After coming up just short of a Super Bowl victory last season, the Philadelphia Eagles are hungry for an opportunity to get back to the pinnacle of the football world. With many key contributors returning and quarterback Jalen Hurts primed to take another leap forward in his development, excitement is rising in the City of Brotherly Love.

With Miles Sanders no longer in the running back room, can a newcomer present a good opportunity for a season-long bet on their rushing yards total? Patient bettors can often find value in long-term plays, and this may be one of those opportunities. Keep reading to find out!

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Here are the NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

Jalen Hurts Over 725.5 Rushing Yards (-112)

Jalen Hurts beat this projection in both 2021 and 2022, and I expect Philly’s signal caller to record at least 750 rushing yards once again in 2023. Hurts has an elite running ability, and as he continues to improve in the passing game, defenses will have to respect that and defend the whole field. This will open up more opportunities on the ground for Hurts. I think that fewer carries but greater efficiency will be the name of the game for Hurts this season.

The Eagles will look to reduce injury risk to their star signal caller but Hurts’ improvement in the passing game combined with the talent of the Eagles' receiving core will put so much stress of defenses vertically that Hurts will find himself with more room to run, both on designed QB runs as well as scrambles when a passing play breaks down.

DeVonta Smith Over 925.5 Receiving Yards (-112)

Devonta Smith is a talented receiver, and I'm very bullish on him this season. however, this bet is more of a vote of confidence in two other players than anything to do with Smith himself. those two players are quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver AJ Brown. Hertz is an extremely talented and hard-working Young quarterback, and I expect him to make another leap forward this season as a passer. AJ Brown is an incredible receiver and is without a doubt Philadelphia's number-one option. that being said, opposing defenses will be well aware of this and will game plan specifically to take Brown out of the game. 

AJ Brown’s receiving prop for the season is just above 1100 yards, and given how much of a priority it will be for defenses to shut him down, I think that it’s a bit of a coin toss whether he can reach that number or not. I’m anticipating that Smith will find himself the beneficiary of this attention on Brown, as he will find himself with plenty of one-on-one opportunities. Smith would be a number one receiver on many teams, and his natural talent will shine through and allow Smith to consistently find success in these opportunities.

D’Andre Swift Over 500.5 Rushing Yards (-112)

I am confident that the Eagles are going to continue to refine and develop their passing game. Philadelphia recognizes that the game is trending more and more toward passing every season. They have a capable passer and elite receivers. That being said, the Eagles at their core are a team that has built their identity around imposing their will, controlling the clock, and playing a physical, smashmouth brand of football.

The Eagles will likely feature somewhat of a running back-by-committee approach this season, and that is okay for Swift. As the most explosive of Philly’s backs, Swift should have plenty of opportunities to break away for chunk plays. Also, a group of physical, downhill power runners playing behind an excellent offensive line in a run-heavy offensive system is a perfect recipe to wear down opposing defenses. Swift will have many touches in the second half of games where he is fresh and the opposing defense is worn down. 

This unique dynamic will make Swift even more effective carrying the rock and should help boost his yards per carry average. Swift has a career average of 4.6 ypc, and last year he averaged 5.5 yards per carry. I expect this year’s number to be closer to his career-high than his career average, which should set the stage for a season total of at least 600 rushing yards. 

The Eagles as a team had 544 rushing attempts last season. Let’s assume that number is the same, and Swift has 125 attempts, which is a low estimate in my opinion. Let’s give him an average of 4.9 ypc, and that puts him at 612 rushing yards total for the season.

The Eagles want to get to the promised land, and they’ll follow the smashmouth playstyle that they know best. That gives me confidence in this pick.