2021 Philadelphia Eagles Betting Preview: Odds, Lines, & Predictions

2021 Philadelphia Eagles Betting Preview

2020 was the final straw for former head coach Doug Pederson as the Eagles fell to 4-11-1 and finished 4th in the NFC East, the worst division in the NFL by combined win totals. The Eagles made the decision to bring in former Colts’ offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni as the new head coach in perhaps a measure of regret over letting now Colts’ head coach Frank Reich leave Philadelphia.

Jalen Hurts started the final four games of the 2020 season, and while he led the team to just a 1-3 record, he proved much better than Carson Wentz who was in the midst of the worst stretch of his career. Hurts threw for 6 touchdowns to 4 interceptions and ran for 354 yards last season. He’s a dual-threat quarterback who will give this offense a new look moving forward.

Hurts has 2020 first-round pick Jalen Reagor and 2021 first-round pick Devonta Smith to work with, as well as running back Miles Sanders and tight ends Dallas Goedert and Zach Ertz. The defense has some young pieces to work with as well as veterans Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox.

Philadelphia is far from the level of roster talent that won the Super Bowl in 2018, and there aren’t many players remaining from that group. However, Eagles’ fans will be hopeful that a new look at head coach and quarterback can elevate this team’s fortunes this season.

2020 Philadelphia Eagles Team Stats

Points For: 334 (20.9 per game), 26th of 32
Points Against: 418 (26.1 per game), 20th of 32
Passing Yards Per Game: 207.9
Rushing Yards Per Game: 126.6
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 237.4
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 125.8

Key Offseason Transactions

The defining move of the Eagles’ offseason was their first-round selection of former Alabama Heisman-winning wide receiver Devonta Smith. Smith, a former teammate of Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts at Alabama, set the world on fire last year with 117 catches for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Philly also added Landon Dickerson, an Alabama offensive lineman, in the draft; he’s a potential starter this season upfront. Running back Kenneth Gainwell could see some run in a crowded backfield this year. The Eagles rounded out their draft class with Milton Williams, Zach McPhearson, Marlon Tuipulotu, Tarron Jackson, JaCoby Stevens, and Patrick Johnson, all of whom provide depth on the defensive side.

The Eagles also bolstered their defense with some key veteran signings. Linebacker/edge rusher Ryan Kerrigan comes over from Washington and Anthony Harris comes over from the Vikings to lead what was an overmatched secondary last season. Linebacker Eric Wilson, offensive tackle Le’Raven Clark, and quarterback Nick Mullens were also signed to bring in additional depth.

2020 Philadelphia Eagles Betting Stats

Record: 4-11-1
MOV: -5.4
ATS: 6-10-0
ATS +/-: -3.7
Over/Under: 7-9-0
Total +/-: +1.2

2021 Philadelphia Eagles Betting Preview

Doug Pederson’s Eagles were not fun to bet on last year as they had the sixth-worst record in the NFL and the fifth-worst record against the spread. The Eagles failed to take advantage of a division with some weak teams in the Cowboys, Giants, and the Washington Football Team, and all three of those teams figure to be improved in 2021. Philly faces some tough teams this season including the two Super Bowl teams in each of the last two years in the Chiefs (twice), Buccaneers, and 49ers. The Eagles will likely be more of a ball-control, run-heavy team this season which could lead to a slower pace and value on the under on the points total in games.

Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl Odds

The Eagles are currently listed at just +12500 to win the Super Bowl, tied with the Jaguars and Falcons for the fifth-worst odds in the NFL. Nick Sirianni comes from the Frank Reich school of thought and Reich was the offensive coordinator when the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018, so perhaps Sirianni puts this team back in championship contention. However, this roster is aging at key positions and needs some retooling before it’s ready to truly compete once again. I wouldn’t advise betting on the Eagles to win the Super Bowl.

Philadelphia Eagles Playoff Odds

2020 was a disappointing season for the Eagles as they missed the playoffs despite a three-year stretch of making it to the postseason prior to that campaign. The Eagles are currently listed at +275 to make the playoffs and have the opportunity to compete in a division that was won by a 7-9 Washington team last year. The Eagles have the longest odds to win the NFC East at +500, but that isn’t totally outside the realm of possible outcomes as it seems that this division is won by a different team every year. Philly can make a surprise playoff bid in a 7-team NFC field.

Philadelphia Eagles Win Total Odds

In 2021, Philadelphia has a win total listed at 6.5. They won more than 6.5 games in every season from 2013 to 2019 prior to winning just four games last year, but this is a new team with a new head coach and a new quarterback. Still, I like this team’s chances to break this win total. Jalen Hurts is a dynamic quarterback supported by some talented skill position players and the defense should be much-improved with the additions of key veterans Ryan Kerrigan and Anthony Harris as well as the improvement of young talent. Philly should be able to win over 6.5 games this season.

Philadelphia Eagles Players Futures Odds

Jalen Hurts is set to be the full-time starting quarterback for Philadelphia this season and he’s an interesting option for individual awards. He’s currently listed at +5000 to win MVP, tied with Derrick Henry and Jimmy Garoppolo. Hurts is also listed at +5000 to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. I have high hopes for Hurts in fantasy football, and he’s likely to put up a strong stat line this season. If Philly is surprisingly competitive, Hurts could be a dark-horse candidate for these awards.

The real player I’m looking to bet on in Philadelphia is Devonta Smith as the Heisman-winning wide receiver comes into the NFL with huge expectations. Offensive Rookie of the Year is well within his reach, but he’s listed at +1800 – that’s the ninth-longest odds to win the award. Sure, there are some talented quarterbacks in the running, but Smith won the Heisman last year against those same quarterbacks – who’s to say he can’t beat them out for silverware again?

The Eagles have some veterans on defense who have some longshot Defensive Player of the Year candidacies. Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham are longtime tenured veterans who were a part of the team’s Super Bowl in 2018. Both players are listed at +5000 to win Defensive Player of the Year. Free agency pickup Anthony Harris is listed at +4000 and Ryan Kerrigan is at +10000.

My favorite long-term Eagles’ wager is Nick Sirianni to win Coach of the Year at +3500. If you believe the Eagles have the potential to return to the postseason this year, which I do, the value here is just too good to pass up. Other first-year head coaches have much shorter odds – Brandon Staley (+1000), Urban Meyer (+1400), and Arthur Smith (+1400) are among the favorites to win the award, and I don’t believe those guys are three times as likely to win as Sirianni, so there’s some value here.