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Edgar Chaput
Eagles vs. Commanders Point Spread: NFL Week 16 Odds, Prediction
While many pundits believed the Philadelphia Eagles would continue to be a playoff threat in 2024, they also thought the other NFC East player would be the Dallas Cowboys. Not so. The Washington Redskins have at least guaranteed themselves a winning record (they can’t finish worse than 9-8), but there is work to be done as they strive to clinch a postseason berth.
This is expected to be a close game, with our NFL odds pegging the visiting Eagles as slight -3.5 favourites.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
It’s been over two years since a football team based in Washington got the better of the Eagles. The last time was November 2022 when the team left Philly as a 32-21 victor. Since then the Eagles have strung together a trio of consecutive wins, including earlier this season, 26-18.
Head coach Nick Sirianni has his team riding the wave of a 10-game winning streak. The naysayers – primarily due to the club’s lowly 29th passing attack (187.0 yards per game) – won’t stop, well, naysaying, but the team now threatens to be the NFC’s number one seed in the postseason. It’s almost as if being the league’s best defence in total yards against per game (275.6) is an afterthought. Against the spread, Philly is a solid 9-5. Of note: TE Dallas Goedert is on IR (knee).
There was a rough stretch in November that was cause for concern in the Nation’s Capital (technically Landover, Maryland), but the Commanders appear to have righted the ship courtesy of two wins in a row. Betters might want to be weary regarding efforts against the spread. Although Washington is 8-5-1 on the season, the reality is they’ve lost four of their last five opportunities.
Philadelphia Eagles
Philly fans will do what Philly fans do, but technically speaking last week’s 27-13 victory over a tough Pittsburgh Steelers outfit should assuage concerns.
Truth be told, this was a game of magnitude. Beyond being state rivals, the Eagles and Steelers are fighting for playoff spots and the highest seeding possible. What transpired on the gridiron was a one-sided buzz-sawing. This game was never a contest, despite only being 17-13 for Philadelphia at halftime. The hosts trumped the visitors in first downs (26 to 10), total yards (401 to 163) and third-down efficiency (10-for-17 vis-à-vis 3-for-10). Even better, Jalen Hurts found AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith for strikes in the end zone to patch over some of the hard feelings that were expressed recently.
The only blemish was a pedestrian day for RB Saquon Barkley, who tallied only 65 yards on 19 touches. Conversely, Hurts made good use of his legs, trotting for 45 yards.
The story was the defence, which limited the Steelers to a paltry 4.5 yards per offensive play.
Washington Commanders
With so many new faces in Washington, some bumps in the road during the first season of a new regime are to be expected. One example is the 20-19 win away to the New Orleans Saints in Week 15.
A win is a win, and the Commanders will take it. They played well overall, but it was a lot tighter in the end than it needed to be, especially against a side playing a backup QB. The Jayden Daniels-Terry McLaurin connection was in fine form in the first half, as they produced a touchdown in the first quarter and another in the second for a 14-0 advantage.
But that was the extent of the big plays the Commanders would muster on the afternoon as they were limited to a pair of field goals in the second half. Up 20-7 in the fourth quarter, things got wild as the Saints marched down for multiple scores to make it 20-19, with only their failed two-point conversion attempt at the end saving the Commanders from blushes.
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