2005 Philadelphia Eagles NFL Handicapping Review

 

By Tom Wilkinson

 

The 2004 Philadelphia Eagles were amongst the favorites of the general sports handicapping public to win the NFC title and make the super bowl, if not win it outright. Philly was coming off an excellent 2003 season in which they fell just one game shy of the super bowl and had a 9-game winning streak against the sports betting odds. The Eagles would continue their bizarre pattern of sports betting streaks both positive and negative in nature.

Philadelphia ripped off five consecutive straight up wins and covers against the sports betting odds to start 2004. Despite the ever increasing sports betting odds price to be paid for wagers on Philly, many sports betting players had the Eagles at the very top of their list of weekly football picks. But entering their sixth game of the season at Cleveland, it was obvious that the Eagles were tapped out as any kind of sports betting value as they won but did not cover at Cleveland, which began a three-game slide for Philly against the online sports betting websites and sportsbooks.

After an embarrassing 3-27 loss at Pittsburgh in which many sports betting players overreacted with doubt afterwards, the Eagles got some of their value back against the sports betting odds and, with many online sports betting players vowing to take a powder on Philly games, ripped off a four game winning streak both straight up and against the sports betting odds which was capped off by a 47-17 bombing of Green Bay as 6-point home chalks. The Eagles again looked unstoppable.

Problem is, Philadelphia had little to play for in the season’s final month as home field was clinched for the playoffs, so Andy Reid rested his key starters which meant that sports betting players still had to pay a premium price in sports betting odds on the Eagles, but without their best effort and Philly dropped their final four regular season games against the sports betting odds.

A interesting overreaction took place following the Eagles poor finish as many online sports betting players mistakenly thought that the Eagles couldn’t get themselves back together in the playoffs, that they had lost all momentum. This ridiculous attitude by the general sports betting public gave Philly its value back against the sports betting odds and they won their last three games against the sports betting line, including the Super Bowl in their 21-24 loss as 7-point road dogs.