How Many Points Can the Philadelphia Eagles Score Against the Lions?

The Philadelphia Eagles are not an offensive juggernaut. Instead, they are averaging 22.7 points per game and scoring on only 33.3 percent of their drives, the 24th best in the league.

In Week 8 against the Lions, BetMGM’s NFL betting lines have the Eagles scoring over 26.5 points at -105. Let’s look at the Eagles’ offense, the Lions’ defense, and how the two have fared this season.

Offensive Imbalance of the Philadelphia Eagles

First-year coach Nick Sirianni has received growing criticism for his unbalanced offense and poor play-calling. The Eagles have the 7th fewest rushing attempts with 164, yet are 10th in the league in rushing yards with 817.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts, the team’s top rushing threat, averages 5.5 yards per carry and has scored five touchdowns on the year. The Eagles collectively have had success running the football this year, averaging 5.0 yards per carry, tied for 4th best in the league.

But Nick Sirianni does not commit to the run game. Instead, Sirianni’s RPO (run-pass-offense) scheme has put the ball through the air at a high rate. Jalen Hurts ranks 8th in passing attempts but is only completing 62.2% of his passes, 4th lowest among starting quarterbacks. His 38.8 rated QBR is the 6th lowest in the league.

To make matters worse, the Eagles may be without injured starting running back Miles Sanders in Week 8 against the Lions. If so, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott will likely see the bulk of the workload.

Too Little, Too Late

The Eagles’ 33-22 loss last week to the Raiders looked closer than it was. The Eagles were losing 30-7 in the 4th quarter before the offense started showing some success.

In Week 6 against the Buccaneers, the Eagles were down 28-7 late in the 3rd quarter until the offense put two scoring drives together. Jalen Hurts, Nick Sirianni, and the Eagles need to avoid this growing trend of slow starts and drastically late offensive surges and find more consistency.

The Damaged Defense of Detroit

In Week 8, the Eagles have an opportunity to work out their offensive struggles against the Lions. The Lions are eighth-worst in the league in points per game allowed (28.6) and yards per game allowed (383).

The Lions are extremely thin in the secondary. Having already lost cornerbacks Jeff Okudah and Ifeatu Melifonwu for the year, the Lions will likely be without another cornerback to injury in AJ Parker.

The Lions will have to rely on Amani Oruwariye and rookie Jerry Jacobs at cornerback, meaning Jalen Hurts and the Eagles receiving corps could find some success.

Week 8: Eagles vs. Lions

Bet MGM’s Eagles line over 26.5 is about four points higher than the Eagles per game scoring average. In the first seven weeks, the Eagles have hit over 26.5 only twice and haven’t scored more than 22 points in the last three weeks.

The Lions held three of their seven opponents to under 26.5 points. But, most impressively, the Lions’ defense kept the Ravens and the Vikings’ offense to only 19 points this season.

In Week 8, the Philadelphia Eagles will need a balanced offensive approach and for Jalen Hurts to exploit the weak Lions’ secondary to hit the over on 26.5 points.

Place NFL Bets at Bet MGM

At the Bet MGM sportsbook, you can find updated NFL odds throughout the entire season. Do you believe that the Philadelphia Eagles will figure out their offense against the Lions? This week be sure to check out BetMGM’s King of the Weekend promotion, where you can place a free bet and pick the six highest scoring teams from five NFL games.