Eagles vs. Commanders predictions: Local and national picks for Wentz’s first game against Philly

Who is picking the Eagles? And who is picking against them? Here’s a look at some predictions from the local and national media as the Birds get set to face Carson Wentz and the Commanders on Sunday.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts looks over to his receivers, including A.J. Brown (11), while calling a play against the Minnesota Vikings during Week 2.Read moreHeather Khalifa / Staff Photographer

by Matt Mullin

Published Sept. 24, 2022, 5:00 a.m. ET

The Eagles are 2-0 and are getting some Super Bowl buzz following a primetime win over the Vikings in their home opener on Monday night. Next up? A date with Carson Wentz and the Commanders, which should provide plenty of storylines given the former Eagles first-round pick’s unceremonious exit in Philly.

And for the biggest storyline of all, you needn’t look any further than the quarterback Wentz will be facing, Jalen Hurts. Hurts replaced him with four games left to go in the 2020 season, which would prove to be Wentz’s last in Philly. Now, for the first time since his departure, Wentz will be facing his old team — and the QB who took his job.

Not only that, but he’ll be facing a more formidable Eagles team than the one he left behind, one that’s now not only the favorite to win the NFC East, but also among the teams with the shortest odds to win the Super Bowl. Oddsmakers remain bullish on the Birds in this matchup as well, as FanDuel has the Eagles as near touchdown favorites on the road.

So who is picking the Eagles? And who is picking against them? Let’s just say it’s about as one-sided as it gets. Here’s a look at some predictions from the local and national media, starting right here with our own Eagles beat writers ...

Inquirer beat writer predictions

For the second time in three weeks, our writers are unanimous in their pick, although they all differ in how they got to that decision. Let’s take a look at what EJ Smith, who is picking the Eagles by two scores, is thinking ahead of this Week 3 matchup.

The Eagles will have a talent advantage in each of the next couple games, but advantages on paper don’t always matter on Sundays.

This matchup has a couple factors that could lead to volatility. Wentz’s first time playing against the Eagles since he requested a trade in 2021 is certain to evoke some emotion from the Commanders quarterback. It would be naive to suggest this game doesn’t have some additional meaning for Wentz. It’s just a matter of how that impacts his play. NFC East games are also prone to chaos, which Wentz specializes in.

Wentz could channel his additional energy into a strong performance. It’s also possible the circumstances cause him to press, and when he presses, things can get ugly. ...

EJ Smith

For the rest of EJ’s prediction, as well as Jeff McLane’s and Josh Tolentino’s, check out our full predictions here.

National media predictions

Here’s a look at what those around the country have to say about this week’s Eagles-Commanders game ...

· ESPN.com: It’s unanimous, with all nine of their experts predicting an Eagles win on Sunday.

· NFL.com: Gregg Rosenthal is riding with the Eagles for the third week in a row (and again has them covering the spread). If it ain’t broke ...

· CBS Sports: Another clean sweep, with all eight of CBS Sports’ football experts taking the Eagles over the Commanders. When it comes to covering the spread, however, there’s a bit less confidence.

· Sports Illustrated: All five of the MMQB’s football writers are picking the Eagles to win.

· Yahoo! Sports: Frank Schwab didn’t pick a winner, but he called picking the Commanders to cover the 6.5-point spread “an easy pick” and said the line was an “overreaction.” We’ll find out on Monday.

· The Ringer: Like Schwab, Sheil Kapadia of The Ringer only makes picks against the spread. Unlike Schwab, he believes the Eagles will both win and cover in this one.

· The Athletic: Ten experts picking straight up. Ten picks for the Eagles. Are we starting to see a trend?

· USA TODAY: Yes, it’s definitely a trend. All seven of USA TODAY’s prognosticators are taking the Birds.

· Pro Football Talk: Mike Florio and Michael David Smith are unanimous in picking the Eagles.

· Bleacher Report: While three of their seven experts think the Commanders will cover, the consensus from their staff is an Eagles win and cover.

Local media predictions

Before we move on to the local picks, it’s worth noting that not a single writer listed above picked the Commanders to win the game. Let’s see if that changes when we look locally.

· The Washington Post: Neil Greenberg of WaPo makes picks against the spread. This week he has the Eagles winning and covering.

· PhillyVoice: All six of their writers are picking the Birds.

· Bleeding Green Nation: No surprises here as all six writers at BGN are taking the Eagles.

· NJ.com: At last! We finally have someone picking against the Eagles straight up — and it’s a former Inquirer writer — as four of their five writers are going with Philly on Sunday.

There you have it. Over 60 predictions counted, and just one brave soul is picking the Eagles to lose. That’s so overwhelmingly positive that it’s almost worrisome. We’ll find out on Sunday.