The Philadelphia Eagles (14-3, 7-2 home) return to the field in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs to take on NFC East rival New York Giants (9-7-1, 4-4 away). Philadelphia took both meetings against New York during the regular season, including a 22-16 victory in the final week.
Saturday’s kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. EST inside Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles are a 7.5-point favorite, and the over/under total is 48 points.
What to Know – New York Giants
The Giants snuck into the postseason and went on the road and upset the Minnesota Vikings, 31-24, during the Wild Card Round. New York finished the regular season in a third-place finish in the NFC East.
New York’s offense sat in the middle of the league averaging 21.5 points per game and generating 333.9 yards of total offense. On defense, the Giants held opponents to 21.8 ppg and 358.2 yards of offense.
The Giants are down three wide receivers, including Sterling Shepard and Wan’Dale Robinson, along with five players on the defensive end. Starting outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari is the only starter listed with a questionable tag for Saturday’s matchup.
New York is 14-4 against the spread with an 8-1 mark ATS in road matchups. The Giants are 8-4 ATS over their previous 12 contests against the Eagles.
What to Know – Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia won thirteen of the first 14 games of the season before starting quarterback Jalen Hurts got banged up and missed the final three games of the season. The Eagles would close out the final three weeks with a 1-2 mark.
Offensively, the Eagles ranked third in the NFL in scoring (28.1 ppg) and total yards (389.1 ypg). Philadelphia’s defense was also a top 10 unit, surrendering 20.2 ppg and 301.5 yards of total offense to opposing teams.
With the top seed in the NFC, the Eagles were able to rest last week and get some much-needed time off the football field. Philadelphia comes into the contest with a healthy roster, including its starting quarterback, and no players designated with a questionable tag.
The Eagles finished the regular season with an 8-9 record ATS and a 6-3 tally ATS at home. Philadelphia went 1-4 ATS over its final five weeks of play.
The Pick is In
The first meeting between these two opponents during Week 14 wasn’t particularly close, with the Eagles dominating in a 48-22 thumping. The question coming into Saturday’s showdown will surround the health of Hurts and if there is any rust after missing the last few weeks of play.
Both these teams are very familiar with each other, and the Giants can keep this one close if quarterback Daniel Jones brings the same game play into this week. In an NFL season full of underdog surprises, we like the Giants to give the Eagles everything they got Saturday night.
The Pick: New York Giants +7.5
