Philadelphia’s upset win over New England last week put them back in the NFC East race. Heck, even if they lost they would’ve been in the thick of the race.
The Bills also jumped back into contention in the AFC thanks to their win in Houston, making this a critical game in terms of playoff positioning in both conferences.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Philadelphia Eagles -1
Buffalo Bills +1
Over/Under 47
ODDS ANALYSIS
The line jumped the fence moving in favor of the Bills by a point after opening at Philadelphia -1. Two erratic teams with plenty on the line could make for more movement.
KEY INJURIES
Stephon Gilmore – Went down in the third quarter with a shoulder injury and could be out a few weeks. Buffalo’s starting cornerback was having a phenomenal season and his loss could be impactful. Leodis McKelvin stepped in last week and is the likely starter moving forward.
Tony Steward – Making his first NFL start in place of the injured Nigel Bradham, lasted barely a quarter before suffering a back injury. The Bills used recently signed Kevin Reddick to fill in at linebacker.
Fletcher Cox – Went down in the first half last Sunday and was evaluated for a concussion. He was cleared and returned in the second half. The Eagles were thin on the defensive line with end Cedric Thornton out with an ankle injury.
KEY MISMATCH
Rarely are special teams this special, but the Eagles were out of sight against the Patriots last week. The same team that got blown out by Detroit and Tampa Bay by a combined score of 90-31 had no business going into Gillette Stadium and playing the Pats tough. But with an improbable series of defensive and special teams scores, the Eagles pulled off the unexpected. Last season, the Eagles got huge plays from their special teams and defense. They scored a total of 10 touchdowns on returns: interceptions, fumbles, blocked punts, kick returns. If that seemed fluky, it probably was. The Eagles had a few big plays this year, but nothing like what they experienced last season. Until last week. And against a team that doesn’t get beat in the special teams game. Najee Goode picked up a blocked punt and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. Malcolm Jenkins returned the first-ever interception of Tom Brady by an Eagles player 99-yards for a score and a 21-14 lead. Three minutes later, Darren Sproles raced 83-yards with a punt return. The Eagles managed three touchdowns on 206 yards worth of returns.
KEY STAT
18.0 – Buffalo’s quarterback sack total. The Bills are 29th in the NFL in sacks and face an Eagles front that has allowed 28 sacks on the year.
BETTING ANGLE
Bills running back LeSean McCoy missed a little bit of last week’s game while being evaluated for a concussion, but he was cleared to return and showed no signs of being affected the rest of the way. He ran for 112 yards – the third time in five games he’s had that exact total – to run his streak of games with more than 100 yards of offense to six. He’ll try to run that streak to seven games this week, although that doesn’t figure to be the prominent storyline. McCoy spent six seasons in Philadelphia before the offseason trade that sent him to Buffalo in exchange for Kiko Alonso. McCoy didn’t have anything nice to say about Eagles’ coach Chip Kelly after the deal, being vocal about his displeasure and going so far as to say the move was racially motivated. Even without the McCoy angle, it’s a huge game for both teams because of their need to keep winning to figure into any playoff discussion in the final weeks of the season. The Bills could be in a good position if McCoy can continue his current hot streak.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Eagles got no help from their offense last week, using two special teams and one defensive touchdown to upset the Patriots. And they better not count on getting those results again, because it won’t happen. But that performance could be the start of a season-ending run to get the Eagles to the top of the NFC East. Coach Chip Kelly convinced his players that they are a good team and for the first time in a while they looked like it. Sure, the Pats were banged up, missing key members on the offense behind a patched up O-line, but Philly went out and did what it had to. There is no momentum carry over in the NFL. Each week is its own season. But the Eagles should feel good about what they accomplished in New England, and building on that will help them knock off the Bills at home.
Philadelphia 27, Buffalo 23
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Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The game between the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles is slated for Sunday, December 13, 2015, at 1 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
