NFL Over/Unders 2017, Best Picks: NFC East
By Dan Salem
The NFL Over/Under lines are out for 2017, making now the best time to place your bets. The entire NFC East has improved, so which teams are bad bets?
NFL minicamps have opened. OTAs and training camps are getting underway. We are officially out of the offseason and into the preseason. With that, it is time to speculate wildly on everything from depth charts to position battles to standings to signings.
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We debated quarterback battles in Cleveland , Chicago, Denver, and New York, as well as Cincinnati‘s running back battle. But the 2017 NFL Over/Under lines are out, meaning its time to make your bets with our best picks. Based on opening Over/Unders (per Westgate Las Vegas, via ESPN), we have an idea of how each division is expected to finish. Vegas isn’t always correct with its assessment though. There are flaws to exploit in its projections. Next up is the NFC East, where every team could be a playoff team.
Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, discuss the 2017 NFL Over/Under lines in today’s NFL Sports Debate.
NFC East Over/Unders
Dallas Cowboys 9.5 wins
New York Giants 8.5 wins
Philadelphia Eagles 8 wins
Washington Redskins 7.5 wins
Verdict
Todd Salem: The NFC East opening lines are fascinating. This feels like the exact proper order of how the teams should be ranked. I also like that all four teams are separated by just two games. That feels apt. But don’t they all seem low??
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I would bump every line in this division, or at least the lines of Dallas and New York. Maybe it doesn’t make mathematical sense to have all four teams projected above .500. So holding Philadelphia and Washington where they are is fine, but the East is really, really good and deep. How can its best team be under 10 wins? And second place should be well over eight wins. This division won 39 games last season, six more than any other division in the conference and the most of any division in football.
Besides some possible regression from Dallas at the top, there isn’t a clear team that got worse than last year either. In fact, the other three appear to be better on paper. Playing the AFC West this season isn’t ideal, but this foursome also plays the NFC West. I would throw an over bet on all four of these teams right now and hope three hit.
Dan Salem: I like all four teams in the NFC East for different reasons, but they aren’t all finishing the season with eight or more victories. The lines themselves are placed perfectly, but two teams are amazing bets in my opinion.
Take the New York Giants over 8.5 wins right now. This team is certainly finishing over .500 and will likely win double digits en route to the playoffs. I’m also snatching up the over with the Washington Redskins. Kirk Cousins is once again playing for his next job and Washington is a solid bet for at least eight victories. The team likely falls short of the postseason, but that has nothing to do with winning this bet.
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Those are my two favorite picks, but I also like the over for the Dallas Cowboys. They win double digits as well, I’m just not as sold on the bet itself. Any sort of injury to a major position could lead to only nine wins for Dallas. I’m also torn on how I feel about Philadelphia. Year 2 with Carson Wentz could go either way. The same with the 2017 Eagles. I’d take the under and bank on seven wins instead of nine for Philadelphia. They are simply too unpredictable to count on.