NFL futures had the Eagles favored to win their first NFC title since 2004 until NFL MVP candidate QB Carson Wentz went down with a season-ending ACL tear in Week 14. However, Philadelphia is still in prime position for the top seed in the NFC. The Eagles and Raiders each own 6 wins over their 12 all-time meetings. On the road this season, the Raiders are currently 2-4 straight up and 1-4-1 against the spread while the Eagles are an impressive 6-0 and 5-1 ATS. Can Oakland keep this one closer than the 9-point spread suggests?
Betting Preview for the Oakland Raiders vs Philadelphia Eagles NFL Week 16 Game on December 25 2017
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
When: Monday, December 25, 8:30 PM EST
Line: Oakland Raiders (+9) vs Philadelphia Eagles (-9) – view all 2017 NFL lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Oakland Raiders (6-8)
The Raiders have lost back to back games and with them, likely their season. Though it was a campaign seemingly destined to disappoint from the beginning. Last week was an interesting case with QB Derek Carr playing mistakes free football, at least as a passer, but it still wasn’t enough. With Amari Cooper sidelines Michael Crabtree saw an amazing 17 targets and caught 2 touchdown passes. He only made 7 catches for 39 yards though.
That is disturbing and shows how the offense has struggled this season. Against Dallas the running game actually had a little pop. Marshawn Lynch was not quite Beast Mode but they were able to hand it off and expect some gains. To have any shot in this one they need some balance. Cooper is still dealing with an ankle injury and it is unknown if he will suit up for Oakland in this one. His ability to take the top off the defense has been critically missed over the last month.
The Raiders defense has been steadier of late but they have also been playing more limited offenses. They do catch a break with Philly missing their stud QB but the Eagles are not exactly falling apart. I am not sure if it is the chicken or the egg but Khalil Mack has gotten more productive and the defense has gotten better. Mack has 6 sacks in his last 5 games and if he can get into the Philly backfield regularly the Raiders could be disruptive.
One more loss and the math doesn’t add up for Oakland even though they are total long shot at this point. Maybe they can play well early but if they get down and its cold I dont like the situation.
Betting on the Philadelphia Eagles (12-2)
The sky is not falling in Philly. In their first game since losing Wentz for the season they got a win over the New York Giants and what the fan base probably has to get used to is the fact that from here on out it just has to work. Nick Foles showed last week that he is more than good enough to close out the season with a couple of wins at home. He threw four touchdowns and spread the ball around. This is a defense he can succeed against.
The running game seems to have lost some steam as the season progressed. I know they picked up Jay Ajayi from the Dolphins but I think this team is best when they feature LeGarrette Blount. They might want to use the next couple of games to get the ground game rocking for the playoffs. The Raiders are not a strong pass defense team so as long as the Eagles give Foles time he should be able to move the ball up and down the field.
The defense definitely looked tired when facing the Giants on Sunday. Easy to understand with that game being the last of three straight road games. At home I expect the Eagles to look a lot fresher. The freshness should result in a strong performance against the run that can make the Raiders one-dimensional plus a little extra juice in the pass rush. They can dominate a bunch of matchups in this one.
Writer’s Prediction
I am expecting the offenses to be sharp in this one. For Oakland that is kind of all they have and the Eagles can match scores. Look for Philly to jump out to an early but for Oakland to show some fight in the first half and have it tied at the half. It might set up a nice live wager situation. In the second they will wear them down and win the game. They are the much better team after all Pick: Oakland Raiders (+9.0)
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