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For the first time since Week 6, the Philadelphia Eagles are not favored to win their upcoming football game.
The Eagles originally opened as 2.5 point favorites over the Rams in Los Angeles. The line has since swung to the Rams being favored by 2.5 points.
This sudden change tells us that a lot of people have been putting money on the Rams.
People have seemingly lost faith in the Eagles after Philadelphia lost to the Seahawks on Sunday night. The Eagles opened as 5.5 point favorites against Seattle. That number crept up to as high as six at one point before dropping down to 3.5 before the game. The drop can be explained by a lot of the “smart money” being placed on the Seahawks. They clearly call it smart money for a reason.
There’s still plenty of time for the Eagles-Rams line to change prior to Sunday’s game. For now, it’s not a shocker to see the Eagles as underdogs. The Rams are a very good team.
Los Angeles ranks No. 1 in DVOA and No. 1 in points per game (tied with Philly). Rams rookie head coach Sean McVay is arguably the favorite for Coach of the Year. Jared Goff looks much improved in Year 2 and running back Todd Gurley is a beast. On defense, Wade Phillips is still one of the league’s best d-coordinators. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald is arguably the best defender in the NFL; he can wreak havoc.
But the Eagles shouldn’t be so easily dismissed just because they suffered a loss in Seattle. Philadelphia still has a lot of things going for them. Carson Wentz is bound to bounce back after playing one of his worst games this season. Same for head coach Doug Pederson, who’s mostly done a very good job this year. Goff won’t be able to neutralize the Eagles’ defensive line the way Russell Wilson can.
Sunday’s matchup figures to be a good one. It’s a very important game for both sides.