The Eagles were the proverbial big fish in the small pond in the 2019 NFC East, a division that was one of the worst in the league. With half of the teams essentially eliminated from postseason contention by November, Philadelphia only had Dallas to worry about heading into the home stretch. Ultimately, the Eagles rode a perfect December into the postseason, and despite a first round exit, expectations are elevated once again due to the presence of ample talent on both sides of the ball. Here is an Eagles betting guide for the 2020 season, with Eagles odds and more.
2020 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES SCHEDULE AND ODDS
EAGLES ODDS: SUPER BOWL
The Eagles’ Super Bowl LV odds opened up as +1700 before free agency began and now sit at +2000 following the NFL Draft. At the current odds, a bettor placing a $10 wager would therefore win $200 (plus the original $10 wager amount) if the bet was successful.
EAGLES ODDS: NFC EAST
The Eagles’ odds of winning the NFC East, a feat they accomplished last season, are currently +140, which gives them the second-best chance (behind the Cowboys) in the oddsmakers’ eyes. At the current odds, a bettor placing a $10 wager would therefore win $14.00 (plus the original $10 wager amount) if the bet was successful.
EAGLES ODDS: TEAM WIN TOTAL
The Eagles’ current projected win total is 9 wins. Odds on the Eagles finishing over that number are currently -134 and odds on them falling short of that total are +110.
EAGLES 2019 SEASON IN REVIEW
Eagles record: 9-7
2019 Regular-Season ATS: 7-9 (43.8 percent)
2019 Over/Under: 8-8 (50.0 percent)
With a healthy Carson Wentz, a returning DeSean Jackson and a mostly stacked roster on both sides of the ball, the Eagles were viewed as Super Bowl contenders coming into the 2019 season. Ultimately, the familiar theme of injuries, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, did in Doug Pederson’s club. Before their season-ending NFC wild card loss to the Seahawks, Philadelphia went through a rollercoaster of a campaign that featured one three-game losing streak and a pair of two-game skids interspersed with two sets of back-to-back wins and four consecutive victories to end the season.
Wentz did manage to play his first full season since his rookie 2016 campaign, throwing for a career-high 4,039 yards and posting an impressive 27:7 TD:INT. All the more remarkable was the fact Wentz accomplished those statistical feats with Alshon Jeffery and Jackson missing a total of 19 complete games, and Jackson never really being truly healthy except for Week 1. That was only part of the team’s disastrous health landscape. Rookie running back Miles Sanders suited up for all 16 regular-season games but was dealing with ankle and knee injuries by the aforementioned loss to Seattle. Backfield mate Jordan Howard missed the last six games of the regular season and the wild card defeat with a serious shoulder stinger.
Additionally, rookie receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside delivered next to nothing (10 receptions over 16 games) and the now-departed Nelson Agholor seemed to regress back to his 2016 form. The Eagles’ pass defense also set the team back at times. It didn’t seem to truly hit its stride until the team’s late-season run to the playoffs, with multiple early-season injuries at corner and safety to blame. When Wentz then went down in the first half of the wild card game versus the Seahawks, Philly – also playing without Howard and a hampered Zach Ertz – was no match for Russell Wilson-led Seattle.
EAGLES 2020 OFF-SEASON MOVES
Key trade (acquisition): Darius Slay, CB (from DET); Marquise Goodwin, WR (from SF)
Key re-signings: Rodney McLeod, S (two years); Corey Clement, RB (one year, $825,000)
Key trade acquisition: Marquise Goodwin, WR (from SF)
Key free-agent losses: Jordan Howard, RB (to MIA); Malcolm Jenkins, S (to NO); Nelson Agholor, WR (to LVR); Ronald Darby, CB (to WAS); Timmy Jernigan, DT (to HOU)
Key free-agent signings: Javon Hargrave, DT (from PIT); Will Parks, DB (from DEN); Jatavis Brown, LB (from LAC); Nickell Robey-Coleman, CB (from LAR)
Key draft picks: Jalen Reagor, WR (1st round); Jalen Hurts, QB (2nd round)
While the list of Philly’s free-agent departures is lengthy, many of those players, such as Agholor, were intentionally allowed to walk. Meanwhile, the acquisitions through trades, the draft and free agency could mostly be upgrades over the players they’re projected to replace. Slay is expected to significantly up the level of play in the secondary, which struggled at times last season. Moreover, both Reagor and Goodwin could find solid 2020 roles, considering the age and injury history of top incumbent wideouts Jeffery and Jackson. Hurts may be one of the more intriguing second-day picks, as questions abound as to how the Eagles will utilize the highly versatile Oklahoma product. Philadelphia has confirmed Wentz is the unquestioned starter, but Pederson has already alluded to plans of possibly utilizing both players at the same time on occasion.