Patriots vs Eagles Odds - Eagles will spoil Brady's return
NFL betting has begun with last weekend’s Hall of Fame game win by Tennessee over Buffalo. Thursday’s meeting between New England and Philadelphia is favoring the Eagles at home, and their ravenous fans will push them over the top for the victory.
Patriots vs Eagles odds: Home crowd, desperation will fuel Philly win
- Brady is back, but offensive depth is worrying
- Eagles have been pounded by injuries in camp
- Patriots have won two straight in Philly (2003, 2005)
Although it won’t be a lengthy showing, New England fans will just be happy to see Tom Brady back under center, even if it’s just for one series. But outside of the running-back position, the Patriots aren’t that deep on offense. Hopefully, Kevin O’Connell can be the next Matt Cassel. Things are better on the defensive side of the ball in terms of depth, and we’ll get to see if Jonathan Wilhite, a second-year corner, can possibly replace Ellis Hobbs.
The Eagles have been hurt by training-camp injuries, most recently to Kevin Kolb, who figured to get a lot of action in this game as he’s been tabbed as the backup to starting signal-caller Donovan McNabb. This means more time for A.J. Feeley, a very experienced quarterback. We’ll also see rookie LeSean McCoy, who will be a huge factor in Philly’s sports betting lines as he’s the backup to veteran running back Brian Westbrook. The Eagles will be looking at a replacement for middle linebacker Stewart Bradley, who was lost for the season with a knee injury.
Your sportsbook has the Eagles as a 3.5-point favorite, and they’ll win for two reasons: 1) the fans in Philly are as passionate as anyone in the country, and they’ll be amped for the first game of the year, and (2) with their injuries, they’ll have a lot of players who will be playing for their NFL lives. The Patriots never really put too much stock in preseason games, and I think the Eagles will be taking it a little more seriously. There shouldn’t be much scoring on Thursday as these two have solid defenses, so you should go under the posted total of 35. As far as your pick when you’re betting online, I’d take the Eagles.
For more NFL picks and tips as we head towards the regular season, follow Stan in the Betting Edge at betonline.com.
Stan Simmons first tasted football through the college game, but his football handicapping has strictly focused on the professional sport. Not many people devote as much time to the NFL as Simmons. For six days a week he works, labors and handicaps the sport, and on the seventh he rests as the games play out. Thoughts or questions?
