The Washington Football Team visits the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night in a game that can be seen on NBC. The game means everything to Washington, as they will win the NFC East with a victory, while the game means nothing to Philadelphia, as they have already been eliminated. Both teams are banged up, but the focus will be on Washington and whether or not quarterback Alex Smith is able to play. There is a good chance that Smith gets the start, but if not, it will be Taylor Heinicke under center and not Dwayne Haskins Jr. Let’s look at the Sunday night matchup and NFL picks.
Watch this regular season NFL Week 17 matchup on Sunday, January 3 at 8:20 p.m. ET from Lincoln Financial Field. Catch the game live on NBC and bet on NFL odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
Washington -2
Philadelphia Eagles +2
Total 42.5
Odds Analysis
The line is not yet out on this game and there is a good chance for a lot of line movement once it is released. The early indications are that the line will be close to a pick, but if Smith is out then the Eagles will likely be favored. There is also a chance that the Eagles may decide to keep a number of starters who are questionable with injury out of this game to avoid risk of further injury.
Injury Report
There are three key injuries to keep an eye on for Washington. The most obvious one is to Smith, but I would be shocked if he doesn’t play on Sunday night. He was reportedly very close to playing last week and now he gets another full week of rest. This is an all-or-nothing game for Washington and Smith simply has to play. He could use his top receiver and top running back in the lineup with him, but it is uncertain whether that will happen. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin didn’t play last week and he has been dealing with an ankle injury for more than a month. I think there is a decent chance McLaurin plays on Sunday. Washington may also get a boost if running back Antonio Gibson is available. He has been dealing with a turf toe injury that has keep him out of action recently.
On the other side of the ball the Eagles are really banged up. They have a lot of players on IR and last week they lost Fletcher Cox and Shaun Bradley to injury. Cox is a key player for the Eagles and they may not want to risk him on Sunday night. Other than the status of Smith for Washington, the status of Cox is huge for this game. If he misses the contest then Washington should be able to run the ball with a lot of success on Sunday night. Philadelphia is already without defensive ends Derek Barnett and Josh Sweat.
Key Matchup
I mentioned earlier the injury to Cox and when he went down last week the Eagles couldn’t stop Dallas. They may have a similar problem this week if he is out against Washington. There is no doubt that Washington is going to look to run the ball and keep the pressure off of Smith. It should also be noted that Smith is very good at play-action, so if Washington can run the ball it should open up some big plays downfield. The Eagles are 24th in the NFL against the run, so even with Cox in the lineup they have struggled to stop opposing running backs. They could get gashed on Sunday night without him.
Game Trends
Washington is 9-4 ATS in their last 13 meetings in Philadelphia. They are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. the NFC East. They are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. The Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games. The Under is 8-2 in Washington’s last 10 games vs. the NFC. The Under is 21-8 in the Eagles last 29 home games. The Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Philadelphia.
Free ATS Pick
I am on a nice little run with picking sides on the Sunday Night Football game so I’ll look to end the regular season with another win. I think all of the edges are with Washington in this game. As long as Smith plays, and I think he will, then I will take Washington. The Eagles are likely to hold out any player who has any type of injury, since this game means nothing. A win for Philadelphia does them no good in terms of position in the NFL Draft and with no fans in attendance, they simply have no motivation. I will take Washington on Sunday night.
NFL Pick: Washington 27, Philadelphia 16
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