Washington Redskins (6-5 SU, 7-4 ATS) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (5-6 SU, 3-8 ATS)
Week 13 NFL
Date/Time: Monday Night Football, December 3, 2018 at 8:15PM EST
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
TV: ESPN
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Point Spread: WAS +6.5/PHI -6.5
Over/Under Total: 44
On Monday Night Football, the Washington Redskins clash with the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC East battle. This is a must-win game for both teams. The Redskins have seen their lead in the division vanish and a momentum-gainer is needed in a big way before this season gets away from them. On Thanksgiving, in their first game without QB Alex Smith, they fell to the Cowboys in a crucial division game, 31-23. They now take on an Eagles team that has seen most everything go sour since winning the Super Bowl last season. But with all NFC East teams having suffered this season, they are still in it at just 5-6, with a big comeback win over the Giants, 25-22.
Life without Alex Smith is going to be hard for the Redskins this season, as there is a big drop-off from Smith to Colt McCoy. Still, with this being his fifth season with the team, he looked to be fairly adept on Thursday, other than the three costly interceptions. The defense has been sagging over the course of the past month or so and will need a boost if the Redskins are to have a chance. Still, with all their woes—the injury concerns and three losses in their last four games, they aren't altogether in bad shape to make a late-surge and make some big things happen.
Again, on 24-for-38 passing, 268 yards, and a pair of TD throws, McCoy wasn't terrible if he can just cut out the picks. And three picks will derail any offense. It was still just a one-score loss to a surging Dallas team on the road. There could be something to work with here. Adrian Peterson has helped at running back, Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis offer McCoy a pair of reliable tight ends, along with receivers Josh Doctson, Trey Quinn, and Maurice Harris. It's just that injuries haven't affected only the quarterback position, with the O-line suffering along with the RB and WR positions.
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While they no longer lead the division, the defense was a big part of what got the 'Skins in that position. There have been a few teams that have put up a lot of points against the Redskins' defense this season, but other than that they've been very stingy against most opponents. With Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Josh Norman, and DJ Swearinger, their secondary has a nice playmaking element, even if they haven't been that stout lately. In the front-seven, Ryan Kerrigan, Matt Ioannidis, and Jonathan Allen have been adept at getting after quarterbacks. They are inconsistent at times. Their pass-defense is sometimes porous. But they have a high ceiling at their best and can apply a high dose of playmaking to take a sad song and make it better.
It hasn't been a good season for the Eagles, but in overcoming a 16-point deficit on Sunday and orchestrating a last-minute drive to set up the game-winning FG on Sunday, they showed there is still fight left in them. With the Cowboys playing the Saints next week, the Eagles could be knotted atop the division at 6-6 next week with the Redskins and Cowboys. That makes this a big game and a way for the Eagles to climb back into it, despite not a lot going their way this season.
Obviously when a defending Super Bowl champ enters week 13 with a sub-.500 record, not everything has gone according to plan. QB Carson Wentz has taken some time getting back to his old self. Not helping is a diminished run-game. Josh Adams had a spurt last week, but that's been the story of this run-game—little spurts interspersed with a lot of dead-time. Wentz is working well with TE Zach Ertz, along with receivers Nelson Agholor and Alshon Jeffery, but even that part of their offense lags behind last season's form. The line isn't what it was last season and they're just a bit flat sometimes. And their recent form illustrates this. Since coming off the bye, they got beaten at home by Dallas, lost 48-7 to the Saints, and then needed late-game drama to beat a 3-win Giants team.
The Philly defense bears little resemblance to the unit that played a big role in the Eagles winning it all last season. The pass-rush is diminished, as is the general playmaking ability of the defense. This defense has secured only 8 turnovers on the season and generally makes very little impact. A once-dominant group has been filling up space at times this season. They can still recapture what they were last season in certain stretches, without being able to sustain it. Injuries have certainly played a role, but they haven't been able to recover from it as well as one would suspect. And despite all that, here they are, with an opportunity to whip it into shape and put the bad start to the season in the rearview.
I think it's hard to imagine the Eagles won't be enlivened by this chance to hop back into the thick of it. This is a short window and if they don't pounce against a compromised Redskins bunch, then it's going to be hard moving forward. This is a big game for both teams, as the Redskins can breathe some needed life into their sagging sails. But I see the Eagles as being more able to strike in this spot, with them getting the win and cover at home.
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the Philadelphia Eagles minus 6.5 points. Bet the Redskins vs. Eagles MNF game for FREE by taking advantage of a massive 100% sign-up bonus on your first deposit of $100 to $500 at GTBets!
