Jalen Hurts Given +500 Odds to Start Week 1 for Eagles – Is There Value Based on Wentz’ History with Injuries?
By Robert Duff in NFL Football
Published:
- Jalen Hurts has been given +500 odds to be the starter for the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season
- Considering the history of injuries suffered by Carson Wentz, is Hurts worth a gamble at that price?
- See the full odds for this prop and whether it’s worth a bet below
Taking into account the injuries in the career of Carson Wentz, is there some sort of perverse wordplay at work in the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles drafted a guy name Hurts to serve as his backup at quarterback?
There were some puzzled looks when the Eagles selected Oklahoma QB and 2019 Heisman Trophy finalist Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Considering that Wentz started all 16 regular-season games last season and led the Eagles to the NFC East title, adding a young QB didn’t appear to be a significant priority for Philly.
Then again, Wentz did suffer season-ending injuries in both 2017 and 2018, so perhaps buying an insurance policy wasn’t such a bad idea for the Eagles.
But does that make betting on Hurts to be Philly’s opening-day starter a wager you should consider? Hurts is listed with a betting line of +500 to be the Game 1 starter for the Eagles to launch the 2020 NFL regular season.
Philadelphia Eagles 2020 NFL Season Game 1 Starting QB Odds
| Quarterback | Odds |
|---|---|
| Carson Wentz | -1000 |
| Jaen Hurts | +500 |
| Nate Sudfeld | +2000 |
| Kyle Lauletta | +4000 |
| Cam Newton | +5000 |
Odds taken May 8th
Wentz is the overwhelming odds-on -1000 chalk to be the man under center when the Eagles open the season Sept. 13th, facing their NFC East rival Washington Redskins on the road.
Wentz Injury Primer
Wentz and injuries have gone together since even before he landed with the Eagles. During his final season at North Dakota State in 2015, he missed time due to a broken bone in his wrist.
Wentz suffered a hairline fracture of his ribs during his first NFL preseason in 2016 but managed to start all 16 games as a rookie. He started the first 13 games of the 2017 campaign but suffered Grade 3 tears of the ACL and LCL.
It’s gotta be frustrating for Carson Wentz to have another offseason with people harping on him being injury prone right after he starts 17 games and only misses significant time because someone illegally dove into the back of his head.
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) May 4, 2020
He’d miss the remainder of the 2017 regular season and postseason as Philly beat New England to win the Super Bowl. Wentz also missed the first two games of the 2018 season. That’s the only time when he’s been out for a season opener.
Late in the 2018 season, Wentz again went to the sideline for the remainder of the year due to a back injury. Last season, although he started every game, Wentz left with a head injury early in Philly’s NFC Wildcard loss to the Seattle Seahawks after a dirty hit from Jadeveon Clowney.
Life’s Little Hurts
The optimist sees the double-threat that Hurts is as the perfect foil to the more traditional QB that is Wentz. The skeptic – and there’s more than two of them who reside in Philly – thinks this is a sign that the Eagles are growing frustrated by Wentz’s lengthening list of ailments.
The Eagles could be looking to run a two-QB offense with both Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts on the field, per @CharlesRobinson
Wow 👀 pic.twitter.com/XowRN4ngUK
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 25, 2020
Many NFL scouts who didn’t view Hurts as #1 QB material were excited by other possibilities he offered. As a second stringer, they see him as a player who could come in and provide uncertainty to a defense.
Hurts could fill different roles on the field, similar to Taysom Hill in New Orleans.
Always a Possibility
Wentz does get hurt a lot. That being said, he’s ended up missing just one season opener.
Behold, our 2020 schedule in all its glory.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/oGVKkQVWqv
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 7, 2020
If you want, take a flier for a small price on Hurts at +500. It might not be the worst idea.
But ask yourself this – whose photo did the Eagles run next to their schedule release on Thursday?
Pick: Carson Wentz (-1000).
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
