A look at Eagles player props and odds as Week 1 looms

The ascent of the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason — at least in the betting world — reached another height this past weekend. Once +330 underdogs to win the NFC East, the Eagles surpassed the Dallas Cowboys at Caesars and elsewhere and became the betting favorites to win the division at +130.

Bettors have certainly taken a liking to the Eagles. But while many think the Eagles will be much improved as a team, how will individual players perform against their expectations?

Here’s a look at some player props and other Eagles odds ahead of Week 1. Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Hurts has rocketed up fantasy football draft boards and seen his odds of winning the league’s Most Valuable Player award improve, too. Once as long as 40/1, FanDuel has Hurts at +2500 (25/1) to win the MVP. The 2020 second-round pick plays behind one of the best offensive lines in football and general manager Howie Roseman went out and acquired wide receiver A.J. Brown to add to the firepower available to the quarterback.

How much improvement will Hurts show after an up-and-down 2021?

Passing yards: over/under 3,450.5 yards

The former Oklahoma and Alabama product threw for 3,144 yards in just 15 games 2021 behind a banged up offensive line and without Brown — who has 24 touchdowns and nearly 3,000 receiving yards over the last three seasons — running routes. Devonta Smith is a year older and will benefit from Brown’s arrival.

Hurts and the rest of the Eagles will also be competing against one of the softest schedules in the NFL, too.

Eighteen quarterbacks threw for at least 3,500 yards last season. Hurts was on pace to eclipse that number if he played in all 17 games.

Health is always a caveat in any scenario, and play calling will be a factor for this specific prop, but it feels like all signs are pointing to the over (-126) being a likely result.

» READ MORE: Complete Eagles coverage from The Philadelphia Inquirer

Passing TDs: over/under 22.5

Hurts reached 16 touchdowns in 15 games last season, a pace that would have him at 18 touchdowns in 17 games. So the ask here is whether or not he throws five more touchdowns than he likely would have had last season.

Thirteen quarterbacks threw at least 22 touchdowns in 2021.

Here’s where play calling comes into play: no team attempted fewer passes than the Eagles did in 2021. That likely won’t be true in 2022, assuming the front five can stay healthy and provide Hurts with protection.

With Brown in the fold and Dallas Goedert likely to see an uptick in usage, especially in the red zone, it’d be hard to wager on the under here.

Rushing yards: over/under 675.5

This is where oddsmakers are thinking the Eagles and Hurts dial it back a little bit. Hurts finished with 784 rushing yards in 15 games in 2021, good for most in the NFL. But that was behind a battered offensive line that lost protection quickly and forced Hurts to scramble.

More protection typically means less scrambling. And with more talent around Hurts, the onus on him to make spectacular individual plays should decrease. This feels like a tossup, and the same would go for the rushing TD prop for Hurts, which FanDuel has at 7.5 (he had 10 in 2021).

Brown is “ready to go to war” for Hurts, his longtime friend, and the Eagles.

The 25-year-old budding star is the best receiver the Eagles have had since a prime DeSean Jackson and offers the Eagles a chance to rethink the way they play on offense.

Receiving yards: over/under 1,000.5

The former Titan failed to reach 1,000 yards for the first time in three seasons in 2021, but he only played in 13 games. He hit the mark in 16 games in 2019 and in 14 games in 2020.

His rapport with Hurts will likely make him the quarterback’s favorite target as soon as Week 1, so expect Brown to hit quadruple digits again in 2022.

Receiving TDs: over/under 6.5

This number feels low, but as mentioned before, the Eagles didn’t throw a lot in 2021 and Hurts didn’t throw for many touchdowns. Still, Brown caught 11 touchdowns in 14 games in 2020 and has shown the ability to reach the end zone (24 touchdowns in three NFL seasons).

The receiving yards number feels like a safer play, but the guess here is that Brown hits the end zone at least seven times.

Smith will be a fascinating player to watch in 2022, both because he’s a year older and has more experience under his belt, but also because Brown’s arrival means defenses won’t be able to play Smith the same.

The 10th overall pick in 2021 had 64 catches for 964 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games played during his rookie season.

Oddsmakers expect his production to dip a bit in 2022.

Receiving yards: over/under 825.5

This has a lot to do with Brown being on the roster and taking some target share away from Smith. The Eagles last had two pass catchers eclipse 825 yards in 2018, when Zach Ertz (1,163 yards) and Alshon Jeffery (843) did so. But they haven’t had two wide receivers go for 825-plus since Jeremy Maclin (1,318) and Jordan Matthews (872) did it in 2014.

It’s not impossible that Smith and Brown do it this year, but it’s not as if they’re the only two weapons on offense. No doubt, the Eagles like Goedert and are going to throw to him early and often. And Quez Watkins and Zach Pascal will also see their share of targets.

The question is whether Smith still sees a lot of action coming his way. While 825.5 is a big drop off from last year, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Smith still have a productive second season that falls short of the number.

» READ MORE: 50 fun facts about the league as the season begins Thursday night

Slay led the Eagles with three interceptions in 2021, but overall Philadelphia’s secondary had a pretty rough season. No team allowed a higher completion percentage.

The Eagles made it a point to add talent on defense. They used two of their first three draft picks on defensive players form Georgia and brought in Haason Reddick, Kyzir White and James Bradberry via free agency while trading for C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Interceptions: over/under 2.5

Only the Falcons had fewer sacks than the Eagles last season, and the Eagles are likely to get after the quarterback a lot more in 2022, which will only make throwing the football more difficult for opposing quarterbacks.

Even with more talent in the secondary, more errant throws should mean more opportunities for Slay to make plays. Take the over.

The Eagles went 9-8 last season and got destroyed in a wildcard playoff game down in Tampa. But things are pointing in a positive direction in 2022, thanks to Roseman’s reworking of the roster.

Pro Football Focus moved the Eagles into the top five in its latest ranking of all 32 NFL rosters ahead of the 2022 season.

Wins: over/under 9.5

This line opened at 8.5 and climbed to 9.5. As we analyzed previously, the schedule has a lot to do with that.

The over 9.5 comes at a price of -145 at FanDuel, but it feels like a lock (side note: there’s no such thing as a lock).

To make the playoffs: Yes -194, No +158

It’s a hefty price to pay on “yes,” to be sure, but a lot would have to go wrong for “no” to be a winner here.

Best regular season record: +1600

Are the Eagles the best team in the NFL? No. Could they finish with the best record in the NFL? It’s unlikely, but it’s possible, thanks again to that schedule. Eleven teams have better odds at finishing with the best record, with Buffalo (+450) being the favorite.

NFC No. 1 seed: +1000

Five teams (Buccaneers +300; Packers +500; Rams +650; and Cowboys +700) have better odds at finishing with the best record in the NFC. There are worse ways to get 10/1 on your money.... better ways, too.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jordan Davis +1600, Nakobe Dean +2000

Players closer to the line of scrimmage have an advantage when it comes to DROY compared to those who play in the secondary. Still, it’s hard to imagine either player here gets the nod over some of the more likely candidates. The Eagles didn’t just upgrade their defense via the draft, they made big acquisitions to put talent at all three levels.

Super Bowl: +2000

We had to put this here. Hey, that’s better odds than the Eagles had heading into Week 1 in 2017. We all know how that ended.

Happy football season. Check out more Eagles odds and props over at FanDuel.

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