2022 Philadelphia Eagles betting preview
With the usual suspects nabbing six of the seven playoff berths, the Eagles were the biggest surprise playoff team in the NFC last season. Their campaign was not complicated - with very few exceptions, they beat the teams they were supposed to beat and lost to the teams that were better than them.
Philadelphia addressed its need for a top receiver by trading its first-round pick to the Titans for A.J. Brown. Jalen Hurts now has the big play target to pair with DeVonta Smith that he didn't have last year.
The Eagles' shopping spree didn't stop there, as they loaded up on veterans, but how does the market view this team and its unproven quarterback?
2022 season odds
| Market | Odds (O/U) |
|---|---|
| Win total | 9.5 (-130/+110) |
| Division | +165 |
| Conference | +1100 |
| Super Bowl | +2500 |
Hopes are high for the Eagles this season. With a win total of 9.5 juiced to the over, double-digit victories appear to be the expectation for 2022. At +165 to win the division, they're priced just underneath the Cowboys. A relatively weak NFC means a higher probability of the Eagles making the playoffs. Therefore, the payouts on a conference title or Super Bowl victory are shorter than you might expect.
Schedule outlook
| Week | Opponent | Lookahead line |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | @DET | -4 |
| 2 | MIN | -2.5 |
| 3 | @WSH | PK |
| 4 | JAX | -6.5 |
| 5 | @ARZ | +2 |
| 6 | DAL | PK |
| 8 | PIT | -3.5 |
| 9 | @HOU | -5.5 |
| 10 | WSH | -3.5 |
| 11 | @IND | +3 |
| 12 | GB | PK |
| 13 | TEN | -2 |
| 14 | @NYG | -1.5 |
| 15 | @CHI | -3 |
| 16 | @DAL | +3.5 |
| 17 | NO | -3 |
| 18 | NYG | -5 |
There's no getting around it - the schedule sets up sweet. Philly is currently projected to be an underdog in just three games, and visits to the Cardinals, Colts, and Cowboys are all winnable. That's good news for a team that did well in games in favorable matchups last year.
SWOT analysis
Strengths
Just five teams gave up fewer yards per play than the Eagles last season. However, there weren't many teams that had fewer takeaways, as Philadelphia forced less than one per game. The Eagles picked up Haason Reddick to augment the pass rush and James Bradberry to pair with Darius Slay at cornerback. There's so much depth on the defense that first-round nose tackle Jordan Davis and a third-round steal in linebacker Nakobe Dean aren't yet listed as starters on the depth chart.
Weaknesses
The passing game averaged just 202 yards per game in 2021, but that was offset by a running game that led the league with 156 yards per contest. Part of that ground success comes from the danger Hurts presents with his legs, as the Eagles used an assortment of running backs playing off of Pro Football Focus's fourth-ranked offensive line. That unit gets back starting guard Jordan Mailata, who played just three games last season.
So, how is the offense a weakness? Until Hurts and the Eagles can be effective when the opponents know they have to throw, they'll continue to lose to the teams they're supposed to. Brown's addition moves the pass-catchers one spot over in the priority list, which is only a good thing. The one thing not to like on a pretty loaded roster is the quarterback's throwing ability, but that's something of a problem.
Opportunities
The Cowboys won the division last year, but for years they've taken up more win probability in the betting markets than they probably deserved. If you deem that to be the case this year, the Eagles' roster deserves every bit of the respect the Cowboys' roster gets - and at a better price.
Threats
The biggest threat to the Eagles is expectations, as 9.5 wins is a high bar. Will a few new veterans and a big-play receiver get the club into double digits? While they're rarely slated to be underdogs, the Eagles aren't significantly favored much at all either.
How to bet the Eagles
Hurts has gotten enough attention for MVP to be listed at just 20-1, and while it's possible the multidimensional threat can take a leap, there's less than a 5% chance of an MVP season happening. More conservatively, taking Hurts under 10.5 interceptions is a bet that he'll improve on the nine interceptions he threw in 15 games last year.
Miles Sanders didn't have a rushing touchdown last year but should have ample opportunity with the offensive line in front of him, and he's 50-1 to lead the league in rushing scores and rushing yards.
Dallas Goedert is even-money for over 61.5 receptions, and he's now the sole proprietor of the starting tight end position where Zach Ertz caught more than 70 passes per year. Some of Ertz's 18 catches last year before a trade to Arizona should be tacked on to Goedert's projected total.
Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.