The team is 2-0 behind Carson Wentz, who is looking like anything but a rookie right now and will face a big test in Week 3 as the Eagles take on the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers home. It’s been a feel-good story thus far for Philadelphia, but this level of competition could be a wakeup call as the Steelers are the road favorites.
Watch this regular season Week 3 matchup live on Sunday, September 25, 2016, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Steelers -3.5
Eagles +3.5
Over/Under 46.5
Odds Analysis
The nationally televised win for the Eagles over the Bears was impressive, but bettors aren’t tricked into thinking Philadelphia has improved too much. The Steelers are getting 74 percent of the money to cover, which makes a ton of sense considering their ingrained success.
The “over” is taking in 75 percent of the wagers thus far, and it could be determined by how well Wentz throws the ball in the second half if the Eagles are playing from behind.
Injury Report
Le’Veon Bell -- He’s not hurt, but this will be the final game of the star running back’s suspension. DeAngelo Williams has filled in impressively as the team has not missed a beat. It hopes to be 3-0 when he returns.
Zach Ertz -- The Eagles’ tight end didn’t play in the win over the Bears because of a displaced rib. His status for this game is unclear, but Wentz did a nice job without him, so if he misses another game it shouldn’t have an effect on the spread.
Player to Watch
Wentz. The rookie quarterback is off to a fantastic start, but let’s be honest, the Steelers are not the Bears or the Browns. This week is going to bring a much bigger challenge, especially against a defense that ranks seventh in the league for points against with 16 per game.
The good news is that Wentz has not once flinched under the big lights so far, defeating the Bears decisively in Monday Night Football and not making any of the rookie mistakes often seen from young quarterbacks. In fact, with Monday’s win he became the first rookie ever to start 2-0 without committing a turnover.
Wentz has thrown for 468 and three touchdowns thus far and shown an expert handle on the offense. Now it’s time what he can do against a quality opponent.
Free ATS Pick
The Steelers defeated the Redskins on the road in Week 1 and the Bengals at home on Sunday. Ben Roethlisberger has thrown for 559 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions.
He has found star receiver Antonio Brown often early on. The four-time Pro Bowler has 12 catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns in two games. The team is hoping to get wide receiver Markus Wheaton back for Week 3, who has missed the first two games of the season with a shoulder injury.
The Eagles’ defense has been really good thus far this season, and it will be interesting to see how it does against an offense as explosive as Pittsburgh’s. Philadelphia opened the season with a 29-10 victory over the Browns at home in Week 1 before defeating Chicago on Monday.
The Eagles were projected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season but have really outperformed expectations early on. The feel-good start can become something else entirely with a win, but it won’t be in the cards.
The wins over the Bears and Browns were nice, but reality will hit them in the face as the Steelers should control this one from start to finish. Wentz will hit his first speed bump as an NFL quarterback in a Week 3 loss.
NFL Odds: Steelers 27, Eagles 17
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