The Washington Commanders and the Philadelphia Eagles meet Sunday in NFL Conference Championship playoffs action from Lincoln Financial Field. Here’s a Eagles vs Commanders Prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Eagles vs Commanders pick.
Washington Commanders Betting Preview
It’s been a wild season in Washington. The Commanders opened on a pretty great run, then looked sunk following a three-game losing streak in November. Since then however, Washington has surged on an epic winning streak, defying all odds on their way to the Conference Championship Game. The Commanders kicked things off on a 7-2 run with losses to Tampa Bay and Baltimore, then hit that three-game skid with losses to the Steelers, Eagles and Cowboys. Washington powered their way into the playoffs with wins over the Titans, Saints, Eagles, Falcons and Cowboys to finish off the regular season on a 12-5 overall record. Following an intense Wild Card win over the Buccaneers, the Commanders shocked the Lions last weekend in their Divisional Round matchup.
On Saturday in Detroit, Washington was close to a double-digit dog but still found a way to win with an impressive performance. The Commanders pummeled the Lions with a whopping 28 points in the second quarter alone, then finished off on a 14-10 second half for a 45-31 road victory. Jayden Daniels led the team with 299 yards and two scores, while Brian Robinson had 15 carries for 77 yards and two touchdowns of his own. Dyami Brown was the leading receiver with six grabs for 98 yards, and Terry McLaurin had a solid game on four catches for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Philadelphia Eagles Betting Preview
Over on the Eagles’ side, they had some early bumps in the road but since their early bye week they’ve looked great. Philadelphia opened on a 2-2 run with losses to the Falcons and Buccaneers, then hit a win streak out of their Week 5 bye. Those victories came over the Browns, Giants, Bengals, Jaguars, Cowboys, Commanders, Rams, Ravens, Panthers and Steelers. Following the Week 16 loss to Washington, Philadelphia finished up with wins over Dallas and the Giants for a 14-3 regular-season run. Since then the Eagles have dispatched the Packers and Rams in a pair of playoff appearances.
Matched up against the Rams during a snowy game on Sunday, the Eagles held a slim 16-15 edge by the end of the third. Philly finished strong on a 12-7 fourth quarter though, powering out the win 28-22. QB Jalen Hurts could only muster 128 pass yards in the tough conditions, but also rushed seven times for 70 yards and a score. Saquon Barkley had 205 rush yards and a pair of touchdowns on 26 carries, though. Leading the receivers during the big victory was Dallas Goedert with four catches for 56 yards. Barkley also caught four balls for 27 yards.
Why the Philadelphia Eagles will win
- The Eagles have won 15 of their last 16 games at Lincoln Financial Field against teams that held a winning record.
- The Commanders have lost eight of their last nine road games against NFC East opponents on a winning streak.
- The Commanders have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four games as underdogs when playing with a rest advantage.
- The Eagles have covered the spread in five of their last six games against NFC East opponents.
- The Eagles have won the first half in each of their last 11 Sunday games.
- The Eagles have won the first quarter in each of their last four games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Eagles have scored the first touchdown in each of their last 12 Sunday games as home favorites.
Why the Washington Commanders will win
- The Commanders have won each of their last seven games.
- The Commanders have covered the spread in each of their last five games as underdogs following a road win.
- The Eagles have failed to cover the spread in four of their last five games when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- The Commanders have won the first quarter in three of their last four January games as underdogs against NFC East opponents.
- The Commanders have scored the first touchdown in each of their last five Sunday games at Lincoln Financial Field.
- The Commanders have won the first half in five of their last six games at Lincoln Financial Field.
Total Points Facts
- Twelve of the Eagles’ last 13 January games as favorites have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Each of the Commanders’ last six games against the Eagles following a win have gone OVER the total points line.
Philadelphia Eagles Player Prop Facts
- Saquon Barkley has scored two touchdowns in each of his last three appearances against the Commanders.
- Saquon Barkley has recorded 150+ rushing and receiving yards in four of his last five appearances against NFC East opponents.
- Jalen Hurts has recorded 207+ passing yards in each of his last four home appearances against NFC East opponents.
- Saquon Barkley has recorded 18+ receiving yards in each of his five previous home appearances against the Commanders.
- Jalen Hurts has recorded 36+ rushing yards in each of his last nine appearances with the Eagles as favorites.
- Saquon Barkley has scored at least one touchdown in each of his last six appearances against the Commanders.
- Saquon Barkley ranked 1st in the NFL in rushing yards (2005) during the reg. season.
Washington Commanders Player Prop Facts
- Terry McLaurin has scored at least one touchdown in each of the Commanders’ last six games as underdogs following a win.
- Jayden Daniels has recorded 22+ completions in each of the Commanders’ last six games as underdogs.
- Austin Ekeler has recorded 58+ rushing and receiving yards in 24 of his last 28 appearances following a win.
- Jayden Daniels has recorded 233+ passing yards in each of the Commanders’ last six games as underdogs following a win.
- Austin Ekeler has recorded 26+ receiving yards in each of his last seven appearances with his team as an underdog against NFC opponents.
- Brian Robinson has recorded 45+ rushing yards in each of the Commanders’ last four games as road underdogs against NFC East opponents.
- Heading into the Conference Championships, Jayden Daniels has recorded the equal-most passing touchdowns in a single game this season (5 vs Eagles, Week 16).
Eagles vs Commanders Prediction
I’ll take a stab on the Commanders. The Cardiac Kids of Washington need just one more win to conquer the NFC, and during this epic run of seven straight victories it seems anything is possible. Considering the Commanders had won five straight by six points or fewer as they were heading into last weekend’s showdown with Detroit. It was something of a shock to see Washington come away with a two-score victory on the road against a tough squad. The Commanders gathered 481 yards of offense (299 passing) in that one, along with 27 first downs. The defense gave up a whopping 521 yards on the other side, but also forced five turnovers (four interceptions) which ultimately dampened any hopes the Lions had at winning.
As for Philly, they’re coming off a gutsy win over the Rams in some pretty rough weather conditions. The Eagles lost 63 yards on seven sacks but made up for it with 285 rush yards and a couple of key fumble recoveries on defense. For what it’s worth, Philadelphia hasn’t gotten past 28 points in six of their last eight games. If that trend holds it’ll be another close one.
These teams know each other well: Philly won the November 14 game 26-18 at home, and Washington returned the favor with a home win of their own 36-33 on December 22. The Eagles are likely going to try and pound the rush early and often in this second rematch, so the Commanders’ run stuffers will need to be on point in order to help get the defense off the field quickly. It’s yet another tricky matchup for Washington, but at this point they’re no strangers to adversity. Should be a great game; don’t miss this one.