Philadelphia Eagles-New Orleans Saints Betting Tips & Picks

Quick Tips:

• Bet Saints -8 over Eagles with 888Sport.
• Bet Eagles-Saints under 56 with SugarHouse.
• Bet Saints to score first at -175 with 888Sport.

Philadelphia Eagles Storylines

Odds of the defending Super Bowl champs making the postseason this year took a big hit when the Eagles lost 27-20 Sunday night to the Cowboys. The Eagles (4-5) once again fell under .500 and trail NFC East leader Washington by two games.

The Eagles still haven’t won consecutive games this season and remain inconsistent both offensively and defensively. Despite a major jump in Carson Wentz’s completion percentage and passer rating, the Eagles have scored more than 28 points just once this year.

Despite a top-10 defense, the Eagles have allowed 37 total points in the fourth quarters of their last three games. Now they have to travel to the Superdome to face an unstoppable Saints team that hasn’t lost since the season opener.

New Orleans Storylines

The Saints made their claim last Sunday as the NFL’s best overall team, scoring 51 points outdoors in Cincinnati to win their eighth straight game.

They have leapfrogged the Eagles to lead the NFL in time of possession thanks to another brilliant season from Drew Brees, who has 21 touchdowns passes and just one interception, and some exceptional weapons in versatile halfback Alvin Kamara and receiver Mike Thomas.

The Saints get a lot of mileage out of Thomas, the NFL leader in catches, and Kamara, who has the league’s seventh-most offensive yards. Their offensive and defensive lines are also better than people realize.

Defensively, the Saints are average but they can outscore anyone, as shown in a 10-point win over the Rams and 24-point win over Washington, two current NFC division leaders.

Eagles-Saints Injury Update

The Eagles seemingly lose a starter for the rest of the season every game. The latest is right cornerback Ronald Darby, who tore his ACL against the Cowboys.

The Eagles are decimated in the secondary, which is a major issue when facing the Saints. Left corner Jalen Mills is unlikely to play because of a foot injury, leaving Rasul Douglas and possibly Sidney Jones to comprise the outside CB tandem.

The Cowboys picked on Douglas for some big plays and Jones, who’s been out since Week 6 with a hamstring injury, has only played the slot this year. Jones was built to play outside though, so the team’s injury situation could be a blessing in disguise if it means Jones plays his natural position.

Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson is hoping to play after missing the Cowboys game with a knee sprain.

After Dez Bryant tore his Achilles last week during his first practice, the Saints signed veteran Brandon Marshall, who should see some time Sunday. Left tackle Terron Armstead has an injured pec and is reportedly out a few weeks.

The Saints will go with backup Jermon Bushrod, a veteran who’s started 123 career games. Rookie defensive end Marcus Davenport missed the last game with a toe injury and is expected to miss the game. The promising rookie has four sacks.

Eagles-Saints Betting Tips and Picks

Here are some things for NFL betting fans to consider in this matchup:

Point Spread

888Sport has the Saints as an 8-point favorite, and the Eagles could be walking into a buzz saw here. They’re ravaged by injuries in the secondary and leaning heavily on several young, inexperienced players, which invites Brees and the league’s No. 1 scoring offense to attack through the air.

The Saints are clicking on all cylinders while the Eagles have struggled all season with consistency. If there’s going to be a lopsided score here, it’ll be the Saints blowing out the Eagles. Take the Saints -8 with 888Sport.

Over/Under Total

It’s easy to think this will be a high-scoring game between because of the quarterbacks involved and because the Saints have the No. 1 ranked offense but this showdown pits the No. 1 vs. No. 2 time-of-possession teams against each other.

Karamba has the total set at 56, as both teams are more known for piecing together long, sustained drives that drain time off the clock as opposed to explosive quick-scoring drives.

The Saints are coming off a 51-point explosion, but in Brees’ career they’ve averaged just under 24 points per game when coming off 50-point efforts.

The Eagles average just under 26 points per game on the road this year, a number inflated by a 34-point effort against the Giants and overtime game against the Titans. The most they’ve scored in any other road game is 24 points. Take the under with SugarHouse.

First Team to Score

Odds are, it won’t matter which teams opens with possession. The Eagles have been terrible all year on their opening possession. Only twice this season have they scored any points on their first drive, and one of those scoring drives came from a turnover that staked them inside the New York Giants’ 20.

The Saints have scored on their first possession six times in nine games, with touchdowns on all six. Take the Saints to score first at -175 with 888Sport.