Preseason football is finally here. The Philadelphia Eagles will lock horns with the New York Jets on Friday in their preseason opener. There is naturally a lot of excitement surrounding this years’ team, but when it comes to betting, should you be backing the Eagles to win on Friday night?
Betting preview
Because it’s preseason, we usually see games listed as a pick’em. This just means that both teams are given the same odds/handicap as there’s very little to choose between them in a game where starters are only really going to be active for a quarter or so at most. With that said, there could still be some value here.
The Eagles are -1.5 favorites over the Jets and it is safe to say that their depth charts are very contrasting. New York really lacks depth at most spots, and if we’re talking basics, the quartet of Zach Wilson, Mike White, Joe Flacco, and Chris Streveler really do pale in comparison to Jalen Hurts, Gardner Minshew, and Carson Strong.
The matchup
What Philadelphia really has in its favor is the fact that their cornerback group is incredibly deep. There is a chance that names like Tay Gowan, Mario Goodrich, and Josh Jobe all play a sizable chunk of the game and will matchup against a WR depth chart that quickly drops off after Elijah Moore and Corey Davis. Is Denzel Mims really a threat?
In terms of the run game, the Eagles are stacked on the defensive line and the starting linebackers from one year ago are now vying for rotational roles. We’ll also see a healthy case of Nakobe Dean. Are we really expecting the Jets to run the ball on such an intimidating group?
All signs pointing to a stalemate
This just feels as though the Jets are outmatched in every positional comparison. Preseason may not be ultimately that competitive and scoring may be minimal, but if we can bank on anything, it’s the strength of this Eagles defense.
Nick Sirianni mentioned that the prowess of Gannon’s unit has really been a key factor in why the offense, and Hurts in particular, has been a little inconsistent at times. With the likes of T.J Edwards, Davion Taylor, Milton Williams, Jaquiski Tarrt likely all playing with the second and third-string units, it’s just hard to imagine the Jets being able to do much of anything on offense.
Eagles vs Jets betting picks
The total for this game is 35 points. If we assume the starting units maybe score 14 between them, you’re banking on the Eagles defense surrendering 10 points and the Jets surrendering 10. Preseason totals are risky, but the Jets do boast a pretty deep defense.
Parlaying an Eagles -1.5 win and an Under on the 35 points total would give you odds of +272. A $100 bet on this parlay would net you a $372 return.
The good news is that you can get a risk-free bet on this game by signing up to DraftKings using the links on this page, giving you a free shot at near $400!
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Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
