Philadelphia Eagles (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) vs. Indianapolis Colts (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS)
NFL Week 2
Date and Time:Monday, September 15, 8:30pm EST
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, IN
TV: ESPN
by Bob, Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: PHI +3/IND -3
Over/Under Total: 54
Monday night, we will have a great AFC/NFC match-up when th Philadelphia Eagles travel into Lucas Oil Stadium to take on the Indianapolis Colts. The Eagles come in at 1-0 and the Colts are 0-1. Both teams believe they have a shot to win their divisions and make a deep playoff run and potentially a Super Bowl appearance. The line opens with the Colts as a home 3 point favorite and the total points set at 54. This game could potentially be a shootout but I can see it going any sort of way. Regardless of the 1-0 start for the Eagles, and the 0-1 start for the Colts, both teams enter 1-0 against the Vegas spread.
Under second year head coach, Chip Kelly, and a new surging quarterback in Nick Foles, the Philadelphia Eagles are becoming one of the most feared offenses in all of te NFL. This past Sunday, they had a slow start against the Jacksonville Jaguars, falling behind 17-0, but in the second half, the Eagles scored 34 unanswered to get the 34-17 win. A couple of early turnovers gave the Jaguars life and the game was much more competitive that it should have been. Nick Foles also started slow, but managed to finish the game with 322 yards passing and 2 touchdowns. The Eagles running attack was led as always by LeSean McCoy who had 74 yards on 21 carries, but the real hero in the run game was Darren Sproles who racked up 71 rushing yards on just 11 carries, including a 49 yard touchdown run. The Eagles in the second half of the contest looked more like the Eagles we all expected to see this season. The defense was much improved from years past as well. The Philly run defense only allowed 64 yards to the Jaguars which was the 5th best performance in all of the league in week one. The key however to beating the Colts will be to not only slow down the run game, but the defensive line is going to have to put pressure on Andrew Luck. If Luck has time in the pocket, it could end up being a very long day for the Eagles secondary. If Andrew Luck and the Colts offense gets in rhythm, they are tough to stop.
The Indianapolis Colts come into this game at 1-0 and they have no desire to start this season 0-2. The Colts have high hopes and are not just looking to win their division, they believe they can win the AFC. They are coming off a tough loss to the Broncos, but no many teams come away with a win over Denver now days (unless of course you are from Seattle). Indy fell way behind in Denver but battled back and had a shot late in the 4th quarter to tie the game but the drive fell short on a 4th and 6 that they could not convert. Andrew Luck finished the contest with 354 yards passing and 2 touchdowns. His primary target was Reggie Wayne who caught 9 balls for 98 yards. Now only did Luck lead the Colts through the air, he scored a rushing touchdown of his own as well. Defensively, the Colts did not look great, but I attribute a lot of that to the fact they were playing one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the NFL. The Broncos racked up over 250 yards in the air, and another 102 on the ground. Well, there is no time for excuses…the Eagles offense can be just as dangerous, and in my opinion possibly more explosive. The Colts need to keep the ball in this game. They need to grind out long drives and not get into too much of a shootout with the Eagles. Yes, Indy can score too, but they are not built to play a 34-31 type game. The Colts want to keep this thing like a 21-17 type contest if they are going to get the win and the home cover.
Bob’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: Indy needs a win bad. There is nothing more dangerous than a talented NFL team at home that needs a win. Yes it is early in the season, but an 0-2 start for the Colts is not what they had in mind. The Eagles come in souring at 1-0 but I really like Indy in this one. I have this instinct to say this game is probably going to be a push. I see Indy winning this contest by a 24-21 or 23-20 type score. Since I cannot predict a push, I am going with the desperate home favorite!! PICK INDIANAPOLIS -3!!!