Debating the Eagles Over Under
The Eagles Schedule in 2023 ranks as the sixth hardest schedule in the league. Giving credence to the notion of “first place schedules”, the Eagles will be tested often throughout the season. That being said, the Eagles still rank among one of the best rosters in the NFL, and while their schedule is difficult, many still believe they’ll be at the top of the NFC. However, with the harder schedule, will they finish below, above, or match their record from last year? Most gambling sites have the Eagles over-under win total at . Going through the Eagles schedule in sections will show both possible routes to finishing both over and under their projected win total.
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The Eagles Should Get Off to a Hot Start
The first five games for the Philadelphia Eagles are games the Eagles will all be clearly favored in. They start the season with an away game against the New England Patriots, with their other away games being in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams in the first five weeks. During that stretch, they have two games at home versus the Minnesota Vikings and division-rival Washington Commanders. While those teams have talent in certain areas, none of those teams are as complete as the Eagles are. While upsets do and can happen, expect the Eagles to stay undefeated through week 5.
Projected Record (After Week 5): 5-0
Week Xix to Week 10 Will be the First Slog of the Season
While the first five weeks aren’t incredibly dangerous for the Eagles, the next four games they must play will be the first challenge of their schedule. They travel to play the revamped Jets team in New York, then go back to Philadelphia to meet the incredibly talented Miami Dolphins. After that, they have their second matchup with the Commanders, but this time in Washington, followed by their first meeting with the Dallas Cowboys at home before their bye week on week 10. This four-week stretch consists of four very physical teams that can take a toll on the Eagles week to week. All four teams have great defensive lines and weapons across the offense. The Jets game will be the Eagles first game against another team with championship aspirations and the Jets will be looking to make a statement as well with the Dolphins the next week.
Looking at it pessimistically, this could be a slide for the Eagles even if they were able to pull off wins against the Jets and Dolphins, they could slip up in the next two division games against the Commanders and Cowboys. The physical toll will be felt by the Eagles by the time they get to their bye, but there are some positive aspects to this stretch as well. The Jets, Dolphins, and Commanders have questions about their offensive line, something that the Eagles biggest strength, the defensive line, could very well exploit. While it will still be tough, it’s still reasonable to assume the Eagles can sweep the table. However, that Cowboys game will be the toughest one yet after going through that slog facing against premier defensive lines and offensive weapons.
Projected Record (Going into Week 10 bye week): 8-1
It Only Gets Harder After the Bye-Week
After the bye week, the schedule only gets harder on paper, as their first game is against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs are also coming off a bye where head coach Andy Reid usually thrives, but the game would still be looked at as incredibly close to call. However, the biggest factor surrounds Chiefs defensive tackle, Chris Jones, and his current contract dispute. Rumors say that Jones may not be back until nearly the second half of the season. If that’s the case and the Chiefs do not have Chris Jones at 100%, that gives the Eagles a significant edge. The next four games are two consecutive home games against the Buffalo Bills and the San Fransisco 49ers, followed by two consecutive away games against the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks.
There’s no getting around it, that is a brutal stretch of five games. It’s hard to see the Eagles as good as they are, getting out of this stretch with at least two losses. While maybe they get lucky with the Chris Jones situation, it will still be incredibly hard to beat the Chiefs, Bills, 49ers, Cowboys, and a young Seahawks team all in a row. However, the Eagles thrive in tough situations with their back to the wall. While this stretch could be very negative for the Eagles, one big win could give them momentum to perform well here. It’s reasonable to have them going 3-2 during this stretch. This is a tough call to make, but the Eagles in my mind are better than at least 3 of these teams (Bills, Seahawks, Cowboys) and should win those games at a minimum.
Projected Record (After Week 15): 11-3
Final Stretch Should be Able to Make Up for the Hard Stretches
Now that the absurd stretches of the schedule are over, the Eagles will only have two games (one home, one away) against the New York Giants and a home game versus the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals should be one of the worst teams in the league and should be an easy win. The Giants are an ascending team after their playoff win last year, but they shouldn’t be able to challenge the Eagles too much this year. All in all, my projected record for the Eagles in 2023 is a 14-3 finish. Obviously, this final stretch will depend on what the Eagles have to play for at this point of the year.
The bet to take for the Eagles over under this year is over 11.5 wins. Even if they lose more than projected in the hard stretches of their season, if they finish week 15 with nine wins, they should be able to get 12 wins thanks to the final stretch of their schedule. While 11.5 wins is a tough ask for any team in the league, especially for the team with one of the hardest schedules, the Eagles are talented enough to cruise past this win total.
Projected 2023 Record: 14-3
For more Eagles Schedule Predictions check them out below!
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