Betting Preview
Game Details
- Matchup: Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 29 (Week 8)
- Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Location: FedExField (Landover, MD)
Odds Summary
- Moneyline: Commanders +260, Eagles -350
- Spread: Commanders +6.5 (-105), Eagles -6.5 (-115)
- Total: Over/Under 43.5 (-110/-110)
Odds from BetMGM Sportsbook. Subject to change.
NFC East rivals Philadelphia and Washington meet in Week 8 coming off dramatically different outcomes a week ago.
The Eagles secured an impressive double-digit win against Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, who boast the best offense in the league but were held to a season-low 17 points against Philadelphia.
On the other side, the Commanders posted just seven points against the Giants, who entered the week with one of the worst statistical defensive units in the league. Washington converted only one of its 15 third-down attempts and crossed midfield four times all game, scoring just once on those four trips.
Can the Commanders flip the script on the Eagles and avenge an overtime loss against them just a few weeks ago, or could this game get ugly in favor of Philadelphia?
Moneyline
Despite taking Philadelphia (-350) to overtime on the road just a few weeks ago, the Commanders come into this NFC East battle as a clear moneyline underdog at +240.
From a results standpoint, this Washington defense has left much to be desired, allowing the fourth-most yards per game (374.1 YPG) and points per game (27.1 PPG) to opponents. The Commanders’ poor execution on that side of the ball is the biggest culprit for their 3-4 record thus far, with their only wins coming against the offensively-challenged Cardinals, Broncos and Falcons.
Atlanta and Denver have combined for a 3-11 record thus far, while the Falcons have one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL in Desmond Ridder and, inexplicably, split carries between budding superstar Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, who has averaged just 2.79 yards per carry since a strong Week 1 outing.
Meanwhile, the Eagles bounced back in a big way after a narrow road loss to the Jets by carving up the Dolphins defense for 31 points while holding them to a season-low 17 points. If Philadelphia hadn’t turned the ball over four times in its Week 6 loss against the Jets, it could have been undefeated entering this game, though that loss may have lit a fire under this group moving forward.
Adding to this freight train-like momentum for the Eagles is the acquisition of former Titans star Kevin Byard, a two-time All-Pro safety who joined the team this week. Byard has a history with several players on this team, having played with receiver A.J. Brown in Tennessee and sharing an alumni connection with fellow safety and Middle Tennessee State graduate Reed Blankenship.
Ultimately, adding an All-Pro safety to a defensive unit that is already clicking does not bode well for the Commanders, who scored just seven points against a Giants defense that grades out much worse than the Eagles unit they’ll see on Sunday.
Point Spread
The Eagles have been fairly solid against the spread, holding a 4-2-1 ATS record through seven weeks, and they’re an impressive 3-1 ATS on the road. Meanwhile, Washington has failed to cover the spread in all three home games.
Even though the Commanders were able to keep their first game with Philadelphia close, don’t expect that to happen again.
The Eagles have held three consecutive opponents to 20 points or fewer, and the Jets wouldn’t have even scored 20 points if it weren’t for a near-pick-six (taken down to the eight-yard line) in the final two minutes. That was also the fourth turnover of the game for Philly, which was uncharacteristic for this group.
Washington’s horrendous seven-point performance against the Giants last week will more than likely carry over into this week. And even if the Commanders play a bit better, it still won’t be nearly enough to hang around with this Eagles offense.
Over/Under
The Over/Under for this matchup rests at 43.5 points on BetMGM. Both of these teams are 4-3 to the Under this season, and it’s hard to go against a similar result here.
As mentioned earlier, Washington was 1-for-15 in third-down conversions last week against a Giants defense with the seventh-worst run defense grade and coverage grade in the NFL, per PFF. The week before, against Atlanta, Washington converted on just two of its 10 third downs.
With the Commanders’ clear struggles offensively, don’t count on them to put many points on the board. For that reason, the Under gets a slight lean from us.
Player Prop
The Eagles might be 6-1 and dominating the NFC East, but that doesn’t mean every player has had terrific individual success. Such is the case for Jalen Hurts, who finished second in MVP voting in 2022 but has struggled this season as a passer.
Through the Eagles’ first seven games, Hurts ranks eighth in passing attempts (244) and has thrown nine touchdown passes but eight interceptions, too, which is currently tied for the most in the NFL. Despite that, Hurts’ interception player prop line is set at 0.5 (-105/-130), and we’re riding with the Over.
In his first meeting against Washington, Hurts had a fair amount of success, completing 25 of his 37 attempts en route to 319 passing yards and two touchdowns. Yet the Commanders have looked better on that side of the ball in their past two games – especially against Atlanta in Week 6, when they forced Ridder into throwing three interceptions.
Washington has been able to turn around what has otherwise been a poor defensive season thus far by forcing turnovers in its past few games. Meanwhile, Hurts has thrown at least one interception in five of his seven games this season, a trend that should continue in this one.
Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images
