Teams that have already clinched playoff berths usually feel pretty good about themselves entering the final game of the NFL regular season, but that can’t be the case for the Eagles (11-5) and their sentiments before making a quick jaunt to MetLife Stadium on Sunday to play the 5-11 New York Giants.
The spread is -5 for Philadelphia, the OVER/UNDER is 42 and the Panic Meter for the Eagles must be like a solid 7.5/10 on the heels of losing four of their last five games. It seemed like Philadelphia was gearing up to return to the Super Bowl as recently as after their Week 12 OT win over the Bills raised their record to a lofty 10-1. Since then, the Eagles have gone just 1-4, and Week 18 represents their last chance to stop the bleeding before the playoffs arrive.
It’s hard to say whether the Giants have underperformed in 2023 or if they overperformed in 2022 on their way to 9-7-1 record and a road playoff win in Minnesota. Maybe the truth lies somewhere between the two.
What we do know for sure is that the Giants’ QB room is hard to figure out. Danny Dimes’ injury opened the door for Tommy DeVito and weeks later Tyrod Taylor. Watching this team all year hasn’t made it any easier to tell if Jones is a lot better than his backups, and who’s better between Taylor and DeVito. Perhaps another game helmed by Taylor will give bettors more clarity on that point, but even if not bettors can still make some hay on this contest.
Eagles vs. Giants odds: Point spread, moneyline, total
Here are the latest Eagles vs. Giants point spreads, totals and moneylines on odds boards at top-rated sportsbooks:
More NFL Week 18 betting: NFL Week 18 odds | NFL Week 18 ATS Picks | Best NFL Betting Promos & Bonuses
Eagles betting news: Wings have been clipped ATS
The Eagles ATS record is 6-7-3 so far, but their protracted cold spell over the last five weeks hasn’t just been a lead balloon on the ML ledger. Philadelphia is a frightful 0-5-1 ATS in their last six. Their mark against the OVER/UNDER is an even 3-3 during that stretch, but bettors have to be wondering why and how a team speed-runs from a 6-2-2 ATS record to 6-7-3 in just six weeks.
Philadelphia’s defense must bear a significant portion of the blame for the team’s tailspin. They’ve surrendered 31 PPG in their last six contests. That’s a gaudy total to keep up with, even with their star-laden offense averaging 25 PPG during this stretch.
Analysts have derided various parts of Philadelphia's defense, but their sudden inability to stop the run is perhaps most concerning. The Eagles only allowed 100 yards rushing once in their first nine games, but in the following six they allowed triple digits on the ground six times in a row, averaging 150 YPG against. The Cardinals racked up 221 rushing yards in their (at least somewhat) shocking 35-31 Week 17 win in Philadelphia. Dropping a home game to a 3-12 team is a concerning sign, but if the Eagles keep getting run all over it’s hard to be optimistic about their ability to win or at least cover games between now and season’s end.
Giants betting news: New York has enjoyed considerably more success ATS than ML as of late
The New York Football Giants enter Week 18 vs. Philadelphia with a 7-8-1 ATS record. They’ve gone a torrid 5-1 ATS in their last six.This reflects a hodgepodge of QB play, including five basic segments during the 2023 season:
- Daniel Jones is playing but they’re not scoring or staying in games at all (0-5 ATS to start the season).
- Daniel Jones is hurt and Tommy DeVito looks totally overmatched under center.
- Tommy DeVito starts throwing TDs and running all over the place and the crowd goes wild for a few weeks, and DeVito starts over now-healthy Tyrod Taylor.
- Tommy DeVito starts trending back to looking like he did when the Giants were getting dismantled by the Raiders and Cowboys and unable to move the ball at all.
- Tyrod Taylor takes DeVito’s spot and plays pretty well.
We are at Segment Five presently, and the Giants were just a touch short on a long Mason Crosby FG attempt at the horn away from beating the playoff-bound Rams in Week 17. Taylor notched 319 passing yards with a TD and INT, plus another 40 on the ground (including a 31-yard scramble), so we will see if he can put up another respectable performance in the G-Men’s last game of the year. We’ll also look to see if Saquon Barkley can do better than his 12-39-0 rushing stat line vs. the Rams while facing the suddenly porous Philly run D.
Eagles vs. Giants player props
Here is a sampling of Eagles vs. Giants props for bettors to consider:
Eagles vs. Giants player props
Some analysis as sportsbooks post player props for this contest:
- Saquon Barkley OVER rushing yards: Barkley has endured yet another frustrating season as the Giants lead back, eclipsing 100 yards just once and averaging 4.0 YPC. In his final 2023 effort, look for Barkley to follow the lead of all the other RBs who have run all over Philly.
- Dallas Goedert OVER receiving yards: The Eagles are posed to put a healthy amount of points on the board against a New York squad surrendering 26 PPG in their last four games. Taking Goedert’s over on receiving yards and parlaying it with an anytime TD scorer leg if you’re feeling spicy could be a good Week 18 bet to place.
Eagles vs. Giants prediction
Trouncing the Giants in Week 18 would be chicken soup for the soul for the massively struggling Philadelphia defense, but there isn’t exactly a guiding light pointing in the direction of them snapping out of their run defense funk. Philly should probably win this game, but it’s dicey to predict that they’ll cover the spread on the road when they haven’t been able to stop the ball period lately.
Pick: Giants