Don’t the oddsmakers know the Eagles were tied for the best record in the NFL?
Are they not aware that the Birds had a bye week, have the home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and did not lose a meaningful game at home all year?
Didn’t anyone alert those people in Vegas the team in midnight green ranked third in points scored and rushing, and fourth in points allowed? And it was the best team in the league against the run?
Did anyone clue them in these Eagles scored 30 points or more nine times?
Anyone, anyone?
So with all that said, why is it the No. 1-seeded Eagles are installed as 2½-point underdogs at home vs. the sixth-seeded Falcons? Because of very little of the above matters, that’s why.
Simply put, point spreads are designed as a median number of two teams in an effort to generate betting interest on both of them. There are a number of reasons the Eagles are not the favorite. First and foremost, the loss of Carson Wentz. He was poised to win the MVP and he plays the most important position in sports. He was the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card with his uncanny ability on 3rd-and-long. After a good game vs. the Giants, Wentz's replacement Nick Foles looked bad his next two outings. That lasting impression plays a big part even though it’s a short sample.
NFL
The Falcons are a hot team. They have won seven of their last nine games, including a road playoff victory last week in Los Angeles. Their defense is playing at a high level, having not allowed more than 23 points in seven straight games. Matt Ryan, despite not playing at the same level as last year, is a proven, perennial Pro Bowl quarterback who won an MVP himself last season. And, while the Falcons are the defending NFC champs, the Eagles have not won a playoff game since 2008.
For more head-scratching point-spread fun, look no further than Western Pennsylvania, where the Steelers are 6½-point favorites at home over a Jacksonville team that beat them, 30-9, in Pittsburgh during Week 5. The Jaguars' defense is among the best in the league, but the team has Blake Bortles under center. And Pittsburgh is a proven and playoff-tested team.
Are Eagles players sensing an overall lack of confidence in them both nationally and locally? It seems so (see story). I’ve never been a big believer players need much additional fuel to their fire when it comes to the playoffs, but if it drives them a little more, great. Do the fans view the spread as a slight? Sure.
But just remember, when it comes to a point spread, it’s not personal — it's strictly business.