NFL nut Kyle Robins (@AhhYeahKyleYeah) shares his expert opinion on the best bets available from Sunday night's wildcard encounter from Chicago.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears | Sunday 6th January 2019, 21:140| Sky Sports
Well, here we are – Wildcard Weekend is upon us and I have the honour of dissecting the intriguing match-up between the defending Superbowl champs Philadelphia Eagles, as they head into Chicago to slug it out with the Bears and that ferocious defensive unit.
In what is Chicagos first playoff appearance since their 2011 conference championship loss to Green Bay, there’s a sense of optimism and excitement surrounding this Bears team, as well there should be.
A word of caution for Bears fans and players however, there is a team between you and a matchup with the Rams next week. We’ve seen previously teams already thinking one week ahead. How did that work out for the Steelers last year :[
Chicago will undoubtedly be looking to carry the momentum of their dominant defence through into the playoffs. This Bears defensive unit has been one of the more formidable throughout the regular season, but to our amazement, they’ve stepped up to an even higher level this past four weeks, playing completely lights out.
Holding that well-know powerhouse from LA to just 6 points a few weeks back, and completely shutting down the Vikings in Minnesota last week. One things for certain. The Eagles face one hell of a task to come out of Solider Field with the W, but if anyone can do it, ‘Saint’ Nick Foles is their man…… Well, a man can dream can’t he.
The same man that came in last year to lead this Eagles team to Superbowl glory and MVP honours, has been blessed with the same opportunity again this year, all be it without home field advantage this time round.
But make no mistake about it, this Eagles team has been rejuvenated since Foles took over in Week 15, overseeing a monumental victory in Los Angles over the Rams, and leading the Eagles to 3 straight wins and a playoff berth, don’t sleep on the Eagles. They’ve been here before.
Now, enough of the build-up, let’s get to what you’re here for.
There’s a few areas of potential value looking at this game, and I’ll hopefully be able to exploit them. The first being from the ‘Total Match Points’ market. The line for this game is currently set at 41.5, and to me, that looks a little too high.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a tough one to call and this game could go either way, but I’m just a little more inclined to lean towards the under. Given it being Chicagos first playoff appearance in nearly 8 years, it’s not unfair to say nerves might kick in, just a little. Whilst the atmosphere will be hostile, Nick Foles and the Eagles have been here before, whereas its most of these bears players first time on the big stage, and I for one am looking to see how Mitch Trubisky handles the pressure.
The Eagles front seven will be looking to put pressure on the second year quarterback early and often. If they can, it’ll make for much more interesting game than if the Bears get ahead early.
Not much more really needs to be said about the Bears defensive capabilities, so our hopes lie with the Eagles on this one. Hopefully they can keep the score down and lead to a winner with Under 41.5 points at 10/11 with SkyBet.
Now this might be somewhat of a strange approach with this next bet, but it’s just simply one I could not ignore. After hours of analysing the touchdown markets, and studying all the statistics I could, nothing stood out to me more than the line set for Eagles wide out Jordon Matthews.
The former second round pick has had a tough time of it in his second stint for Philadelphia this year, hurling in just 20 receptions for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns. With most of that damage coming in the space of 3 games from week 8 through to 11.
The truth is however, he’s hauled in just 4 receptions through weeks 11-17 to end the season, totalling 23 yards. It seems fair in saying, he doesn’t look to have any sort of chemistry with Saint Nick, and add to that he’s facing a daunting task against this Bears defence, his line of 17.5 yards looks like a late Christmas present to me.
The 5/6 being offered with SkyBet for the under on this, to me almost looks a certainty.
TAKE IT BEFORE IT GOES!!!
Best Bets
Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears – Under 41.5 Points (10/11 SKyBet)
Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears – Jordon Matthews Under 17.5 Receiving Yards (5/6 SkyBet)
