Eagles vs. Bills predictions: Expert Week 12 picks from local and national media
The Birds will wear their kelly green uniforms on Sunday for the second and final time this season.
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The Eagles, with a 9-1 record through their first 10 games, have so far lived up to the preseason hype as one of the best team in football. Following a big prime-time win over the Chiefs on Monday — the start of a post-bye stretch that also includes the Bills, 49ers, Cowboys, and Seahawks — the Birds have solidified their spot as the best, not just according to their record, but according to analysts around the league as well.
And although they won’t get much of a break on the short week — they’ll host the Bills (6-5) in the second of their two kelly green games at 4:25 p.m. Sunday — their opponent hasn’t quite lived up to its own preseason hype. Still, the Bills should present a challenge for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, who are currently favored by just three points (the standard number typically given for home-field advantage), according to FanDuel.
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But what about the football reporters, writers, and analysts, locally and nationally? As we do each week, let’s take a look at some predictions, starting with our own beat writers ...
Inquirer beat writer predictions
Once again, there’s some disagreement among our beat writers, as not everyone is picking the Eagles to top the Bills. One writer who is? Olivia Reiner, who is changing her preseason pick to favor the Birds ...
For more from Olivia — and to see all our beat writers’ picks — check out our full Week 12 predictions here.
National media predictions
Here’s what those around the country think about Sunday’s game between the Eagles and Bills ...
ESPN.com: After a Chiefs-heavy lean in Week 11, it appears ESPN’s experts have learned their lesson; six of eight are backing the Birds.
NFL.com: Four of five picked against the Eagles last week. Now? All five NFL editors are picking them, and four believe they’ll cover the spread.
CBS Sports: Another flip, with seven of their eight analysts picking the Birds this week, compared to just one a week ago. As for the spread, it seems like their expecting a close game. Just four think the Eagles will cover.
Sports Illustrated: Six of their seven writers think the Eagles top the Bills at home. That win over the Chiefs must have really convinced some people. Either that, or people are starting to go out on the Bills.
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The Ringer: The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia makes his picks against the spread. This week, he’s taking the Bills to cover in a game that “comes down to the wire.”
Yahoo! Sports: Frank Schwab also picks against the spread, and this week he’s taking the Bills (+3), adding that “there are some reasons to believe Buffalo is actually the better team.” Either way, he says they’re the more desperate team, which could help them steal a win in Philly.
The Athletic: Nine of their 10 experts are picking the Eagles.
USA TODAY: Their headline asks if the Eagles should be “on upset alert” this week, and then all of their writers picked them to win. So I guess the answer is no.
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Pro Football Talk: Mike Florio and Chris Simms are picking the Birds over the Bills.
Bleacher Report: After taking shots at some for wrongly picking an Eagles’ loss last week, we’ve got to give the B/R crew some credit — five of their seven experts picked them, and their consensus pick was a two-point win for the Birds. This week, six of seven are picking the Eagles, who they think win and cover.
Sporting News: Bill Bender and Vinnie Iyer have the Eagles winning, but only one has them covering the spread.
Local media predictions
Let’s take a look at who some local writers are picking to win ...
The Buffalo News: All four of their writers predict an Eagles’ win.
PhillyVoice: Beat writer Jimmy Kempski is picking the Eagles.
Bleeding Green Nation: Eight of their nine writers think the Birds win.
Delaware Online: Ten of their 11 writers are picking the Eagles to win.
The Eagles host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest story lines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field.