Eagles open as home underdogs to the 49ers in Week 2

The Philadelphia Eagles had the second-largest margin of victory in Week 1 (before Monday Night Football, at least). They’ve clearly earned some respect. Right?

Apparently not! The Birds actually opened as 3.5-point home underdogs to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

The line isn’t totally insane from the standpoint that there were obvious reservations about the Eagles heading into this season. One win over a bad Atlanta Falcons team doesn’t totally invalidate all of the concerns. Jalen Hurts had a great game but now he needs to show he can do it with consistency. And the Eagles are probably going to need him to attempt some more difficult throws after finishing with the lowest average intended air yards from Week 1, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

But the Eagles’ win over the Falcons certainly showed they’re capable of looking like a pretty good football team. And the 49ers aren’t without their own issues.

Holding a 28-point lead midway through the third quarter, it looked like San Fran was going to cruise to an easy win in Detroit. But the Lions made things interesting by going on a 23 to 3 run. Down eight points, Dan Campbell’s team had the ball at the 49ers’ 24-yard line with a realistic chance to take the game to overtime. Alas, the Honolulu blues turned the ball over on downs instead.

If there was ever such a thing as a “moral loss,” the 49ers suffered one. They struggled to put away a team that’s in the conversation for being the worst in the NFL and at least the worst in the NFC.

Perhaps the 49ers will use Sunday’s lackluster finish as motivation to be sharper this week. No one should expectation a win over Kyle Shanahan’s team to be easy because the 49ers do indeed have a good combination of coaching and talent.

But I’d be wary about merely assuming the 49ers are going to win comfortably in this one. The Eagles are strong in the trenches, have a confident quarterback, and are surrounded by good vibes right now. And should the Birds really be shaking in their boots about facing Jimmy Garoppolo and/or Trey Lance?

The 49ers will be entering a very intense, hostile environment at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. This is the first full capacity meaningful game for the Eagles since they lost to the Seattle Seahawks in January 2020. Birds fans are going to be absolutely JUICED, especially coming off Philly’s big Week 1 win.

Avoid taking the points at your own peril.