Super Bowl Odds: Jalen Hurts’ injury doesn’t change Eagles’ position

It’s been less than 24 hours since news broke that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has a shoulder injury that might sideline him for multiple games.

The injury immediately impacted the odds for Philadelphia’s showdown at Dallas on Christmas Eve, with the Cowboys moving from a slight favorite to a near touchdown chalk.

There also was a ripple effect in the NFL MVP odds market, with Hurts going from odds-on favorite early Monday afternoon to the fourth spot in a matter of minutes.

As difficult as Hurts’ sprained shoulder was for Eagles fans to absorb, there was a silver lining: The injury isn’t a season-ender. And because Philadelphia (13-1) already has a bunch of victories in the bank, the team’s standing in the NFC championship and Super Bowl odds markets has not dropped.

In fact, those odds actually have improved.

Note: Odds updated as of 12:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 20.

Officially, Hurts’ status for Saturday’s game in Dallas is uncertain.

Realistically? Gardner Minshew will be under center when the Eagles take the field in Jerry’s World.

Understandably, NFL oddsmakers aren’t supremely confident that Minshew will lead Philadelphia to an upset victory over the Cowboys. However, they’re beyond confident that the Eagles will win at least one of their remaining three games.

That’s why sportsbooks have closed the NFC East betting market — coach Nick Sirianni’s squad needs just one win (or one Dallas loss) to clinch the franchise’s first division title since 2019.

With the division race a foregone conclusion, you can no longer wager on any team to win the NFC East.

Those same oddsmakers also are convinced that Hurts’ injury isn’t long term.

A quick survey of three sportsbooks — BetMGM, Caesars and FanDuel — shows that the Eagles are an overwhelming favorite to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LVII. They also are still holding onto the second position in Super Bowl odds at BetMGM and FanDuel, trailing only the Buffalo Bills.

Looking specifically at BetMGM, Philadelphia’s Super Bowl odds shifted from +500 — third behind the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs — to the +450 second spot following their 48-22 destruction of the New York Giants in Week 14.

After Sunday’s closer-than-expected win in Chicago, the Eagles remained in the second spot at BetMGM, but their Super Bowl odds dipped to +400. Even after Hurts’ injury became public, that price didn’t change.

With Buffalo (+375) holding steady on BetMGM’s Super Bowl odds board after Sunday’s 32-29 home win over the Dolphins, Philadelphia actually closed the gap on the Bills in that particular market.

That gap is a tad wider at FanDuel, which has the Bills at +350 and the Eagles at +460, followed by Kansas City (+500) and San Francisco (+700).

Caesars Sportsbook has the shortest odds on Buffalo (+340) and also has the Chiefs and Eagles flip-flopped. Kansas City (+500) is the second choice to win the NFL title, narrowly ahead of Philadelphia (+525).

So if you’ve hesitated to place a bet on the Eagles to win the Super Bowl and are ready to do so now, Caesars is offering the best value.

You no longer can wager on the Eagles to win the NFC East, but you can throw some cash on them to win the conference. Just know that if you do and Philadelphia indeed advances to its fourth Super Bowl in team history, you won’t get much return on your investment.

That’s because, even after the injury to Hurts, the Eagles’ NFC championship odds have shrunk to near even-money.

As you can see, BetMGM has the shortest price at +140 (down from +165 last week). FanDuel checks in at +160, while Caesars has Philadelphia at +175 to win the NFC.

San Francisco and Dallas are second and third, respectively, at all three sportsbooks. BetMGM and FanDuel have the best NFC championship price on the 49ers (+290) and Cowboys (+450).

Interestingly, at BetMGM, the Eagles are more of a favorite to win the NFC than Buffalo is to take the AFC. The Bills are +180 to reach the Super Bowl, ahead of Kansas City (+225) and the Cincinnati Bengals (+400).

Those are the only three teams with single-digit AFC championship odds at all three sportsbooks.

Obviously, with three weeks left in the regular season, the entire NFL playoff picture remains a bit murky. But one thing is crystal clear: Despite Hurts’ injury, the NFL betting market is still very high on the Eagles.

That’s unlikely to change even if the second-year starter misses a couple of games.

However, if Hurts’ shoulder sprain lingers beyond a couple of weeks or he returns and re-damages it (or another body part)? That’s a different story — one Eagles players, fans and bettors would rather not ponder.

The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.