Eagles seeing plenty of action among bettors for NFC East title

Sometimes teams become trendy bets and presently, the Eagles are a popular pick.

Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) throws the ball next to quarterback coach Brian Johnson during OTAs at the NovaCare Complex in Philadelphia on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.Read moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

by Ed Barkowitz, For The Inquirer

Published July 25, 2022, 4:57 p.m. ET

It’s natural to expect the Eagles to be a favored play among the recreational bettors in this region. But their popularity, at least at this point in the NFL betting season, extends beyond the Delaware Valley. Even some of the sharp guys are on the Birds.

“Among the NFL teams that have been getting bet on over the summer, the Eagles have been one of the more popular teams,” said Motoi Pearson, senior trader for WynnBet. “Our Super Bowl opener moved from 30-1 to 20-1. [Action on] them to win the NFC East has been the most popular. We moved from +225 down to +170.”

Wynn’s over/under on Eagles’ wins this season remains at 9.5, but the odds have switched to where over is now favored at -115. Over had been +125. The 40-cent move, because of the continuous action on the Birds, is significant.

“They’re definitely the most popular bet to win the NFC East,” Adam Pullen, assistant director of trading at Caesars Sportsbook said from sweltering Las Vegas. “They have a larger handle than the other three teams combined. It seems like the bettors are focusing on the division rather than the Super Bowl or the conference.”

The consensus order of finish in the NFC East among the sportsbooks nationwide is Dallas, Eagles, Washington and the Giants. In the last 10 seasons, the favorite has won just three times, including Dallas last season. No team has won consecutive division titles since the Eagles 18 years ago.

“The Eagles are one of the more popular and sharper plays of the summer,” Pearson said. “A lot of the bets that we took were from guys that we know are pretty good, and they bet it early. They drove us down from +225.”

Wynn was +170 as of Monday morning, Caesars and FanDuel had them at +185.

“These aren’t massive decisions,” Pearson added, “but if the Eagles go over [9.5 wins] and win the NFC East it’s not going to be a plus for us.”

NFC East odds

The Inquirer checked in on the NFC East odds at five area sportsbooks on Monday morning (Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, SuperBook, and Wynn). Here’s what we found:

Eagles’ best odds: Caesars/FanDuel +185

Eagles’ lowest odds: SuperBook +155

Cowboys’ best odds: SuperBook +140

Cowboys’ lowest odds: Wynn +110

Commanders’ best odds: Caesars/DraftKings/FanDuel/Wynn +500

Commanders; lowest odds: SuperBook +495

Giants’ best odds: SuperBook +900

Giants’ lowest odds: FanDuel +700.

NFC East/Last 10 years

Preseason odds for the eventual winner of the NFC East according to SuperBook via SportsOddsHistory.com:

2021: Dallas +115 (favorite)

2020: Washington +1800 (largest underdog)

2019: Eagles -125 (favorite)

2018: Dallas +275 (2nd-favorite)

2017: Eagles +350 (3rd-favorite)

2016: Dallas +150 (favorite)

2015: Washington +1500 (largest underdog)

2014: Dallas +350 (3rd-favorite)

2013: Eagles +350 (largest underdog)

2012: Washington +1200 (largest underdog)

He said it

“Once training camps start, we’re going to see a rush of money on Super Bowls, conferences, and everything we have to offer. Once we get into August and that Hall of Fame Game kicks off (Las Vegas-Jacksonville, Aug. 4), everybody gets into football mode, you’re going to see a lot more action. Things could change drastically and who our liability is in various markets. Can’t wait to see that in the next couple of weeks.”

– Adam Pullen, Caesars