Is Philadelphia out of the woods after picking up its first win of the season? While it wasn’t overly impressive and the Eagles failed to score a point in the second half, they did get the monkey off their back with a win over the previously unbeaten Jets last weekend, to climb right back into the thick of a muddied up NFC East. Philly has yet to cash the over in three games, due in large part to its 31st ranked offense.
ODDS
Philadelphia opened as a 3-point favorite with the total at 47. The line has not changed but the total was wagered down a half-point to its current 46.5. The series has been a high-scoring one recently with the over at 4-1 in the last five, including both games last season.
KEY INJURIES
Andrew Gardner – The Eagles offensive line has taken a hit with the “significant” sprain of Gardner’s right foot. According to reports he’s expected to miss an extended period of time. The injury occurred during the first half of last weekend’s win over the Jets. Matt Tobin is likely to see an increase in playing time.
Shawn Lauvao – Injured his ankle in a Week 3 loss to the Giants, forcing the Redskins to put their starting left guard on injured reserve. His backup Josh LeRibeus, had a calf injury that forced him from the same game. Tom Compton is an option if LeRibeus can’t play.
DeAngelo Hall – Is expected to miss month with a sprained right toe. Bashaud Breeland will take his spot at cornerback opposite Chris Culliver in the Redskins’ secondary.
KEY MISMATCH
While Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense is still a work in progress three games into the season, the Eagles’ special teams, particularly on the punt return, has a been a major force. Darren Sproles returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown last week against the Jets, the sixth of his career, and averages 16.8 yards per return, the second-highest average in the NFL among players with more than six attempts. The Redskins were burned in the opener by Jarvis Landry’s 69-yard punt return to give Miami a 17-10 win. Washington’s 24.7 yards allowed per punt return is the third-highest total in the league.
KEY STAT
-5 – Washington’s turnover margin. The Skins have just one takeaway this season and are next to last in turnover margin. The Eagles have turned the ball over six times, but have a plus-2 turnover margin.
BETTING ANGLE
Cousins has a pair of two-interception games already and the Redskins lost both times. Just three games into the season and Cousins is already getting public votes of confidence from coach Jay Gruden. The picks are nothing new for the Washington quarterback, who can’t seem to get out of his way for too long. Yes, he had zero turnovers in the Week 2 victory over the Rams. But he is now up to 23 interceptions in 17 NFL games since being a fourth-round draft pick in 2012. Last season he got benched for repeatedly turning the ball over to opponents. For now, at least, the job remains his. There are other problems, too. Mainly several key players lost for the season due to injury and just one takeaway on the year.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Don’t give up on the Eagles just yet, especially considering the state of the NFC East, where three teams are 1-2 and a game behind the Cowboys after three weeks. Philly had a great first half last week against the stingy Jets defense and appeared to solve the problems that plagued them during the first two games. The running attack was strong behind Ryan Matthews and the Eagles defense forced the Jets out of their game plan. But a scoreless second half and continued difficulties in the passing game are lingering issues. Washington lost a few more players to season-ending injuries last week and their depth, which was an issue entering the season, is being tested once again. It would have been tough for the Skins to compete with a healthy roster, but now with 12 players on injured reserve, many of them counted on to be key contributors at the start of the season, the chore is even more difficult. Look for the Eagles to start putting the pieces together with a cover win.
Philadelphia 27, Washington 17
The NFL lines for this Sunday contest were first released by BookMaker and the Eagles were positioned as 3-point favorites with a total of 47. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
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