Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season is still more than three months away, but if the Las Vegas sports books are any guide, Eagles fans can expect big things from some of their favorite players.
Fan Duel has released its player prop totals for the upcoming season. The over/under for Carson Wentz’s passing yards for the season is 3,899.5. That’s 140 yards fewer than the 4,039 yards he amassed during the 2019 season. Wentz’s O/U for passing TDs is at 27.5, just about right on the 27 passing TD he threw last year.
Barring an injury to Wentz, he should be a safe bet to eclipse those numbers. He managed is career best (and a franchise record) in passing yards, despite the fact his wide receivers over the last four weeks were Greg Ward, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Deontay Burnett, and Robert Davis. The influx of talent at wideout should improve those numbers substantially.
As for running back Miles Sanders, the oddsmakers expect a bust-out season for the second-year man from Penn State. Fan Duel’s O/U for Sanders’ combined rushing and receiving scrimmage yards is 1,499.5. That’s a significant jump from the 1,327 yards he totaled in his rookie season. The Eagles letting Jordan Howard leave for the Dolphins via free agency likely has a lot to do with the lofty prediction. Fan Duel has Sanders at over/under 9.5 combined rushing and receiving TDs. He had six total TDs in 2019.
One factor that could make bettors hesitant is the Eagles’ reported interest in veteran RB Carlos Hyde. (https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/nfl-free-agency-rumors-carlos-hyde-miles-sanders) If they sign Hyde, expect him to eat into Sanders’ potential touches and yards. Hyde is up there in age (30), but he rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season, and has far fewer career carries than comparable backs at his age.
Tight end Zach Ertz has been among the most prolific at his position in the NFL over the past five seasons, and Vegas doesn’t expect that trend to end in 2020. His O/U for receiving yards is set at 899.5, just off his 2019 total of 916, and his TD total is set at 7.5, up from last year’s actual total of six.
As for Jalen Reagor, Fan Duel has ambitious numbers set for the Eagles’ first-round pick. His O/U is 700.5 receiving yards and 4.5 receiving TD. For comparison, only four wideouts have topped 700 yards for the Eagles in their rookie season over the last 70 years: Fred Barnett (1990), DeSean Jackson (2008), Jeremy Maclin (2009), and Jordan Matthews (2014).
NFL
Fair to say, if these four Eagles hit the numbers predicted by the oddsmakers, fans should be in for some serious offensive fireworks.
Subscribe and rate the Eagle Eye podcast:
Apple Podcasts / Google Play / Stitcher / Spotify / Art19
Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.