NFL Pick: 2023 NFC East – Philadelphia Eagles (-125) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
The Eagles came so close to Super Bowl glory last season but one fatal late hit penalty doomed their chances as Kansas City’s Harrison Butker connected on a 27-yeard field goal attempt to give the Chiefs a 38-35 victory over the Eagles and added a second ring to Patrick Mahomes’ finger.
We take a look at the NFL futures as the Eagles look to become the first team to repeat as NFC East champion in the last two decades.
Quick Overview
Here are the current NFC East odds from the top offshore sportsbooks, for the 2023-24 NFL season, as of August 8, 2023.
Key Facts
- Four of Philadelphia’s five dynamic offensive linemen will be returning to protect the franchise, Jalen Hurts, which gives the Eagles an enormous advantage against opposing defenses.
- Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, running back Ezekiel Elliott, and tight end Dalton Schultz have all departed and although Elliot’s skills appeared to be fading, the losses of Moore and Schultz will be difficult for Dallas to replace.
- But even if (Darren) Waller avoids the injury bug, the Giants’ stable of wide receivers is far from elite with Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, and the newly acquired Parris Campbell as the listed starters on New York’s depth chart.
- With all due respect to Sam Howell, a fifth-round pick in 2022 with exactly one NFL game under his belt, how is Washington supposed to compete this season?
Philadelphia Eagles
- 2022 Record (14-3)
- Super Bowl Odds: +700
As tough as it is to start all over after coming up agonizingly short of the ultimate prize, the Eagles have much of their core intact from last season’s successful run as conference champions, to get back to the big game and finish the job.
Four of Philadelphia’s five dynamic offensive linemen will be returning to protect the franchise, Jalen Hurts, which gives the Eagles an enormous advantage against opposing defenses. And although Miles Sanders took the money and ran to Carolina, the Eagles’ running back room was replenished with the talented D’Andre Swift acquired in the offseason coupled with former Seahawks’ first-rounder, Rashaad Penny, signing a one-year deal.
WR Tandem Is Back
We should also note that A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith will be back playing catch with Hurts which makes this offense, barring injuries, perhaps even better with a Super Bowl appearance under its belt. And although the defense lost some solid players, the Eagles restocked the cupboard with a defensive tackle at No. 9 overall, Jalen Carter, and No. 30 overall, outside linebacker, Nolan Smith, both key components of last year’s college football national champions, the Georgia Bulldogs.
The Eagles are the prohibitive favorites for a reason and will not only win the division for your NFL picks but could very well represent the NFC in the Super Bowl yet again.
Dallas Cowboys
- 2022 Record (12-5)
- Super Bowl Odds: +1400
This is Dak Prescott’s year to shine and bring Jerry Jones the Lombardi Trophy he so desperately covets. But the Cowboys will have to make the playoffs to win the Super Bowl and I’m not so sure they will be better than the 12-5 team they trotted out last season.
Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, running back Ezekiel Elliott, and tight end Dalton Schultz have all departed and although Elliot’s skills appeared to be fading, the losses of Moore and Schultz will be difficult for Dallas to replace.
The Cowboys did sign veteran wideout Brandin Cooks, and should Michael Gallup stay healthy while Cee Dee Lamb continues his trajectory as one of the game’s elite pass catchers, this will be a winning trifecta for Prescott as long as his new OC, Brian Schottenheimer, can use them as efficiently as Moore. The Dallas offensive line is also one of the best in the business and should be stout again this season.
No Tight End Here
Nevertheless, the lack of a go-to tight end like Schultz won’t help the cause and I highly doubt second-year player, Jake Ferguson, or rookie second-round pick, Luke Schoonmaker (already injured), will be able to adequately replace the big man.
The Dallas defense is solid just about everywhere except in the trenches. However, they did shore up that deficiency by drafting a mammoth run-stopper in Michigan defensive tackle, Mazi Smith, when they chose him in the opening round. They also added veteran Stephon Gilmore, and although he is not the shutdown corner he once was, he is definitely a welcome addition to this defensive backfield.
I don’t believe the Cowboys will regress all that much this season considering their additions and the fact that Tony Pollard will no longer split time with the fading Elliot but Prescott working in a new system gives me cause for pause, and as Dak goes, so too go the Cowboys.
New York Giants
- 2022 Record (9-7-1)
- Super Bowl Odds: +7500
The Giants’ offensive line improved markedly last season which not so coincidentally saw a vast improvement from quarterback Daniel Jones. Teams must understand that quarterbacks need protection if they are to be able to maximize their potential and effectiveness. The Giants got the memo and it served them well under new head coach Brian Daboll.
Saquon Barkley got a bump in pay but it wasn’t the long-term mega-deal he was seeking. However, he is healthy and that’s an automatic win for the Giants as Barkley is one of the best running backs in the league and should enjoy another dynamic season as long as he remains injury-free.
New York improved at tight end when they traded for Raiders’ big body, Darren Waller, in the offseason but he has been dealing with injuries ever since his phenomenal Pro Bowl season in 2020. But even if Waller avoids the injury bug, the Giants’ stable of wide receivers is far from elite with Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, and the newly acquired Parris Campbell as the listed starters on New York’s depth chart.
Weak Secondary
Despite having two outstanding defensive linemen in Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams, the Giants’ linebacking corps is weak while its secondary isn’t much better. Improvement from the team’s No. 4 overall pick in 2022, Kayvon Thibodeaux, is expected from the linebacker after a middling rookie campaign.
But there just isn’t much depth in Big Blue’s defense which will be a liability again this season after they ended last year ranked 25th in total yards allowed, 27th against the run, and in the lower half of the league in points allowed.
It would be nice if the Giants had more dynamic receivers and shored up their secondary but they resemble pretty much what they were last year, a click above a mediocre team as evidenced by their 9-8 record.
Washington Commanders
- 2022 Record (8-8-1)
- Super Bowl Odds: +10,000
If winning in the NFL demands a Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati, or McLaren under center then why are the Commanders content to roll out a Buick? With all due respect to Sam Howell, a fifth-round pick in 2022 with exactly one NFL game under his belt, how is Washington supposed to compete this season against the NFL odds?
Maybe Howell blossoms into a fine quarterback, perhaps even a perennial Pro Bowler, but we are not concerned with the career trajectory of Sam Howell, we are focused on the Washington Commanders’ prospects in 2023.
Talented Receivers
Yet, one thing Howell has going for him is a talented stable of receivers led by Terry McLaurin and complemented ably by last year’s first-round pick, Jahan Dotson, and sneaky-good veteran Curtis Samuel. The trick for Howell will be working behind an aging and pedestrian offensive line that will make it more difficult for him to target his receivers while his running backs will often search for daylight where there is only darkness.
Defensively, the Commanders will be in good shape as they were ranked third in total yards allowed (304.6 YPG), fourth against the pass (191.3 YPG), and seventh in points allowed (20.2 PPG) last year.
Defense Gets Stronger
Instead of reinforcing their offensive line or grabbing an available quarterback like Kentucky’s Will Levis or Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, they bolstered their secondary with Mississippi State playmaking-cornerback, Emmanuel Forbes, as their 16th overall pick and then went back to the same defensive well when they selected Illinois safety, Jartavius Martin, in the second round.
Perhaps their third-round pick, Arkansas center Ricky Stromberg, or their fourth-round selection of Utah guard Braeden Daniels will provide support in front of Howell. But there are too many question marks with the man under center and the bodyguards in front of him to give the Commanders a chance at anything north of seven wins this year.
NFL Pick: 2023 NFC East – Philadelphia Eagles (-125) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
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