The final regular season game of the 2020-21 NFL regular season will take place in The City of Brotherly Love and carries with it major postseason implications. The Washington Football Team is a Week 17 win away from clinching the NFC East Division title and a trip to the postseason. They’ll look to do just that when they battle the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football. The NFL odds and expert NFL picks have sided with the road team in this highly anticipated matchup.
This betting preview contains the NFL odds, key betting trends, prop bets, and best NFL picks for Washington vs Eagles on Sunday night.
NFL Odds, NFL Picks, and NFL Props | Washington vs Eagles
Washington vs Eagles Game Info
Washington Football Team (6-9, 3-4 Away) at Philadelphia Eagles (4-10-1, 3-3-1 Home)
Date: Sunday, Jan. 3, 2020
Time: 8:20 p.m. EST
Venue: Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia, PA
Coverage: NBC
Attendance: No fans will be allowed to attend.
Washington vs Eagles NFL Odds + NFL Picks
Opening Lines: Eagles -1; O/U 42.5
Moneyline: WAS: (-170) | PHI: (+150)
Spread: WAS: -3 (-120) | PHI: +3 (+100)
Total: 43 — Over: (-115) | Under: (-105)
All odds courtesy of Bovada Sportsbook
Washington vs Eagles Overview
It has been an eventful week for the Washington Football Team in the leadup to this win-and-in season finale. The team waived a former first-round draft pick in QB Dwayne Haskins after his rough outing in last week’s NFL picks loss. The concerns surrounding Haskins went beyond just his poor play, and the move only further signifies the changing culture that Ron Rivera is working to implement in D.C. Veteran Alex Smith is on track to return from a calf injury and start in Week 17 against the Eagles. Whether he will have top wideout Terry McLaurin or not remains a question mark. Of course, the backbone of the Football Team is a defense that only allows 21 points per game and also forces 1.3 takeaways per contest.
The Eagles offense saw a resurgence of sorts when Jalen Hurts took over as the starting QB for Carson Wentz. That burst came to a screeching halt against Dallas last week. The Eagles were shutout in the second half and the loss ultimately eliminated them from the NFC East race. With nothing to play for but growth and pride in Week 17, Philadelphia has seen the NFL picks market shift heavily against them after they initially opened as short home favorites for this game. The Eagles’ problems stretch beyond any lackluster quarterback play, however. A dysfunctional offensive line will be up against it as they try and match up against Chase Young and the elite Washington defensive front.
Washington vs Eagles Betting Trends
- Washington 2020 Betting Trends: 9-6 ATS; 5-10 to the Over
- Eagles 2020 Betting Trends: 5-10 ATS; 7-8 to the Over
- Washington is 8-2 ATS in their last ten games with Alex Smith as their starting quarterback.
- Washington is 8-4-1 in their last 13 road games at Philadelphia.
- The Over has hit in each of the last three head-to-head matchups between Washington and the Eagles.
Washington vs Eagles Stats
- Washington has averaged 21.0 points per game (PPG) this season (No. 26 in the NFL)
- Washington has surrendered 21.0 PPG this season (No. 5 in the NFL)
- Philadelphia has averaged 21.3 PPG this season (No. 25 in the NFL)
- Philadelphia has surrendered 26.5 PPG this season (Tied for No. 21 in the NFL)
Washington vs Eagles NFL Props
The struggles of the Eagles’ offense this season are well-documented, and that includes first half scoring. On the year, Philadelphia only averages 10.1 first half points per game, a slight tick above the betting line of 9.5 for this Week 17 game. Nonetheless, there are a handful of points that make me like the Over on the NFL picks first half total for this Washington vs Eagles game.
For starters, Philadelphia scored all 17 of its points against Washington in the first half when the teams met back in Week 1. Second, since Jalen Hurts took over as the starting QB in Week 14, Philadelphia has averaged 18 first half points per game. Finally, the Washington defense has actually gotten better as games have gone on this season. Coming into Sunday’s finale, Washington allows only 6.1 points to opponents in the second half of games (best in the NFL) compared to 14.9 first half points (27th in the NFL).
Combine all these points with an injured Eagles defense and the return of Alex Smith under center for Washington and I like the NFL picks first half total to go over 21 points as my best NFL props bet for this game. To further isolate the arguments above, shop around for a line on the Eagles first half team total.
Washington vs Eagles NFL Picks and NFL Odds
The betting market has clearly shown favor to Washington in the lead up to this game. With Ron Rivera’s group needing a win to reach the postseason, the spread has shifted a full 3.5 points through pick’em with Washington now laying points on the road. The NFL picks total has also ticked up slightly from the opening 42.5 to 44.
Aside from what’s at stake for the two sides in this game, the other area to highlight is the injury report. While Washington has gotten good news on Alex Smith, the Eagles have had numerous key players on both sides of the ball held out of practice this week. When you combine the initiative that Washington will be playing with along with the Philadelphia injury concerns, I’m inclined to follow the NFL picks market and lay anything under or at an even field goal.
In a similar vein, I also like the Over for this game, a rarity in matchups featuring the Football Team. The total is predictably low, but the Eagles’ defense is banged up and simply not playing well. Jalen Hurts has the ability to improvise better than most quarterbacks due to his rushing abilities. With that said, any number north of 44 is a much less desirable play.
Picks: Washington -3 and Over 43 (-120 and -115, respectively, at Bovada Sportsbook)
