NFL odds: Previewing the NFC East
In the past five seasons, all four teams in the NFC East have won the division at least once, and no team has repeated as division winners since the Philadelphia Eagles had a four-peat in 2001-'04.
The defending NFC East champion Eagles will open the 2014 NFL season as solid 5/4 favorites to repeat as division champs in NFL futures betting, but they are distant long shot in Super Bowl betting with odds of 25/1.
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It was a tale of two seasons for the Eagles in 2013. Philadelphia posted a dismal 3-5 record in the first half of the season, including back-to-back home losses to the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. But led by quarterback Nick Foles, the Eagles won six of their final eight regular season games to finish at 10-6, before a heartbreaking 26-24 loss to New Orleans in the wild card.
The Eagles are favored to at least match their win total from last season, with 5/7 odds of posting more than nine wins in NFL online props betting. Foles is also opening as a 25/1 bet to claim MVP honors in NFL player props wagering.
New York rode the same roller coaster as the Eagles last season, losing their first six games before rebounding to finish the season at 7-9. The Giants open the 2014 campaign with 3/1 odds of winning the NFC East, and with distant Super Bowl odds of 40/1.
While there was no shortage of blame to spread around the Giants’ locker room for their lost 2013 season, the focus was on QB Eli Manning, who recorded the worst numbers of his 10-year NFL career.
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Manning started 2013 by tossing four touchdowns in a 36-31 loss to the Cowboys in week 1. However, his three interceptions marked the start of a brutal five-game stretch during which he threw a total of 15 picks.
The two-time Super Bowl MVP never recovered, throwing just 18 touchdowns on the season against 27 interceptions. Despite his struggles, Manning remains in the MVP conversation, pegged at 66/1 in NFL props betting. He will need to return to his Super Bowl form if the Giants are to make good on their 4/5 odds of winning over eight games in 2014.
While it was a rough year for the Giants, it paled in comparison to the Washington Redskins’ season. With just a single win on the road and no wins in the second half, the Skins finished 2013 with an NFC worst 3-13 record.
But with odds of 15/4 to win the NFC East this season, perhaps not all hope is lost. Washington’s success will hinge on the health and continued development of QB Robert Griffin III.
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The 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year was plagued by injury in 2013, and threw just 16 touchdowns against 12 picks before his season ended after 13 games. However, RGIII owns intriguing odds of 25/1 in NFL MVP props wagering.
The Dallas Cowboys looked to be on their way to the NFC East title in 2013, but after losing three of their last four games, they finished at 8-8 and were eliminated from the playoffs.
If anything, oddsmakers should be placing odds on whether the Cowboys will go 8-8 for a fourth straight season.
Struck by a rash of injuries since the start of this year’s camp, Dallas has tumbled to 4/1 odds in the NFC East, and a distant 50/1 in Super Bowl betting. Not surprisingly, the Cowboys are also pegged as a 4/5 bet to win fewer than eight games in 2014.
