelphia Eagles +2.5
Los Angeles Rams -2.5
Over/Under 48
Odds Analysis
The Rams are the home favorites in this game, even going up against a team that has been arguably the most impressive group in the NFC on the season. The betting public seems to be surprised at this line as the Eagles are getting about 77 percent of the action to cover the spread.
The scoring total is high as both teams have high-powered offenses. The “under” is the more popular play, with about 77 percent of the action going that way. The Eagles are +125 on the moneyline, while the Rams are listed at -125. Philadelphia is enticing at those odds.
Injury Report
Zach Ertz — The Eagles’ tight end is still in concussion protocol and will not be able to return to practice until given clearance from an independent neurologist. Ertz sustained the injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks when he was hit by safety Bradley McDougald. He is having a career season for the Eagles this year and, because of his familiarity with the offense, could still end up playing against the Rams even if he is not cleared in time to make it out to any practices this week.
Alec Ogletree — The Rams’ inside linebacker suffered an elbow injury in Sunday’s win over the Cardinals, but is expected to play this week against the Eagles. X-rays this week were negative. Ogletree intercepted a pass for a touchdown on Sunday against Arizona before leaving the game with the injury.
Robert Woods —The Rams’ wide receiver is still dealing with a shoulder injury that he sustained in Week 11 against the Vikings. Woods, who is the team’s top receiver with 47 catches for 703 yards and four touchdown, has missed the last two games with the injury. There is no timetable yet for his return.
Matchup To Watch
Jared Goff vs. Carson Wentz — The Rams and Eagles’ quarterbacks were the first and second overall picks in the 2016 draft. Both played their rookie seasons. Goff’s was a disaster, while Wentz showed promise.
This season, both have taken a huge leap forward. Wentz is in the MVP discussion as he has done a tremendous job leading the way for Philadelphia. Many worried that Goff would be a bust but he has teamed with new coach Sean McVay to lead an impressive offense.
Goff has a lot of weapons around him, including running back Todd Gurley, wide receiver Sammy Watkins and wideout Cooper Kupp. The Eagles are also stacked with playmakers like running back Jay Ajayi, wide receiver Nelson Agholor and wideout Alshon Jeffery.
The Eagles defense is better, but will have a hard time completely shutting down Goff, who has looked comfortable all season long after a rookie season to forget.
Free ATS Pick
The Rams are a really good team and are playing at home, so it would be an easy call to choose them. However, the Eagles have been just a little bit better on the season and have the superior defense. While both of these teams could easily come out victorious, the spread is too tilted.
The Eagles are the easy choice to cover this spread in a game that could go down to the wire. They are also an intriguing call on the moneyline as they may squeak out the closest victories. The “under” is the choice as the defenses are pretty good.
NFL Odds: Eagles 24, Rams 23
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