Andrew Luck and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts have arguably played the toughest opponent on their schedule, losing to the Denver Broncos in Week 1. The Colts own the easiest collection of opponents based on the NFL’s strength of schedule, and with the heavyweight Broncos already out of the way, can they begin racking up wins starting with a match against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2?
The Eagles were nearly upset by the Jacksonville Jaguars, but found their rhythm just in time to dispose of the stubborn AFC South team. Can the Eagles win their second in a row against another AFC South opponent?
Read more about this matchup below. You can also check out our preview of Saints vs. Browns here.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Indianapolis Colts Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
When: Monday, September 15, 8:30 PM ET
Line: Philadelphia Eagles (+3) at Indianapolis Colts (-3); total 53.0 – see all NFL lines
Betting on the Philadelphia Eagles
[sc:NFL240banner ]It took some time but once the Eagles began to execute their plays in their match against Jacksonville, there was no looking back. Philadelphia overcame a 17-point halftime lead on its way to winning its first game of the season, 34-17, on Sunday. The Eagles now go on the road, where they are 5-1 in six games since October of last year.
Defense is obviously not the forte of any team ever handled by Chip Kelly – offense is. However, even that failed to show up at least in the first half, where Philadelphia got blanked by a surprisingly competitive Jaguars team. Up against a team like Jacksonville, Nick Foles (322 passing yards and two touchdowns) was a bundle of disappointment, as he committed three errors. His two fumbles early in the game were turned into touchdowns by Jacksonville.
If Foles could barely outplay a quarterback like Chad Henne, then good luck to him trying to outperform Andrew Luck on the road next week. The Eagles definitely need Foles to play better to complement the team’s already explosive ground attack.
New acquisition Darren Sproles rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville. Sproles is going to be an important weapon for the Eagles as he can take away some of the opposing defenses’ attention off LeSean McCoy, who burned rubber for 74 yards on 21 carries versus the Jaguars.
Since 2010, the Eagles are 3-0 in their last three games against AFC South teams.
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Betting on the Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck and Reggie Wayne were up to the task against the defending AFC champions on Sunday night. Unfortunately for the Colts, their offensive line was not, as they dropped their season opener against Denver, 31-24. The Colts, however, succeeded in covering their 8.5-point spread as road underdogs.
What’s next for Indianapolis is its first home game of the season against another offensively prolific team in the Eagles. The Colts have an identical 4-0 record straight up and against the spread records in their last four home games, which dates back to December of last year.
Luck was impressive against the Broncos, throwing for 370 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another. Wayne, on the other hand, collected 98 receiving yards on nine catches. The duo could have done more if only the Colts’ O-line was able to stave off the relentless pressure that the Broncos were putting on Luck; the quarterback was sacked three times for a loss of 16 yards.
The Colts fortune next week, however, would be dictated more by how their defense will fare against Philadelphia. Indianapolis’ focus will surely be on the rushing game of the Eagles, which ran circles around Jacksonville’s defense last week. Denver’s Julius Thomas did the same exact thing in Week 1 versus Indianapolis, rushing for 104 rushing yards and three TDs. Needless to say, someone from the Colts has to step up against the rush.
Writer’s Prediction
The Eagles surprise the Colts to collect their second win of the season.
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