The Philadelphia Eagles will be looking to once again defy the odds when they take the field in New Orleans on Sunday to battle the top-seeded Saints in an NFC Divisional Playoff clash as eight-point underdogs on the NFL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Philadelphia emerged as a playoff Cinderella for a second straight year after knocking off the heavily-favoured Chicago Bears 16-15 on Wild Card Weekend, and is now unbeaten straight up in four contests ahead of Sunday afternoon’s matchup at Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
For a second straight year, quarterback Nick Foles has taken over the Eagles offence late in the season in place of injured starter Carson Wentz. Foles has risen to the occasion, leading Philadelphia to nine straight-up wins in his past 10 appearances in December and January, with the team 3-0-1 against the spread in its past four games.
That record will be put to the test against the Saints, who enter Sunday’s contest as the top seed in the NFC, and strong plus-250 favourites on the Super Bowl odds. New Orleans built its league-leading 13-3 record on a potent offence that averaged 31.5 points per game, and over 34 points per game on home turf.
The Saints have also dominated Philadelphia in recent clashes, winning outright in six of eight meetings including four of five at home. New Orleans is undefeated straight-up in six playoff home dates since 1993, but struggled at the sportsbooks down the stretch, covering just once in its final five outings, according to the OddsShark NFL Database.
Earlier on Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers aim to extend an impressive straight-up and against the spread road winning streak to eight games as they visit the reigning AFC champion New England Patriots as four-point underdogs on the NFL point spread.
The Chargers have been one of the most consistent teams in the NFL this season while racking up a 13-3 record. Los Angeles has avoided consecutive against the spread losses since Week 4, and owns a stellar 7-1 straight-up and against the spread record in its past eight games while pegged as an underdog of four or fewer points.
However, the Chargers face a huge challenge to halt a dismal 1-7 straight-up run against the Patriots, a slide which includes a pair of playoff losses.
New England returns to action after enjoying a bye on Wild Card Weekend riding a 15-game straight-up win streak on home turf. The Patriots maintain strong plus-550 odds to claim their third Super Bowl title in five years, but have managed to post against the spread wins just twice in their past four home playoff games when favoured by four or fewer points.
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