The Monday Night Football Crew has the privilege of covering an enticing matchup in Week 2 of the 2024-25 NFL Season as the Atlanta Falcons (0-1) head to the City of Brotherly Love for a battle with the Philadelphia Eagles (1-0). Philadelphia opened their season in Brazil against Green Bay while the Falcons faced Pittsburgh at home in Week 1. This game is the Eagles home opener and will be featured in the primetime viewing window on ESPN. Kickoff is set for 8:15 PM EST on September 16th at Lincoln Financial Field.
These two franchises took drastically different paths on the way to this Week 2 Monday Night Football battle, as Philadelpia spent the opening week of the regular season in South America while the Falcons enjoyed a week of no travel at home. However, despite their home field advantage, Atlanta is still searching for their first win while the Eagles look to start the year 2-0 with second consecutive victory.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was not at his best last weekend, so a strong rebound performance is needed in this game for the Falcons to get back on track. Meanwhile, Philadelphia is still riding high after scoring 34 points in a foreign environment against a Green Bay squad that made the Divisional Round last season.
Matchup Details, Betting Market Information and Where to Watch
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Eagles listed as 4.5-point home favorites. The spread has moved pretty substantially after early betting, as Philadelphia is now available at -6.5 on most sportsbooks. The total for this matchup is 47 points. Viewers hoping to watch the game should note that it will be televised exclusively on NBC. In Canada, the game will also be available on DAZN.
Atlanta Falcons Stumble Offensively in Lackluster Debut for Cousins
Things started out reasonably smoothly in Atlanta’s home opener last weekend, as they took a 10-9 lead into the half despite a tough matchup against a formidable Steelers defense. However, it was all downhill from there for the Falcons, as Pittsburgh didn’t give up a single point the rest of the game en route to an 18-10 victory.
The big story of the game for Atlanta was the underwhelming performance by veteran QB Kirk Cousins in his debut after signing with the team during the offseason. Cousins completed 16 out of 26 total passing attempts for only 155 yards through the air, while also throwing two very costly interceptions.
Flashy RB Bijan Robinson certainly didn’t have his best outing in Week 1 either, as Pittsburgh held him to just 68 rushing yards on a team-high 18 carries. Robinson did help provide Cousins with an effective safety valve out of the backfield though, making five receptions for 43 yards. TE Kyle Pitts also provided a safety blanket for his new quarterback, finding the end zone on one of his three catches.
On the other side of the ball, Atlanta did a pretty solid job overall against a below average Steelers offense. The Falcons held QB Justin Fields to 156 yards through the air while also keeping the entire Pittsburgh team out of the end zone for the duration of the game.
Philadelphia Eagles Emerge Victorious in Exotic Brazil
NFL fans in Latin America were treated to a real show in Brazil to kickoff the 2024-25 season, as Philadelphia and Green Bay combined for 63 total points in a back and forth offensive battle. The Eagles found a way to pull away down the stretch, outscoring the Packers 17-10 in the second half after trailing by two points at the start of the third quarter.
It was certainly a debut to remember for veteran RB Saquon Barkley, as the ex-Giants star torched the Packers run defense for 109 rushing yards and two touchdowns on a game-high 24 carries. QB Jalen Hurts also had a great outing, racking up 278 passing yards and two touchdowns while also scrambling for 33 yards on the ground. The Philadelphia receiving corps definitely did their part as well – A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert combined for over 200 total receiving yards and a touchdown on 16 receptions.
The Eagles struggled to contain quarterback Jordan Love throughout much of the game, allowing him to throw for 260 yards and two touchdowns through the air in a losing effort. Philadelphia didn’t fare much better slowing down the Packers on the ground either, as RB Josh Jacobs averaged 5.2 yards per carry in his first game since signing with Green Bay.
Our Falcons vs Eagles NFL Betting Prediction and Pick
There was definitely a ton of value on Philadelphia’s side against the spread when betting markets for this game opened up earlier in the week, as the Eagles were just 4.5 point favorites. However, the market has slowly become more efficient, as the line has now moved by two full points.
While it’s usually not the sharpest play to chase a team after such significant line movement, I still think that Philadelphia is playable up to -6.5 in this particular spot. Atlanta really struggled offensively at home in an average matchup last weekend, so it’s tough to imagine them faring much better in a game held in a hostile road environment against a tough defense.
Against the Spread Betting Market Tip: Eagles -6.5
Despite not surrendering even a single touchdown on defense against the Steelers in Week 1, there were still some matchup issues on defense that could play a pivotal role on Monday evening. Atlanta struggled to prevent mobile QB Justin Fields from finding running room on the ground more often than not, allowing him to average over four yards per carry on 14 total rushing attempts. That certainly doesn’t bode well for the Falcons considering the fact that Philadelphia just ran all over the Packers last Thursday night.
Again, there is now significantly less value with Philadelphia against the spread due to what appears to be a much more accurate betting line. However, I still envision the Eagles finding a way to win by at least a touchdown against an Atlanta team that really underwhelmed offensively to start the year. It is also worth noting that the Falcons performance on defense in Week 1 may have been a bit of a mirage considering that their opponent was one of the lowest scoring teams in the entire NFL during the 2023-24 season. I’ll roll the dice and lay the 6.5 points – give me Philadelphia to cover the number at home!
