The Philadelphia Eagles have nearly course-corrected their rough season into another playoff berth, but it will take one last divisional win on the road to lock up the NFC East and the No. 4 seed in the NFC.
The Eagles (8-7) can claim their second divisional title in three seasons with a victory over the lowly New York Giants (4-11) on Sunday in New Jersey, but they needed overtime to come away with a win in their first matchup three weeks ago. Philadelphia also has glaring losses to Detroit, Atlanta and Miami that, despite what’s on the line, put into question whether the Eagles can adequately finish the job against a bad opponent.
Here’s a closer look at the Week 17 matchup between NFC East rivals along with background, stats and advice on where to put your money.
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Eagles vs. Giants Game Details
Date: Sunday, December 29
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Location: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)
TV: FOX
Spread: Eagles -4.5
Total: 45
*All odds are courtesy of OddsShark.
Line Movement
The point spread hasn’t fluctuated much since the Eagles opened as 4.5-point favorites, showing no more than a half-point difference across most popular books, according to VegasInsider.com. Bettors, though, are more convinced the Eagles can prevail with 65 percent of public bets taking Philly as the favorites, according to ActionNetwork.com.
The total also hasn’t moved more than a point in either direction, but bettors are more split with just 53 percent of them taking the over.
Betting Trends
- Philadelphia is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
- Total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia’s last 7 games
- N.Y. Giants are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games
- N.Y. Giants are 2-8 SU in their last 10 games
- Total has gone OVER in 6 of N.Y. Giants’ last 8 games against Philadelphia
- Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games against the N.Y. Giants
*All trends are courtesy of OddsShark.
Analysis & Picks
The Eagles have a favorable history against the Giants with 10 wins in their last 11 matchups, including six straight victories, but their most recent one required a comeback effort to get the job done.
Carson Wentz played hero with 325 passing yards and two touchdown passes on 33-of-55 passing in the crucial Week 14 victory and is coming off another 300-yard, no-interception game against the Cowboys. The Eagles will need him to remain sharp and present to make it a clean sweep and buck previous notions about his inconsistent play.
It is also important to note the Eagles run defense held Saquon Barkley to just 66 yards on 17 carries the first time around and will look for another lockdown performance this Sunday afternoon. Philadelphia touts the third-best run defense in the NFL ahead of both the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints with just 88 rushing yards allowed per game, but Barkley has been running hot lately and is coming off a massive game against Washington
The second-year running back gouged the Redskins for 189 rushing yards and a touchdown on 22 carries while also catching all four of his targets in the passing game for 90 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Daniel Jones.
Jones could also be an X-Factor against the Eagles, depending on which version of him shows up to play in the regular-season finale. He got benched after a Dec. 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers and didn’t play against the Eagles last time, but the rookie is coming off his best game yet after lighting up the Redskins for 352 yards and five touchdowns in Week 16.
Pick: Giants +4.5
Over-under: Under
Prediction: Eagles 20, Giants 17
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Eagles vs. Giants Prediction: Betting Odds, Spread & Pick