There have been a flood of losses and departures for the Eagles all week leading up to the NFL London Game against the Jaguars.
First Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson made the decision to retire midseason. Then the Eagles traded another starting offensive lineman, Cam Jurgens, to the Ravens for future draft picks.
On Friday, the team announced that center Drew Kendall was ruled out with a knee injury in addition to Saquon Barkley and Devonta Smith.
The spread for this game ballooned in the wake of all these developments from Jaguars -3.5 at open to -7.5
Eagles vs. Jaguars prediction
There’s no way to sugar coat the situation for the Eagles. The combination of injuries and playing overseas in London would make this a difficult situation regardless of the opponent.
But the Jaguars aren’t just any team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Jags allow the second-fewest points per game (13.3 ppg) in the league trailing only the Vikings.
Quarterbacks have been able to throw on the Jaguars — they’ve allow the fifth-most passing yards and the fifth-highest completion percentage this season — but when passers make a mistake, Jacksonville’s secondary is quick to pounce. The Jags defense leads the NFL in interceptions and has only allowed three passing touchdowns in four games.
Teams can move the ball on the Jacksonville, but their red zone defense is second-best in the NFL and puts the clamps on teams when they need to get stops.
Betting on the NFL?
With no Barkley and a make-shift offensive line, the Eagles will have a hard enough time moving the ball down the field while relying on Jalen Hurts to do all the heavy lifting. Finishing those drives against the defense when they are this shorthanded will be a tall task.
Covering 7.5 points is no easy feat, but the Eagles are up against this week. I’ll lay the points with the Jags.
The Pick: Jaguars -7.5 (-108, DraftKings)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
