No team is going to be more unpredictable in the NFL early this season than the Philadelphia Eagles. They are the ones who have made the most changes from last season to this one, and we'll see it all on display for the first time on the road against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football in Week 1.
WHEN THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES HAVE THE BALL
Sam Bradford didn't play a heck of a lot in the preseason for the Eagles, and that is going to force his hand here in the regular season. Fresh off of ACL surgery, Bradford still clearly has some personal issues to overcome in terms of trusting himself and his knees, which have been worked on quite a lot by surgeons over the course of the last several seasons.
DeMarco Murray too, has a lot to prove here. The offensive line isn't nearly as good in Philadelphia as it was in Dallas last year, and the backfield is going to be split up a lot more with Ryan Mathews coming to town as well. Don't forget the presence of Darren Sproles, too.
In the end though, this offense should be flying fast and furious up and down the field, even with Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor making up what might be the youngest and least experienced receiving corps in the NFL. Zach Ertz doesn't sound like he's playing in this game with a groin injury, but that probably won't even be noticed by live bettors.
What will be noticed though, is the fact that the Falcons have an awful pass rush, and they are just far too thin along the defensive line to be out on the field for 80 plays as Chip Kelly is going to want his team to do in this game.
WHEN THE ATLANTA FALCONS HAVE THE BALL
Roddy White is back at practice, and he seems like he is a go in this game after getting his elbow cleaned up just a bit in the offseason. That's good news for a Falcons offense which has the potential to take some steps backwards this year.
Tevin Coleman could add to the rushing game, but he doesn't fit the build of a player who can run the ball 20 times in a game.
Julio Jones is awesome, and he'll inevitably have a great game against a completely rebuilt Philadelphia secondary, but who else is going to be out there? Devin Hester probably won't get on the field in this one thanks to a toe injury, and Leonard Hankerson is really the only other wide receiver on this team with any experience whatsoever.
The Falcons should be boosted by home field advantage for sure, knowing that they averaged 25.4 points per game here at the Georgia Dome last season, but if they are going to score, it's going to come thanks to the big play, which is a problem for live bettors who are hoping for some more consistent play on both sides of the ball.
TREND TO TRACK
It should be noted that the Eagles and Falcons were No. 1 and No. 3 in the league last season at 40+ yard plays allowed in the passing game at 18 and 14 respectively, and that's only going to promote a higher scoring game for live betting purposes. Furthermore, the Falcons ran 61 passing plays which covered at least 20 yards, while Philadelphia had 63 plays last season of that length.
With the over cashing in four of Philly's last five games played on the road and the over paying out in six of Atlanta's last seven games played in September, it's easy to see why bettors are going to run out and wager on the over in this game both in standard pre-game betting and in live betting as well.
The NFL odds for this Monday contest were first released by BookMaker, and the Philadelphia 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.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons is set for Monday, September 14, 2015, at 7:10 p.m. ET at the Georgia Dome. The matchup will be televised live on ESPN.
