Week one is here!
The Patriots are set to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. in their regular season opener. The elephant in the room? Well, it’s more like a GOAT. New England is set to honor seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady at Gillette Stadium for what the team has dubbed the “Thank You, Tom” game in honor of his retirement. No pressure, Mac.
Here are the odds for Sunday’s game, according to FanDuel Sportsbook:
Odds – Patriots vs. Eagles
Spread: Eagles -4
Moneyline: Eagles -210/Patriots +176
Total: 45
Storylines
Aside from the return of Tom Brady, there are plenty of storylines to be excited about ahead of this Eagles vs. Patriots matchup. First and foremost: our first look at the defending NFC champions.
Led by quarterback Jalen Hurts, this Philadelphia team is looking to right their wrongs following a barnburner of a Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last February. While dubbing them “wrongs” may be an overstatement considering they lost 38-35 to the greatest quarterback of this generation, the Eagles have more to prove as they enter their third season with Nick Sirianni at the helm.
As for the Patriots, they’re entering a different type of third season: Mac Jones’. When New England selected Jones with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to be the de facto heir apparent to Brady, I don’t think anyone expected he’d have been put on this much of a roller coaster to start his career. After a promising rookie season and a disastrous year two, the former Alabama signal caller will now be asked to prove doubters wrong despite only working with his new offensive coordinator, albeit Bill O’Brien, since January.
As I said earlier, no pressure.
Predictions and Picks
While the difference in New England’s offense from 2022 to 2023 will be pretty much unrecognizable (in a good way), they’re still going up against the best pass rush in football with a piecemeal offense line in front of them.
I expect the Pats to compete against this Philly team who may be enduring a bit of a Super Bowl hangover, but ultimately, Jalen Hurts is just too good to defend and the Eagles win it by six.
Also: take the over. Mac’s going to put up points with Brady in the house.
Score: Eagles 27 – Patriots 21
Side: Eagles -3.5
Total: OVER 45
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick and head to FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook, for all of your sports wagering.
