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The New Orleans Saints (2-0) hope to keep their unbeaten streak alive as the Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) come to town. It is time to continue our NFL odds series with an Eagles-Saints prediction and pick.
Philadelphia suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the new-look Atlanta Falcons last Monday night. Kirk Cousins led a game-winning drive to secure his first win in a Falcons' uniform by one point. The Eagles move on to New Orleans, who have been the hottest team in the NFL to begin the campaign. The Eagles must regroup and come up with a gameplan to slow down the Saints or else they could fall to 1-2 on the season.
Nobody saw the Saints storming out the gates the way they have. They dominated the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 and then played an even better game in Dallas the next. Derek Carr looks comfortable and if head coach Dennis Allen can keep their foot on the gas pedal then he may get his name out of the potential-firable rumors. Racking up wins against the two of the best teams in the NFC will only help their campaign once the playoff seeding becomes relevant.
Here are the NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Eagles-Saints Odds
Philadelphia Eagles: +2.5 (-104)
Moneyline: +128
New Orleans Saints: -2.5 (-118)
Moneyline: -152
Over: 49.5 (-105)
Under: 49.5 (-115)
How to Watch Eagles vs. Saints
Time: 1:00 ET/10:00 PT
TV: FOX
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
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Why The Eagles Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers in Brazil to open the season thanks to their powerful run game. Saquon Barkley scored three times and Eagles fans were loving the new-look offense with a single back, rather than a combination of three or four throughout the game.
In Week 2, however, the run game was not nearly as effective. Barkley did not score and rushed for 95 yards on 22 carries. Jalen Hurts did score from a tush-push. If the Eagles want to remain in the game against the hottest team in the NFL, then they must control the clock by running the ball at will.
A big key for the Eagles, of course, is the health of AJ Brown. As of now, he is doubtful to play. Not having his presence on the field hurts the team. That is even more of a reason to focus on the run game. Saquon needs 25+ carries and needs to find the end zone maybe multiple times if the Eagles want to cover this spread and potentially upset the Saints on the road.
There is no question the defense will have a tough task. The Saints scored on 15 consecutive possessions to begin the season. It took a while but the Cowboys eventually stopped the Saints from scoring points last week. The Eagles' secondary is banged up which proves to be a bad sign. James Bradbury is on the IR along with Jacob Harris. Sydney Brown remains out while Darius Slay attempts to lock up the number-one receiver. Slay has been one of the best corners in the game for the last decade. He allowed the final touchdown to Drake London last game and it's expected he will make up for it against the Saints. The Eagles defense must not allow the big play. If they can do that then they won't let the game get out of hand.
Why The Saints Could Cover The Spread/Win
It seems the Saints can do whatever they like offensively. Having an all-around back like Alvin Kamara in the backfield is a major advantage. He is fresh off of a four-touchdown performance at Jerry World. The Saints need to continue to find creative ways to get him the ball in open space because when that happens he's untouchable.
The offensive line has been bullies to begin the year with run and pass blocking. They are not only blocking well enough for Kamara to run loose, but they are putting defensive linemen on their backs. The line hardly gets credit, but in this case, they do. If the line continues to bully defenders I don't expect them to slow down at all. The Saints are now capable of scoring 20+ points each week no matter the opponent. That also makes Derek Carr's job much easier with a clean pocket.
The Saints' defense may catch a break with Brown being out. If so, they must know the run game will be the Eagles' main focus. If they can stop it, they will cover the spread and win.
Final Eagles-Saints Prediction & Pick
This is going to be one of the more exciting games of Week 3. The Eagles are coming off a one-point loss, and I expect them to keep this close. However, it's unclear if anyone can stop this Saints team. The Saints should win by a field goal, but taking them to win via moneyline is the best call on the board. It's not worth taking the chance.
Final Eagles-Saints Prediction & Pick: Saints ML (-152)
