Media by Associated Press – Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) runs a pass route during an NFL Football game against the Houston Texans on Thursday, November 3, 2022, in Houston. (AP Photo/Matt Patterson)
The undefeated Philadelphia Eagles are geared up to take on their NFC East rival and last-place opponent, Washington Commanders, in front of a national audience Monday night. While Philadelphia already grabbed a win on the road, sweeping the season will require a different experience than it was the first time around.
The Commanders replaced injured quarterback Carson Wentz with former XFL standout Taylor Heinicke. Washington has also seen the return of former Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young. The Eagles are hoping to move to 9-0 with a win. Here are three bets to make on the game.
Washington +11
There is always an argument that the Eagles were able to knock around Cooper Rush, ending the Cowboys’ backup quarterback string of strong starts, and Philadelphia should be able to do the same thing to Heinicke. But there is a major experience gap there. Heinicke, though not Pro Bowl Caliber, started nearly an entire season last season and has started a playoff game.
He is likely to be unphased by playing against top competition. Heinicke is 2-1 as a starter this season and has had Washington competitive in all three games. The Commanders only lost to Minnesota last week by three points.
Washington is 4-4-1 against the spread this season. The Commanders will find a way to keep this one close on the road. Philadelphia has won its last two games by double figures, but that streak will end here.
Under 43.5 points
The Eagles have been strong defensively all season, ranking fourth in the league in scoring defense at 16.9 points per game. Washington isn’t a fantastic defense, but the Commanders are solid in terms of points allowed, only giving up an average of 21.3 points per game.
Philadelphia has played a soft schedule as of late, putting up 29 or more points in its last two games against Pittsburgh and Houston.
The Commanders seem to be more comfortable in low-scoring games. Washington has had the under go 6-3 in its games so far this season. In four of Washington’s last game games, both teams have combined to score 40 or fewer points.
A.J. Brown to score a touchdown +108
The Eagles made quite the coup when they brought in Brown to bolster the receiving core. He has been a top target of Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts, being targeted at least seven times in every game this season. Brown has taken advantage of the opportunities he’s gotten, hauling in 43 passes for 718 yards and six touchdowns.
When it comes to getting in the endzone, Brown has been on a hot stretch recently. He has caught at least one touchdown pass in three straight games.
That included a 10-catch, 156-yard performance on Oct. 30 against Pittsburgh, where Brown scored three times. Brown has caught at least one pass of 30 yards or more in five games this season.
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