Division-Leading Eagles See NFC East Odds Improve to +105 After Beating 49ers, Cowboys Still Favored
- The Philadelphia Eagles have the second shortest odds to win the NFC East, despite sitting atop the division
- Philly’s NFC East price was +268 following Week 3, but now sits at +105
- Are the Eagles the best bet to win the division?
It took four weeks, but the Philadelphia Eagles finally have their first victory of 2020. Philly upset the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers 25-20 on Sunday Night Football, winning outright as 9-point underdogs.
The Eagles are now 1-2-1 through four games, and believe it or not, sit atop the NFC East standings.
NFC East Odds
| Team | Odds to Win |
|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | +100 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +105 |
| Washington Football Team | +1000 |
| New York Giants | +4000 |
Odds taken Oct. 4th at BetMGM.
Philadelphia doesn’t own the shortest NFC East Odds however, as that title belongs to the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles divisional price now sits at +105, slightly longer than the Cowboys, but well ahead of the 1-3 Washington Football team and the 0-4 New York Giants.
Fly Eagles Fly
Prior to their Week 4 win, the Eagles odds to win the division were +268, nearly twice as long as they were when the season kicked off (+146). Carson Wentz silenced his critics, for now, engineering a 4th quarter comeback against the 49ers vaunted defense.
Travis Fulgham stays in-bounds to put Philly (+325) ahead in the 4th quarter!
Live odds:
Eagles -165 (-1.5)
49ers +135#PHIvsSF #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/h6arBzdSfu— SportsBettingDime (@SBD) October 5, 2020
He hit sophomore Travis Fulgham for the go-ahead score with just under 6 minutes remaining, salvaging what was shaping up to be yet another unspectacular game. Wentz finished with just 193 passing yards on 28 attempts, and has yet to exceed 270 yards in a game this season.
Philly’s D iced the game on the next possession, returning a Nick Mullens interception for a touchdown. The defense has been one of the lone bright spots for the Eagles this season, racking up 17 sacks and four turnovers.
Decimated by Injury
2020 must be feeling a lot like to 2019 for Wentz. His number one receiver is once again former AAF standout Greg Ward, while his favorite target Zach Ertz looks like he’s lost more than a few steps.
https://twitter.com/DavisMattek/status/1312940779816525824
Philadelphia’s top four wide receivers, DeSean Jackson, Jalen Reagor, Alshon Jeffery and J.J Arcega-Whiteside are all either nursing injuries or on IR, as is promising third-year tight end Dallas Goedert. It’s no wonder the Eagles have struggled so far offensively.
Trump: “Bad things happen in Philadelphia”
Eagles fans: pic.twitter.com/WgYJMXBavC
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) September 30, 2020
Philadelphia entered Week 4 ranked 26th in total offense and 28th in points per game. They were Pro Football Focus’ 31st graded offense and their passing attack was ranked 32nd by DVOA. Injuries to the offensive line certainly hasn’t helped, as Jason Peters, Brandon Brooks and Andre Dillard are all on IR, while Lane Johnson is trying to play through a high ankle sprain.
With a banged up skills position corps and a hobbled offensive line, Wentz’s stats have suffered. He’s already thrown 7 interceptions and his 5.6 yards per attempt is the lowest of his career.
Is Philly a Legit NFC East Contender?
The Eagles may be on top of the division for now, but don’t expect it too last very long. They’re at Pittsburgh in Week 5 and then home to Baltimore in Week 6. There’s a very strong chance this team will be 1-4-1 heading into their Week 7 meeting with the New York Giants.
The Cowboys on the other hand, face the Giants in Week 5, part of four straight games versus teams with losing records. Yes, the Dallas defense has been atrocious, but at least they put up points.
https://twitter.com/AlabamaDieHards/status/1312809280639315968
Dak Prescott and the offense has scored 125 points through four games, 41 more than Philadelphia. Their schedule is also considerably easier, with only two of their remaining 12 games versus teams with winning records.
Of course, head-to-head matchups will also be key in determining the eventual NFC East champion, but it’s hard to envision the depleted Eagles being able to rack up enough points to keep pace with the Cowboys.
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
