The Philadelphia Eagles will have one eye on the New York Giants and one eye on the out-of-town scoreboard in Week 18.
Philadelphia’s late-season swoon has potentially cost it the NFC East title and a home playoff game, pending the result of Sunday’s Dallas-Washington contest that kicks off at the same time as this 4:25 p.m. ET start.
Should the Cowboys beat the Commanders, they would win in the division and the Eagles would slide to the No. 5 seed in the conference regardless of the result of this game in East Rutherford.
What does that mean for bettors in this Week 18 NFC East encounter with the Eagles listed as five-point favorites in the NFL odds?
I break down the spread and Over/Under for Eagles vs. Giants and give my best NFL picks and predictions for Sunday, January 7.
Eagles vs Giants odds
Eagles vs Giants predictions
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni will have one hand on the ripcord in Week 18.
The second he sees the rival Cowboys running away from the Commanders in their respective Week 18 matchup, he’ll likely yank his starters to protect them from injury before the start of the postseason.
“Obviously, we always try to think through everything at all times and we are always thinking about those things,” Sirianni told reporters when asked about resting his first-teamers. “We’re going to do whatever we need to do to win this game. But still, that’s a consideration, what you’re saying, because we think through all those different things.”
Sirianni is in a postseason planning pickle, given his team is playing some of the worst football in the league at the exact wrong time.
The Eagles have only one win in their last five games — that victory coming against these New York Giants in Week 16 — and need to bust this funk before the playoffs. That puts a big emphasis on the first half of Sunday’s finale.
Philadelphia will come out flying in the first 30 minutes, unleashing a month’s worth of frustrations on the G-Men before possibly packing it up for the final two quarters — depending on the score of the other NFC East contest.
“We’ve also got to get out of the rut that we’re in,” Sirianni said Monday, “and so I’m not saying to you yes, I’m not saying to you no. I’m saying to you that everything is discussed but there are some unknowns about the game, Dallas and Washington. And we’ve got to start — we’ve got to play and coach good football, too.”
Even during this late-season stumble, the Eagles offense has been among the strongest starters in the NFL. Philly has posted an average of 17 points in the opening half over the past three games, including 21 of its 25 total points in the loss to Arizona last weekend.
New York ranks among the worst first-half defenses in the NFL, giving up an average of 13.3 points in the opening 30 minutes of action and sitting 21st in EPA allowed per play in the first two stanzas.
When these division foes met just two short weeks ago, Philadelphia sprinted out to a 20-3 halftime lead before buckling for 22 points in the second half. The Eagles held on for a 33-25 win but burned bettors laying the lumber with the two-touchdown spread.
Week 18 sees increased importance on the first half for Philly, needing to take some positive momentum into the postseason and Sirianni wanting to win back the Eagles locker room.
My best bet: Eagles first half -2.5 (-130 at DraftKings)Picks made at time of writing may not reflect live odds.
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Eagles vs Giants same-game parlay
Eagles 1H moneylineDarren Waller Over 35.5 receiving yardsSaquon Barkley Over 81.5 rushing + receiving yards
+575 at bet365
The slumping Eagles need to pull positives from the first half of this game, so expect a strong showing in the opening 30 minutes.
Darren Waller has been a popular target for QB Tyrod Taylor and his Week 18 projections come in above this yardage total.
Both Saquon Barkley’s rushing and receiving forecasts are positive, with a ceiling of 95 combined yards. New York could see extra possessions in the second half if Philly pulls its starters.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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