Washington Redskins (1-0) +6 , o/u 38 at Philadelphia Eagles (0-1), 8:30 pm Eastern Monday, ESPN
by Zman of Predictem.com
Longtime NFC Eastern Division rivals collide when Joe Gibbs’ Washington Redskins make their annual trek to Philadelphia to take on Andy Reid’s Eagles on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
Washington, coming off a 5-11 campaign, opened this season with a 16-13 overtime win over the Miami Dolphins last weekend as three-point home favorites. The Redskins out-rushed Miami 191-66, and the game stayed under its low total of 34.
Philadelphia, which won the East for the fifth time in the last six seasons last year, opened this season with a gut-clenching 16-13 loss at Green Bay as three-point road chalk. The Eagles out-rushed the Packers 103-46 and held them to 215 yards of total offense, but lost the game on two fumbled punts, which led directly to 10 Green Bay points. The game also stayed well below its total of 41.
Philly swept the two meetings with the Skins last season, winning 27-3 as seven-point home favorites in Philadelphia in November and 21-19 as two-point road chalk at Washington a month later. But the Redskins out-rushed the Eagles in both games, by margins of 146-145 and 210-99. In game one, Philly scored on two long pass plays and an interception return, and they ran back another INT for a score in the second game. Washington out-gained the Eagles 415-263 in that second game and held a 38/22 time-of-possession advantage, but came up short trying to rally from a 21-3 deficit.
The first game between these two teams last season stayed under its total of 41, and the second game pushed 40.
Philly QB Donovan McNabb will make his second regular-season start Monday night after missing the last five games of last season and the playoffs. McNabb certainly looked a little rusty last week at Green Bay, going 15 of 33 for 184 yards with a TD and an INT, but showed flashes of why, at much less than 100% healthy, he’s still pretty good. And the Eagles are 9-3 when McNabb starts vs. the Redskins.
Washington QB Jason Campbell, making his ninth career NFL start Monday night, threw for 222 yards last week vs. Miami on just 12 completions, but got picked off twice, too.
The Skins went 2-6 straight up and 2-5-1 against the spread on the road last season, while Philly went 5-3 SU and 4-4 ATS at Lincoln Financial Field.
Washington will be without starting RT Jon Jansen, who suffered an ugly ankle injury last week and is out of action for the foreseeable future.
The o/u went 9-7 in Eagles games last year and 7-7-2 in Redskins games, and is 1-5-1 over the last seven games in the series between these two teams.
Philly opened up as 6 1/2-point home chalk at most sportsbooks for Monday night’s game, with a total of 40. The line has stayed about the same, but the total has dropped a point and more. Also, the Eagles are listed at about -300 on the moneyline, with Washington getting about +250.