Philly Special: Our best Philly-centric parlays this weekend

The Philadelphia Eagles have their home opener on Monday Night Football vs. the visiting Minnesota Vikings. Penn State heads to Auburn for a difficult test against an SEC opponent. Temple hosts local Big Ten foe, Rutgers. And Villanova plays on the road at FBS Army in West Point.

It’s a busy weekend for Philadelphia football, and the Phillies are continuing their postseason pursuit with a weekend series in Atlanta.

Like betting on your favorite Philly teams? You’re in luck, because our team is here with this week’s Philly Special, a weekly three-leg parlay suggestion focused on our local teams. Here’s what we like this weekend (odds are reflective of the time of writing, and lines are subject to change).

As my colleague Devin pointed out, history suggests Penn State is a risky play at -3.5 on the road at Auburn. Luckily for me, BetMGM had the line at -3, and until Auburn plays some real competition (the Tigers have wins over FCS Mercer and San Jose State), I love this line for the Nittany Lions, who seem to have a high-powered offense so far in 2022.

Earlier Saturday, Temple and new starter E.J. Warner host Rutgers at Lincoln Financial Field. It’s a new-look Temple team under new head coach Stan Drayton, and betting on the Owls (my alma mater) reeks of hometown bias. It also reeks of silliness. Rutgers won outright in Week 1 as a road underdog at Boston College, and followed that up with a 66-7 shellacking of FCS Wagner. The Scarlet Knights, 17.5-point favorites, might blow Temple out, but I like the over (44.5).

Then comes the main event Monday night, when the Eagles host the Vikings. It was a weird Eagles win in Detroit. Jalen Hurts used his legs a lot (too much?), and the Philadelphia offense at times looked great. The defense? Not so much. Minnesota, meanwhile, destroyed Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. The Eagles were favored by less than a field goal midweek. It feels like it will be a really tight game, but I like the defense to have a bounce-back performance, and the Eagles to not disappoint the home crowd, even if it’s just winning by a point.

The parlay (lines courtesy of BetMGM): Penn State -3; Temple/Rutgers over 44.5; Eagles moneyline

Odds: +556 (bet $10, win $55.60)

Whenever Penn State is playing a talented Power 5 team, you get a mixed bag of play, especially offensively. This is why I am staying far away from the betting line between Auburn and the Nittany Lions, even with some sportsbooks having Penn State as a three-point favorite ahead of Saturday’s clash. I expect a defensive battle, which is why I’m in favor of playing the under (48.5) at BetMGM.

As for the Temple-Rutgers clash on Saturday, it’s clear the Owls haven’t played their best football, while the Scarlet Knights have been on a roll, including a surprising Week 1 upset over Boston College. Although I think Rutgers rolls on Saturday, there is an opportunity for a back-door cover for Temple, especially if their starters play well in the fourth quarter against the Scarlet Knights’ second- and third-string defense. Plus, their history against Big Ten teams gives me some confidence to take the Owls to cover as 17.5-point underdogs.

With all the bright lights and focus on Monday’s night clash between the Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles, one of two games on that night, something just feels off about that line. The Kirk Cousins-led Vikings dominated the Green Bay Packers, while the Eagles had to hold off the Detroit Lions to secure the win. It feels like a prime let down spot for Philly, who saw their Super Bowl odds decrease earlier this week. I give the edge to the Vikings and their playmakers, Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson, to at least cover the narrow two-point spread at BetMGM.

The parlay (lines courtesy of BetMGM): Penn State/Auburn under 48.5; Temple +17.5; Vikings +2

Odds: +595 (bet $10, win $59.58)

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