The Philadelphia Eagles have a chance to strengthen their hold on the NFC East Division with a win in Week 8, when they face off against the Washington Commanders, on Sunday, October 29, at 1 p.m. eastern standard time, on the gridiron at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.
Most will look at this matchup and declare the Eagles an easy victory. And, well, they might not be wrong. As the latest NFL online betting odds show, nobody is expecting the Commanders to put up much of a fight:
Before we go any further, here’s our friendly reminder to double-check these online NFL betting lines until you actually submit your wager. Our Eagles vs. Commanders Week 8 betting odds are accurate entering Tuesday, October 23. That gives the best NFL online betting sites more than enough time to make adjustments based on how the wagering market shakes out in advance of opening kick-off.
For this matchup specifically, we would caution you that there could be movement. Jalen Hurts played the second half of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 7 win over the Miami Dolphins in a leg brace. Could that impact his availability for Week 8? And if not, how effective will he be? Most importantly, should this change how you bet on Eagles vs. Commanders in Week 8? Let’s get to some piping hot NFL Week 8 predictions!
The Jalen Hurts Injury Should Not Cost the Philadelphia Eagles Too Much Ground Against the Commanders
Reporters asked Hurts and his teammates about the quarterback’s knee injury after Philadelphia held off Miami on Monday night. Here’s what transpired, per ESPN’s Tim MacManus:
“Hurts did not go into much detail postgame, but a source said it's believed to be a knee injury. ‘I'll be fine,’ Hurts said, though when asked if it's something that will affect him moving forward, he responded, ‘I hope not.’... ‘I don't want to put his business out there, but he's a tough individual,’ receiver A.J. Brown said… ‘Our style of play, sometimes he scrambles out and may get nicked up," added right tackle Lane Johnson. "But he does a good job. He never really shows it or complains or anything."
Sources also told The Philadelphia Inquirer that Hurts’ knee injury should not affect his availability for the Week 8 matchup on the road against the Commanders. That is, for the most part, a promising prognosis. But we can’t write it off as nothing, either.
Philadelphia’s offense is very much dependent on Hurts making plays on the move. As it stands, their passing attack has been up-and-down. The offense is fourth in points scored per game, but the Eagles rank 28th in interceptions thrown and are a not-so-intimidating 14th in total passing touchdowns. On top of that, they are 20th in red zone scoring percentage.
Ultimately, though, we are probably overthinking their downside against Washington. The Commanders nearly took them down in Philadelphia earlier this year, but that Week 4 showdown was littered with controversial calls. In our estimation, it makes sense to roll with one of the most popular NFL bets to win the Super Bowl. Philadelphia will win.
OSB Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles (-240)
Can Philadelphia Make Quick Work of Washington in Week 8?
If anything, the Jalen Hurts injury is more likely to damage Philadelphia’s chances of covering the Eagles vs. Commanders Week 8 point spread. Oddsmakers currently have the favorites winning by at least a touchdown:
- Philadelphia Eagles, -6.5 (-115)
- Washington Commanders, +6.5 (-105)
Public sentiment continues to favor the Eagles on this line. However, we’re not sure whether people are being overly optimistic about the state of Hurts’ knee. We have also seen the Eagles be a little less than thermonuclear playing on the road. Only one of their three victories away from home have come by more than nine points; their average margin of victory is in the single digits.
With this in mind, we are rolling with Philadelphia anyway. The Commanders appear to be in a free fall. They just mustered seven points in a home loss to the lowly New York Giants. A couple of weeks ago, while also playing at home, they surrendered 40 points to the disastrous Chicago Bears.
OSB Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles, -6.5 (-115)
Oddsmakers Appear to Think the Eagles will Make Mincemeat Out of the Commanders Defense
We were expecting the Eagles vs. Commanders over/under betting line to come in around 40.5, maybe 41.5, points. It is actually higher than that:
- Over 43.5 (-115)
- Under 43.5 (-105)
Equally surprising: The majority of the action so far tilts toward the “over.” That’s quite the assumption. Not only are the Eagles fielding a potentially limited Hurts, but the Commanders offense has totaled just 51 combined points over the past three games.
Maybe bettors are banking on Washington torching Philadelphia’s defense again. The Commanders turned in 31 points during their Week 4 loss. But the Eagles have yet to allow more than 20 points since that game. And in those three appearances, they weren’t feasting on bottom-tier offenses, either. Philadelphia caused problems for both the Miami Dolphins (Week 7) and Los Angeles Rams (Week 5) offenses during this brief stretch.
To that end, we wouldn’t be shocked if the Commanders fail to reach 14 points. And given how all over the place Philly’s passing attack has been even when Hurts is fully healthy, we’re thinking an “under” is in the cards.
OSB Prediction: Under 43.5 (-105)
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