Join our Bored members in the Livefyre comments section below as we sweat out what could be a tough road win against the Lions.
OddsShark.com has the Eagles as a 3.5 point favorite, with the Over/Under set at 46 points.
Odds Shark computer prediction handicapping models run on this game pick a 25-18 victory for the Eagles. [View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NFL matchups here.]
“Philadelphia has looked like the real deal through the first month of the regular season, winning each of its first three games by at least 15 points, including an impressive 34-3 rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. In their last 17 games coming off a bye, the Eagles are 15-2 Straight Up and 11-5-1 Against The Spread.”
The game also pits Detroit’s No. 13-ranked offense, averaging 23.75 PPG, against a Eagles defense that ranks No. 1 this week at 9 PPG. The Lions aerial game is averaging 283.75 yards per game, more than the Eagles secondary allows through the air, 203.33 YPG per game.
Defensively, the Philadelphia Eagles feature the league’s No. 4-rated road run defense, allowing 64 yards per game. The Detroit Lions, meanwhile, rank No. 8 in rushing offense at home.
In Philadelphia’s last outing, Carson Wentz threw for 301 yards to lead the Eagles (3-0) over Pittsburgh 34-3 at Lincoln Financial Field. In their last game, the Lions (1-3) were Week 4 losers coming out on the wrong end of 17-14 score against Chicago.
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Cosell’s Eight Things To Watch Sunday:
In his preparation for Sunday’s game, NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell studied Detroit’s first four games and came away with the following things to keep an EYE on:
Lions On Offense
1. The Lions are predominantly a shotgun offense. You will even see significant snaps out of the pistol formation. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is not under center very often.
2. Last week against Chicago, the Lions’ offensive line struggled in the first half, both in the run game and pass protection. It was particularly noticeable in pass protection, as Stafford never felt comfortable.
3. Stafford has good mobility. His legs can be a factor both scrambling for first downs and moving to throw. When he moves, the defense must not give up coverage because he will throw down the field. He keeps good field vision on the move.
Lions On Defense
1. The Lions feature a 10-man rotation along the defensive line with a lot of moving parts. But with Ezekiel Ansah out, they do not have an edge player an offense must account for.
2. One matchup you can get when you play 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) with offset back versus the Lions’ base 4-3 is linebacker Tahir Whitehead matched on the back in the passing game. That’s a matchup to look for versus the Eagles with Wendell Smallwood and Darren Sproles.
3. Lions featured under fronts in their base 4-3 with Kyle Van Noy the strongside linebacker aligned on the line of scrimmage. Whitehead and Antwione Williams were the stacked linebackers. The Lions are an under-over front defense in their base 4-3.
4. Lions also played quarters and one robber in addition to two-man coverages out of dime on third-and-long. Detroit likes to feature different coverage looks on third-and-long. Fran Duffy delved more into detail about how the Lions attack in this down-and-distance situation.
5. Detroit is not a high-percentage blitz defense. The Lions rely on four-man defensive line rush out of nickel and dime subpackages.
Here we go!! And remember, the game is supposed to be fun to watch, so easy on the anxiety factor otherwise known as “Brimidity”…
And bless their hearts, the Detroit Lions’ cheerleaders are especially pretty to look at this year, too! They’re all rookies! The team finally relented to public opinion pressure and got their first cheerleader squad ever this season.
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