The Eagles hype is growing. Philadelphia has won seven straight since its Week 2 loss in Kansas City, maintaining the best record in the NFL at 8-1.
After entering the season with 65-1 odds and projected to finish third in the NFC East, the Eagles are heavy favorites to win the NFC and have closed the gap between them and the Patriots in Westgate SuperBook’s Super Bowl odds. The Eagles hold 4-1 odds to win their first-ever Super Bowl, while the Patriots are 7-2 to repeat.
According to ESPN, another sportsbook has the Eagles favored over the Patriots:
“They’re legit, well-coached, well-quarterbacked,” said South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews, who last week moved the Eagles (7-2) ahead of the Patriots (4-1) in his Super Bowl odds.
The Eagles have played the second-weakest schedule of any team with at least six wins, only ahead of the Rams. But they massacred their opposition during a three-game home stand that just concluding, comfortably beating Washington behind a monster game from Carson Wentz before blowing out the 49ers and the Broncos.
Although the Broncos have struggled with four straight losses, they still had the No. 1 defense entering Week 9, and the Eagles hung 51 points on them. Philadelphia had already crept onto the Super Bowl radar, but adding running back Jay Ajayi, who debuted against Denver with eight rushes for 77 yards and a touchdown, has only made them a more imposing presence around the league. Philadelphia is the NFL’s version of this year’s Yankees: a young team hoping for a growth season where a wild card berth would be a big success. Instead, they’re ahead of schedule and improbably in the thick of a title race.
The Eagles have a tough stretch coming up. They play four of their next five on the road, including games against the Cowboys, the Seahawks and the Rams. But that may not phase the gambling crowd.
After all, Philadelphia is 7-2 against the spread this season.
[ESPN]
