The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off an impressive victory, a 30-13 shellacking of the Denver Broncos, the highlight of Nick Sirianni’s rookie coaching year. It wasn’t just a victory for the Birds but also for yours truly as I correctly picked the Eagles to win as 2.5-point underdogs. The Eagles continued their strong performance on the ground and the Jalen Hurts to DeVonta Smith connection was impressive as Smith caught 2 TDs.
The Eagles (4-6) look to get their first home win of the 2021 season when they face off against the New Orleans Saints (5-4). Right now, the Eagles are favored by 2 points with the total at 43.5, according to the latest odds at WynnBET. The New Orleans Saints are coming off a close loss to the Tennessee Titans 23-21 and will be looking for a huge bounce back against Philadelphia.
Key Defensive Matchup
When making NFL picks, consistency from teams is huge, however, this Eagles defense has been anything but consistent. There does seem to be one common thread, the defense thrives against lower-level QBs. Their ugly performances came against the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott and Tom Brady. They dominated however against the likes of Teddy Bridgewater, Jared Goff, and Sam Darnold. Eagles Defensive Coordinator, Jonathan Gannon needs to continue to let his defense play aggressive, man-to-man coverage against Trevor Siemian, who’s 4-11 as a starter on the road.
Key Offensive Matchup
Part of the Eagles’ recent resurgence has been how well they’ve run the football. Over the past three games, they’ve racked up over 628 yards of rushing, helping them control the ball and dictate the game. That’s going to be a tough task this week as the Saints rank #1 in the league in rush defense DVOA. They also do a good job shutting down number one WRs with Marshon Lattimore. The key to succeeding against the New Orleans Saints is secondary pass catchers, players like Boston Scott, Quez Watkins and Dallas Goedert (assuming he clears concussion protocol) will need to help carry the load.
The Pick
The Philadelphia Eagles desperately need to get their first win at home in 2021 and I’m predicting they get it done against the Saints. Siemian is a third-string QB for a reason and Jalen Hurts seems to be really growing in the second half of the season. Hurts will pick up some key first downs using his legs and the Eagles edge out the Saints 27-24 this Sunday!
Sean Green is the co-host of The Sports Gambling Podcast. Tune in to hear free picks for all the NFL games against the spread, college football, fantasy football, and more! Follow The Sports Gambling Podcast on Twitter @GamblingPodcast.
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