The top-seeded New Orleans Saints will host the upset-minded Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC Divisional Round playoff game on Sunday afternoon. This is a rematch of a regular season game that was dominated by the Saints to the tune of a 48-7 victory. A lot has changed for the Eagles since that game, including Nick Foles returning to lead the offense.
New Orleans went 13-3 during the regular season to earn home-field throughout the NFC Playoffs. The Saints are usually tough to beat in the Superdome, but did lose two homes games this season. Philadelphia won their final three games to sneak into the playoff field with the sixth seed. The Eagles were able to upset the Bears in Chicago last weekend to keep their dream of back-to-back Super Bowl titles alive. The Saints are -8.0 over Philadelphia in this game.
Eagles Must Score With Saints
The biggest challenge for the Eagles in this game will be trying to score points to keep up with the Saints. Philadelphia averaged just 22 points per game during the regular season and was only able to score 16 points against the Bears. Nick Foles had a solid game in the Wild Card Round but did throw a pair of interceptions. The Eagles also managed just 42 rushing yards in that game and must find a rushing attack to keep their offense on the field.
The Eagles defense has been solid overall this season, but their secondary has really struggled. Philadelphia gave up over 300 passing yards to Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears, and that unit will be tested by Drew Brees. If the Eagles are going to have any chance of winning this game, they will need their defensive line to show up and play well. Philadelphia had 44 sacks during the regular season and will look to blitz Brees early and often in this game.
Saints Defense Must Stop Foles
The New Orleans Saints will try to be the first team to stop the magic of Nick Foles. The Saints gave up just 22.1 points per game during the regular season, but have shown the ability to shut down opponents. Defensive end Cameron Jordan racked up 12 sacks during the regular season, and the Saints have the ability to get pressure on Foles. If the Saints can keep the Eagles under 30, their offense should be able to win the game.
Quarterback Drew Brees set an NFL record during the regular season by completing over 74 percent of his passes. Brees has a ton of weapons at his disposal, and the Saints offense is almost unstoppable at the Superdome. Wide receiver Michael Thomas averaged over 11 yards per reception this season and should feast on the week Eagles secondary. Running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram combined to score 20 touchdowns this season, giving the Saints a balanced offensive attack.
Saints Win Big
The Eagles have a ton of momentum coming into this game, but Nick Foles and his magic is about to run out. Philadelphia was just a mediocre team during the regular season, and they have already lost by 40 points to the Saints once this season. Brees and the Saints are simply too good, and they will light up the scoreboard in this game. Bet the New Orleans Saints -8.0 over the Philadelphia Eagles.
