Here are the Eagles’ and opponents’ win totals, and Super Bowl odds | Sports betting notes
The Birds' win total for 2021 is around 6.5 or 7, depending on the sports book. It's a losing record but an improvement over their four wins from last season.
The Eagles’ win total is 6.5 at the Borgata, with the over juiced at -150 and the under at +125; it’s 7.0 at William Hill at +130/-150. Something to keep in mind with a trip to Denver on the Eagles’ itinerary is that Aaron Rodgers, should he end up there, is 5-1 all-time against the Birds.
The action around the Birds at sportsbooks is mostly quiet, however. New coaching staff, quarterback Jalen Hurts has three losses in four career starts, and the team coming off the sad trombone of a 4-11-1 season. There are questions all around.
“I didn’t see him as a starting NFL quarterback,” DraftKings director of operations Johnny Avello said of Hurts. “I do like that he’s a winner and gives everything he has to win. I just never thought it would get to this point, where he’d be a starter this soon.”
DraftKings has the Eagles at +260 to make the playoffs, -335 to miss them. They’re +500 to win the NFC East. Remember, there’s a 17th game this season and an extra wild-card spot per conference.
Rodgers rumors rile sportsbooks
There probably won’t be a ton of activity at the betting windows related to Wednesday night’s release of the NFL schedule. At least not from the amateur players. The sharp guys, though, they’ll be fishing for an edge. That’s what makes them pros.
“Not that we didn’t know who was playing,” said Avello, “but we’ll see whether there are back-to-back games” with short rest, etc.
“The players are going to look at that and make their plays,” he said. “I would think there would be a little more action tomorrow than there has been the last few weeks.”
It’s usually a quiet time of year for NFL wagering, but that peace was broken when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Aaron Rodgers is unhappy and wants out of Green Bay.
“Right after all the news came out around the draft, we took all the Green Bay futures off the board,” said Tom Gable, sportsbook director for the Borgata in Atlantic City. “We took the whole division down, actually, for a good five to six days. There definitely seems to be some steam on Denver [since they’re] a rumored spot for him. I don’t know if that will happen, but Denver’s price dropped.”
The Broncos have cap space, all of their first-round picks the next couple years, and a road map provided by Peyton Manning of winning with a Hall of Fame quarterback in the twilight of his career.
» READ MORE: Eagles’ 2021 schedule will feature Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady ... and maybe Aaron Rodgers?
Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading for William Hill-US, said his number for the Broncos to win the Super Bowl was 75-1. “We moved them from 75-1 to 25-1 to 20-1,” he said. “If they don’t get Rodgers, we’ll raise them back up. But if they do get him, it’ll just go lower.”
This and that
The Eagles’ home schedule is projected to be much more difficult if DraftKings’ win totals are on the mark. All five of the non-divisional teams that will visit the Eagles have win totals of nine or more, including Kansas City (12.5) and Tampa Bay (11.5).
BetMGM has a prop on where each team will finish in its division. In the NFC East, the Eagles are +425 to win, +300 for second, +220 for third, and +170 for fourth. The Cowboys are +100 to win, +1200 to come in last.
PointsBet’s over/under for DeVonta Smith’s receiving yards is 750.5 at -115 both sides. The Eagles’ first-round pick is 14-1 at DraftKings to win offensive rookie of the year, 16-1 at PointsBet.
Carson Wentz and the Colts’ win total is around 10.
William Hill is holding Super Bowl liabilities of $5,000 on the Browns at 22-1, $10,000 on Dallas at 30-1 and $5,000 on the Jets at 150-1. “The Cowboys always draw money regardless,” said Bogdanovich. “Dak [Prescott] looked great before he got hurt, and people think he will make a full recovery. I think they helped themselves on defense this offseason. Dallas certainly has a puncher’s chance.”
What are the odds?
In sports betting, as in life, it pays to shop around. A $100 bet on the Eagles to win the NFC East at BetMGM would win $425. At DraftKings, it would pay $500. And at a FanDuel book, it would fetch $550. Feeling good about the Birds? FanDuel is the move.
Sportsbooks generally have the same win totals for each NFL team, but the odds will differ. The Eagles’ win total is 6.5 at the three houses sampled by The Inquirer. But in order to win $100 on over 6.5 wins, bettors would have to bet $130 at FanDuel, $150 at BetMGM and $155 at DraftKings. Think Dak Prescott’s return gives the Cowboys the division? DraftKings has the best odds.