At one time, it looked like the Philadelphia Eagles were locks to win the NFC East Division title before the 2023 NFL regular season ever ended. Now, however, they enter Week 18 against the New York Giants facing tons of uncertainty. Can they answer the bell? That’s what we’re here to find out.
- What: New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
- Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024
- Time: 4:25 p.m. eastern standard time
- Where: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Point Spread: Eagles (-5.5), Giants (+5.5)
Philadelphia needs a win over the Giants and a Dallas Cowboys loss to the Washington Commanders if they’re going to snag first place in the NFC East. Though the Eagles and Cowboys might have the same record and split their season series, Dallas owns the subsequent tiebreaker.
For Philadelphia, the job starts with taking care of business against New York. The latest NFL online betting odds suggest they’ll do just that:
Keep checking these online NFL betting odds until you actually submit your wager. Our Giants vs. Eagles betting odds are accurate entering Tuesday, January 2. That gives the best NFL online betting sites plenty of time to make adjustments leading into opening kick-off on January 7.
Brace yourself for some movement on these initial Giants vs. Eagles betting lines. While we know New York will start Tyrod Taylor at quarterback and is already in tank mode, the Eagles are less of a sure thing. They should roll out their starting crew—especially since they won’t know the result of Cowboys vs. Commanders, which is taking place at the same time. Then again, Philadelphia is currently an odds-on long shot to win the NFC East, since they don’t control their own fate. It’s possible they rest some of their key players in advance of the playoffs.
And yet, the Eagles have plenty to prove. Their betting lines to win Super Bowl 58 have taken a hit in recent weeks. After losing four of five games, they could stand to enter the postseason on a higher note.
How will this Giants vs. Eagles matchup ultimately turn out? Let’s get to some Week 18 NFL predictions!
Expect the Philadelphia Eagles to Treat Week 18 vs. the New York Giants Like the Outcome Matters
Winning the NFC East is largely out of the Eagles’ control. Even if they beat the Giants, they need the Cowboys to lose against one of the NFL’s worst teams to secure a division crown. The latter scenario is considered incredibly unlikely. That could, in theory, cause Philadelphia to treat Week 18 like an exhibition—a buy week, of sorts, before the start of the playoffs.
The mere prospect of the Eagles putting anything less than their best foot forward can make this game tough to predict. Fortunately for all of us, we don’t expect Philadelphia to play Week 18 fast and loose.
For starters, even if it’s a small chance, the Eagles do, in fact, still have a chance to win the NFC East. And since the Cowboys are playing at the same time, there’s no reason for Philadelphia to halt their pursuit unless they see Dallas is waxing Washington at halftime or something.
Furthermore, and most importantly, the Eagles just need a win. They have dropped four of five games, including a massive Week 17 letdown against the Arizona Cardinals. The vibes surrounding this team, and more specifically, their defense, aren’t great. Entering the playoffs working off a fifth loss in six games—and second straight L to a squad below .500—could prove disastrous.
Luckily for the Eagles, the Giants remain a morale-boosting opponent. They remain on the fast track to nowhere, with a bottom five offense and defense. Even if Philadelphia ends up resting Jalen Hurts and company by the third or fourth quarter, this is a game they should win—and win easily.
OSB Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles (-245)
It will Behoove Philadelphia to Try Opening Up a Big Lead Against New York
In yet another sign of how far the Eagles’ stock has fallen, the latest NFL Week 18 point spread betting odds have them favored by less than a touchdown:
- Philadelphia Eagles, -5.5 (-115)
- New York Giants, +5.5 (-105)
Given how bad the Giants have been all year, this relatively modest point spread absolutely matters. The Eagles, for their part, have not done a great job opening or protecting sizable leads in recent months. Since Week 9, just one of their victories has come by more than five points. And Philadelphia hasn’t picked up a double-digit win since Week 7.
Count on that changing against the Giants. Sure, the Eagles are on the road. But they have every incentive to take care of business early, so that their mid-game score puts pressure on Dallas to take care of business in Washington.
OSB Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles, -5.5 (-115)
Will the Eagles Defense be Able to Settle Down Against the Giants Offense?
Everyone who fancied the Eagles a Super Bowl contender has become concerned with their defensive performance. And those concerns are likely to persist when you see the latest over/under Week 18 betting lines:
- Over 41.5 (-105)
- Under 41.5 (-115)
Most of the action has landed with the “under.” But that’s not really a vote of confidence in the Eagles defense. It says more about a lack of faith in the Giants offense.
That dearth of conviction might be misplaced. The Giants have scored 24 or more points in three of their past four games, and it’s not like the Eagles defense is setting the world ablaze. On the contrary, Philadelphia now ranks 29th in points allowed per game, and only one team has allowed more passing touchdowns.
This is no doubt a problem when viewing the Eagles’ on-field product through a postseason lens. It means much less, however, when the opposing quarterback is Tyrod Taylor.
OSB Prediction: Under 41.5 (-115)
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