Eagles Are 7-Point Underdogs Against the Saints After Announcing Jalen Hurts Will Start in Week 14
- Jalen Hurts is getting the call to start for the Eagles as they host the 10-2 New Orleans Saints on Sunday (Dec. 13)
- Hurts went 5-for-12 for 109 yards and a touchdown in relief of starter Carson Wentz in Philadelphia’s Week 13 loss to the Green Bay Packers
- At 3-8-1, the Eagles are in third in the NFC East, but are still in the division title mix behind the 5-7 New York Giants and Washington Football Team
The Philadelphia Eagles are making a switch under center. Tuesday, the team announced 2020 second-round pick Jalen Hurts will start against New Orleans in Week 14 in place of former first-overall pick Carson Wentz.
In a 30-16 loss in Green Bay last Sunday, Hurts came on in relief of Wentz and led the Eagles to their only offensive touchdown of the game.
Overall, though, his performance did not instill confidence in bettors. The Saints vs Eagles point spread, which opened at Philadelphia +6.5, has already moved to +7.
Saints vs Eagles Week 14 Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | -7 (-110) | -335 | Over 44.5 (-110) |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +7 (-110) | +250 | Under 44.5 (-110) |
Odds as of Dec. 8th at DraftKings.
Giving Philly a Spark
Hurts coming into the game gave the Eagles some much needed momentum. With Wentz at the helm, Philadelphia’s offense was stuck in the mud for most of the day at Lambeau Field.
Wentz went just 6-for-15 for 79 yards and was sacked four times before he was pulled by coach Doug Pederson.
The Eagles trailed 23-3 when Hurts rallied the offense with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Greg Ward on a fourth down to draw Philadelphia to 23-10.
JALEN HURTS DROPS A DIME 🎯
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/xUF9QnV081
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 6, 2020
Rookie Jalen Reagor made it even more interesting after he took a punt 73 yards with 6:30 left to pull the Eagles within seven (23-16).
While the Eagles would eventually fall, the spark that Hurts gave the team could not be denied, and his presence as a starter should give Philadelphia a boost as they get set for the NFC’s number-one seed at home Sunday.
A Shift in the Odds
Replacing Wentz with Hurts has shifted the odds for Sunday’s game. as now the line, which opened at 6.5, has now increased to seven.
It’s interesting to see the line go up, as Hurts appeared to give the Eagles a spark in their eventual loss to the Packers, while Wentz is in the midst of his worst season as a pro.
Coming into Sunday’s game against the Packers Wentz was first in interceptions (15) and sacks (46), 31st in completion percentage (58.1%) and 30th in yards per attempt (6.02).
Prior to replacing Wentz on Sunday, Hurts had played just 33 snaps for the Eagles during the first 11 games, with most of those snaps being as a gadget player.
Things changed though two weeks back when Hurts began to get more first-team snaps before the Eagles affair with the Seattle Seahawks.
With the struggles that the Eagles offense continued to have, Pederson and the team had little to lose turning to Hurts, and there’s a sense of excitement to see what the former Oklahoma quarterback can do.
Last season, Hurts amassed 52 total touchdowns, throwing for 32 and rushing for 20 more while coming in second to Joe Burrow in voting for the Heisman Trophy.
No Easy Task
As Hurts lines up under center Sunday against the Saints, he will have his work cut out for himself, as he’ll be going up against the top ranked defense in the NFL in terms of yards allowed per game.
The Saints rank sixth in terms of yards allowed in the air, so don’t be surprised to see Hurts use his legs as a way to neutralize their stellar defense.
New Orleans’ defense has only gotten better as the season has progressed. Since they dominated Tom Brady and the Buccaneers on November 8th 38-3, they have allowed just 41 points over the last four games, and add in the Bucs game it’s 44 point in the last five games (8.8 points per game).
the Saints defense held Tom Brady to 3 points https://t.co/p93Mz1InhP pic.twitter.com/S1f0x0tmGZ
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) November 29, 2020
While Hurts’ mobility may cross the Saints and their defense up early, it will take a massive effort from the Eagles offense to score the upset over the top NFC seed.
Expect to see the line go up by the end of the week as kickoff closes in, and for Hurts to get an education in his first NFL start Sunday against the Super Bowl contending Saints.
Matt Loede has been a part of the Cleveland Sports landscape working in the media since 1994 when he graduated from broadcasting school. He has extensive experience in covering MLB, NBA, NFL, and college events. He's written three books, and won the "2020 AP Sports Stringer Lifetime Service Award."
