Philadelphia Eagles vs. Seattle Seahawks Pick ATS

The Philadelphia Eagles battle the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Monday Night Football. This NFC pairing features two teams looking to get back on the right track. Obviously, at 10-3, the situation is less dire for the Eagles. But after taking back-to-back decisive losses, including Sunday’s ugly 33-13 loss to the Cowboys, they will be looking to stop the bleeding this week on the road. Luckily for them, they’re crossing paths with a Seattle team that has really hit the skids, with their 28-16 loss to the Niners being their fourth defeat in a row. Who can get back on the right track this week in this MNF matchup?

Does Seattle Have Another Push Left?

It has been an up and down season for the Seahawks. Lately, the injury bug has been prevalent enough to take a successful team and render them below-average. With last week being a game-time decision on QB Geno Smith, who ended up not starting, it would lead to one thinking he’d be a go on the long week. When you take an Eagles team that has seen their recipe for success sour in the last few weeks and get a Seattle team at home getting points, it’s not an altogether unappetizing proposition—recent failings aside.

The Eagles have been pushed to their limits defensively, notably against the pass. We will see how added time helps the banged-up running back duo of Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker, II., as that is a big part of their approach, which gives the aerial game more bite. But with Smith back and working with a nice cast of receivers with DK Metcalf looking to finish the season strongly, the Eagles might have their work cut out for them this week. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, there is less optimism surrounding an on-again/off-again defense that has soured a bit in the second half of the season.

Eagles in Trouble?

There are some damning facts that paint a dire image, namely a leaking defense and a Philly offense that failed to score an offensive TD on Sunday for the first time in Jalen Hurts’ tenure as starting quarterback. With how good of a team the defending conference champions have been in the last few seasons, you’re inclined to extend some benefit of the doubt. But they’ve had things go pretty well, and we’ll see if they can summon the leadership and ability to overcome adversity as they look to climb out of this funk. It’s one thing to come up short of a pair of other conference contenders in the 49ers and Cowboys. And Dallas is becoming a real home superpower, so maybe losing that game on the road isn’t the most damning indictment. But to give up 108 points in 3 games and be faltering at this point in the season has set off some alarms.

Is this really an ideal get-well spot? From a form perspective, maybe, as whatever tribulations Philly is dealing with are only magnified on the other sideline. But laying points on the road with a defense that has gone off a cliff lately, facing a team that still maintains a certain amount of offensive potential, might not be the best matchup scenario for the struggling Eagles. Anyone backing them against the spread in the last two weeks had some of the bigger non-sweats of the year, as they’ve been off by a mile.

Good Spot for Seattle or a Trap?

On one hand, the Seahawks have enough offensive pop, especially if Smith is a go, to test this sagging Eagles’ defense. The long week should have Charbonnet and Walker in a better position to thrive, and their 3-pack of receivers with Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith Njigba can be a real factor. They are at home, where they are better. As a favorite, they seem not suited for that role. As more of the free-swinging underdog, they have more appeal in that context. We have actually seen them purport themselves better in the midst of this 4-game losing streak against the 49ers and Cowboys than the Eagles have, being the first team to take the lead on the Cowboys in their stadium this season and giving them a real push.

It’s just that for whatever defensive liabilities one can site for the Eagles are also present for the Seahawks, with opposing offenses putting up gobs of production in recent weeks. After two really bad games, they were slightly better against the 49ers last Sunday, but still never had their team in a position to win. This Eagles offense has enough firepower and is in a decent enough matchup this week to maybe use that part of their team to forge their way out of this slump. And after one of their worst showings of the season, I’d look for Jalen Hurts, RB D’Andre Swift, along with pass-catchers AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert, to try to muscle this team out of this slump against a “D” where it’s feasible.

Take the Road Favorite

It can be tricky to try to step into the action and take a strong team when they hit a snag. But just maybe, we can time this right and pick this as the week where the Eagles snap out of it a little bit. Even if their defense continues struggling, their own offense is going against a Seattle defense that might force Geno Smith and Company to do a little too much this week. I see the Philly offense getting enough done on Monday to get out of Seattle with the win and cover on MNF. I’ll go with the Eagles in this one.

Loot’s Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I’m betting on the Philadelphia Eagles minus 3.5 points.