Sports betting: Week 1 NFL lines are out, and the Eagles are solid favorites over the Redskins
The Eagles have swept the Redskins the last two seasons, including a 24-0 win in Washington in Week 17 last season.
Somebody on Twitter joked that it was nice of the NFL to give the Eagles a bye in Week 1.
Actually, the Birds are starting the season with a visit from division rival Washington — a team looking at using either Colt McCoy or Case Keenum as its starting quarterback.
That’s a big reason the Birds opened locally as 8.5-point favorites for a game that is nearly five months away. The point spread is the largest on the board for the first week of the regular season. In Vegas, the line is 8.
The Eagles swept the Redskins the last two seasons, including a 24-0 win in Washington in Week 17 last season when the Redskins started a quarterback (Josh Johnson) who hadn’t thrown a pass in the NFL in seven years.
McCoy started two games in relief of Alex Smith before breaking his leg. Keenum was dumped by Minnesota to Washington for a sixth-round pick after a disastrous 2018 season when he went 6-10 for the Vikings.
Smith was supposed to be the Redskins quarterback, but he suffered a gruesome broken leg in Week 11. That, and a subsequent infection, has put his career in jeopardy.
The Redskins also have been linked to a possible trade for Arizona’s Josh Rosen. They could also draft a quarterback next week.
Tied for the second-highest line on the board is a game involving the other two NFC East teams. The Giants are 7.5-point underdogs at Dallas.
Week 1 lines
via Parx/SugarHouse
Home teams in CAPS
*For lines not available on Parx, the Westgate in Las Vegas was used.