Week 11 of the NFL season kicks off with a fabulous Thursday Night Football matchup between the Commanders and Eagles. Check out our betting preview for all the info you need to pad your bankroll. Enjoy the game and good luck with all of your wagers!
There hasn't been a ton of movement on the side so far. Oddsmakers opened up this line at Philly -3.5 on the lookahead line and that's still where we sit as of Tuesday morning. There was some initial money on Washington that briefly sent the line to Philly -3, but that number didn't last long.
As for the total, there has been some interest in the Under. Online sportsbooks opened the number at 50 but that has since been bet down to the 48.5 to 49 range. I was a little surprised by that move, especially since we're getting two solid offenses in this matchup.
The Commanders have been one of the league's biggest surprises in 2024, but they come into this game off a heartbreaking loss to the Steelers. Dan Quinn will have to quickly rally the troops for this huge divisional game on Thursday against arguably one of the most balanced offenses in the NFL.
It's hard to say enough good things about Jayden Daniels, who has basically sewed up the Rookie of the Year award as long as he stays healthy. The former Heisman Trophy winner is a true dual-threat QB and it's been remarkable how quickly he's matured. Behind Daniels's leadership, this offense is averaging 29 points per game, which ranks 3rd in the league.
There's not much to like about the Washington defense, at least as far as the metrics are concerned. The Commanders rank just 28th in yards per rush allowed and 22nd in yards per pass allowed. That said, they do a phenomenal job of rushing the passer and Dante Fowler Jr. has already registered 8.5 sacks.
As expected, the Eagles blew out a Cowboys team last week that was without Dak Prescott. That victory pushed Philadelphia to a 7-2 record on the season and they look to be the team to beat in the NFC East. Philly has won 5 straight games since their bye week, so current form is definitely on their side.
Jalen Hurts had some turnover troubles earlier in the season, but he's played pretty well over the last month or so. The former Alabama/Oklahoma star has thrown for 1,976 yards and 12 touchdowns so far in 2024. Hurts has a plethora of guys to throw to, as AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Saquon Barkley are some of the best playmakers in the business.
The Eagles defense is one of the best in football against the pass, as they rank 1st in yards per pass allowed and 3rd in passing yards allowed per game. Linebacker Zack Baun leads the team with 87 tackles this season.
Washington's defense scares me, but I think they'll bring an inspired effort after blowing last week's game against Pittsburgh. Their overall numbers are ugly on that side of the ball, but I'm expecting them to use lots of disguised blitzes to make Hurts uncomfortable. That's usually when he tends to throw errant passes that are either tipped or picked off.
As good as Philly's defense is, I think Washington can have some success on the ground in this game. The Commanders average 1.8 rushing TDs per game, which is the most in the league. Philly may win, but not by more than a field goal.
Prediction: Eagles 24 - Commanders 23