Indianapolis Colts vs. Philadelphia Eagles Pick & Prediction

Indianapolis Colts (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS)
NFL Week 3
When: Sunday, September 23rd 2018 – 1:00 PM ET
Where: Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia, PA
TV: FOX
By: Keith Franks, NFL Football Handicapper, Predictem.com

Spread: Indianapolis +6 / Philadelphia -6
Total: 47.5

The Indianapolis Colts and the Philadelphia Eagles will square off in an AFC vs. NFC collision where the South meets the East at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, September 23rd. The game is scheduled for a kick-off time of 1:00 PM ET and will be televised on FOX. The two teams last met in 2014 where the Eagles emerged victorious against the Colts by a score of 30-27 in Indianapolis. In doing so, Philadelphia managed a straight-up win despite closing as a field goal underdog. Overall, Philadelphia has won the last two contests between both sides. From a trend perspective Indianapolis covered on five consecutive occasions dating back to 1999 before Philadelphia managed to break that streak with the aforementioned win in 2014.

After losing at home in Week One against Cincinnati, the Colts responded with a convincing 21-9 win on the road in D.C. against the Washington Redskins. In this scenario, the Colts orchestrated the upset as a six-point underdog. On the day, Indy’s chief offensive engine quarterback, Andrew Luck was responsible for hurling two touchdowns on the day. The Colts are delighted in the return of their franchise quarterback from yet another injury in 2017.

The problem with the Colts has always been the fact they have been engineered to more or less be a one man show. However, Luck has yet to have a true signature performance or break-out game since he came back under center. As a result, the Colts offense has not been any means ignited yet as they averaging a pedestrian 22 points per game (19th in the NFL) and 330.5 yards of total offense per game which also places Indianapolis at 19th in the league in this category as well. The good news is that is from a match-up perspective Luck maybe primed for a proficient outing as the Eagles are ranked 28th in the league against the pass with an affable 309 yards per game being given up to opponents.

After a thrilling win to kick off the NFL season on the Thursday Night season opener against the Atlanta Falcons that resulted in a goal-line stand, the defending NFL Champions suffered a huge 27-21 let-down loss on the road at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week as a three-point choice. The aforementioned Philadelphia secondary was unable to stop Bucs quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick who accrued 402 yards through the air and four touchdown passes.

As a whole, a common topic of conversation regarding Philadelphia is whether or not the Eagles will suffer a Super Bowl hangover. With the first two weeks of the regular season in the books, it can be inferred overall that perhaps The Birds are indeed a bit sluggish from drinking the Kool Aid. But then again, the jury is out on whether or not Tampa Bay was as bad as they were made out to be with Jameis Winston being suspended for the first three games. After all, journeyman signal caller Ryan Fitzpatrick has displayed an uncanny ability to empower teams to play above their station, just check his credentials at Buffalo, the Jets, and Houston in his previous exploits. The man is nothing short of a folk hero.

When you back Philadelphia you can expect to pay a premium to do so albeit they are the reigning champions. This propensity is even greater when the Eagles are at home since they are known for their distinct advantage in the City of Brotherly Love. When the popular presumption is thrown into the mix that Indianapolis cannot win on the road the likelihood of Philly being prone to an overlay is that much greater. However, if such an angle were always true Indy would lose every time they are on the road and meanwhile they just won big in one of the most hostile environments in all of the NFL. Look for Andrew Luck to have a big day at the office here as the Colts will yield a focused passing attack against the Eagles porous secondary. Whilst there is a fair amount of points on the table here, the Eagles may in fact be set up for another upset here in their own nest. This contest could serve as the return of the Colts and as the ideal venue for the defending champs to endure yet another setback.

Reason #1 to bet on Boston College – Wake Forest Defense

While I believe the Wake Forest offense is in jeopardy of being exploited this Thursday, I believe the defense is in bigger danger of being exploited. The Demon Deacons have not defended the pass well and have given up several big play opportunities. Some were capitalized on and some were left on the game tape. This week Boston College will capitalize if those big opportunities are given again. Running back AJ Dillon is perhaps the best underclassmen in the ACC that has racked up 247 yards with 3 scores despite limited touches through the first two games. Meanwhile, quarterback Anthony Brown has looked very sharp in limited work through his first two games. I say limited because Boston College pulled their starters in both of their blowout wins against inferior opponents this season. Still, Brown has been sharp hitting 73% of his passes and has the type of arm that will feast on the blown assignments that has plagued the Demon Deacons’ defense. Unless something drastic changes, the Eagles offense should shine.

Jay’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: Boston College -7