Philadelphia’s roster has been shaped by coach Chip Kelly, and now we’ll find out if he really knows what he’s doing at the NFL level. New Falcons coach Dan Quinn will get to see if his defensive influence has affected his new team when Atlanta hosts the high-energy Eagles in the first game of ESPN’s Monday Night Football doubleheader.
Despite a disappointing 2014, the Falcons went 4-1 ATS as home dogs. The adjusted line has Atlanta +3.
ODDS
Philadelphia opened as a 1-point favorite and early money on the Eagles bet the line up to -3. Watch for an inspired Falcons team to keep the game close. The total hit the board at 53 and has since risen to 55. We’re likely to see plenty of points making the over a smart play.
KEY INJURIES
Zach Ertz – Had surgery last month to repair a core muscle injury and is questionable to play Monday night. The additional day may be enough time as Ertz returned to practice on a limited basis this week. If Ertz can’t go, Trey Burton will get reps with Brent Celek in Philly’s two-tight end sets.
Roddy White – Returned to practice this week after surgery on Aug. 24 to remove particles from his right elbow. He had additional padding to protect the elbow and is listed as questionable. Leonard Hankerson and Devin Hester could see additional time in his absence.
Devonta Freeman – Still slowed with a hamstring strain suffered the first week of camp and is questionable. He was the front-runner to be the starting running back but was replaced on the depth chart by Tevin Coleman.
KEY MISMATCH
Coach Chip Kelly has the quarterback he believes can best run his up-tempo offense. The Eagles traded for Sam Bradford in the offseason, overlooking his ACL injuries that cost him two seasons in St. Louis. Bradford has been praised by Kelly for his ability to process information quickly and get rid of the ball equally as fast – two main staples in quarterback play for Kelly. The plan is to lean on new running back DeMarco Murray, last year’s rushing leader, and Ryan Matthews to create high percentage passing downs, and let Bradford go to work against a Falcons secondary that enters the season with several question marks.
KEY STAT
398.3 – Atlanta’s NFL-worst yards per game allowed in 2014. Part of the reason why Quinn, the former defensive coordinator with the Seahawks, was brought in was to work on reducing that number. It’ll be a difficult chore against the Eagles.
BETTING ANGLE
There’s no doubt Kelly is a brilliant offensive mind, and his personnel on that side of the ball has changed dramatically since the end of last season. He has a new quarterback and a pair of new running backs, but the big question is, will they be able to run his fast-paced offense like he wants? If they can, they will not only win games but also cover them with ease. Defense was an issue in Atlanta last season, especially in losing four of its last five at the Georgia Dome. Atlanta allowed better than 26 points in those games and will have to do much better than that to have a shot at upsetting Philly. The Falcons have won their last four home games against NFC East foes, though.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Eagles are fun to watch and they should put points on the board with Kelly’s rebuilt offense. A concern is how Kelly handled his offensive line and parting with his top receiver from each of the last two seasons. Quinn has a good knowledge of Philly’s secondary, having coached Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond III in Seattle and could exploit that part of the Eagles defense with an explosive tandem of quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones. But the Falcons are still working on their NFL-worst defense and while Quinn might turn things around, it won’t happen overnight. Philadelphia will sweat out a win with plenty of points scored.
Philadelphia 31, Atlanta 30
The NFL odds for this Monday contest were first released by BookMaker and the Eagles were positioned as 1-point favorites with a total of 53. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
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