Two NFC East division rivals are set to clash in the NFC Championship Game with the Washington Commanders taking on the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 3 p.m. ET.
The Commanders are riding high after rookie sensation Jayden Daniels led them to an upset victory over the Detroit Lions, while the Eagles took care of business by winning the turnover battle against the Los Angeles Rams.
Which team has the edge in this NFC Championship Game? Let’s examine the latest betting odds before diving into my Commanders vs Eagles prediction and best bets.
Commanders vs Eagles Odds
NFL odds are current as of Tuesday, Jan. 21, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: Commanders (+230) vs Eagles (-285)
- Spread: Commanders +6 (-108) vs Eagles -6 (-112)
- Over/Under: Over 47.5 (-110) / Under 47.5 (-110)
Commanders vs Eagles Predictions
Eagles 24, Commanders 21
For the Commanders to pull off the upset, they need Jayden Daniels to continue playing at an elite level. That won’t be an easy task, as this Eagles defense is elite, ranking 2nd in overall EPA, led by stars like defensive lineman Jalen Carter and standout rookies like cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
But Daniels has elevated his game during the postseason so far, completing nearly 70% of his passes for 567 yards and four touchdowns. It’s clear that this is a special player with the ability to take over a game like the all-time greats tend to do.
Look for Daniels to continue to make big plays for the Commanders — both with his arm and legs — allowing Washington to keep this one close.
This will be helped by the fact that the Eagles’ passing game has struggled lately. Jalen Hurts hasn’t eclipsed 135 passing yards in either playoff game so far.
On the one hand, that’s partly because of their dominant running game leading to less passing volume. But when you consider that this team has elite talents like A.J. Brown and clinical route-runners like DeVonta Smith, you come away expecting more from this passing game.
With that in mind, you have to give the Commanders the edge under center right now with Daniels over Hurts.
Having said that, the key for the Eagles will be running back Saquon Barkley, who has rushed for 150 and 146 yards in two meetings vs the Commanders this year. If the former Giant can continue to make explosive plays on the ground, the Eagles should be able to pull this one off.
But expect a close game with a Commanders team that is coming in confident following an upset over one of the favorites, set for a clash with a familiar opponent.
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Commanders vs Eagles Best Bets
Commanders +6 (-108)
This is simply too many points for a divisional game.
The Commanders only have one 10+ point loss this season — back in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This team has the ability to keep it close thanks to an offense that can sustain long drives and keep opponents off the field. Washington has dominated time of possession in each postseason win so far.
Longer drives mean fewer possessions, making it tougher to cover large point spreads.
When these teams met in Week 11 — in a game where Jayden Daniels was playing through a rib injury — the Commanders had a 10-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
It unraveled from there, as Saquon Barkley ran wild vs a tired defense, but the fact is that Washington can hang with Philadelphia here.
Add in the fact that the Eagles’ passing game is lethargic right now, and you can see why Commanders +6 is one of my best NFL bets today.
Commanders/Eagles Under 47.5 Points (-110)
There are two key factors on why I like the Under here. For one, as mentioned above, the Commanders do a good job dominating time of possession. This team goes for it on fourth down often, continuously chewing time off the clock.
We saw how this led to an Under in the NFC Wild Card game vs the Bucs with a 23-20 final scoreline.
It didn’t work against the Lions (45-31 final), but Detroit has a much more explosive passing game than Philadelphia right now.
The second factor is the Eagles defense, which has held opponents to 22 points or fewer in 10 of their last 11 games.
Look for a lower-scoring game than expected between these two division rivals.
