Eagles face Commanders with 6-point underdog tag

The Philadelphia Eagles will host the Washington Commanders on Sunday night as six-point underdogs in a Week 8 matchup that both teams are hoping to avoid.

The Eagles sit at 2-5 after losing quarterback Jalen Hurts for the remainder of the season. They will also be without wide receiver DeVonta Smith, cornerback Dontayvion Wicks, and safety Jihaad Campbell.

The Commanders enter the game at 1-5. Head coach Dan Quinn faces mounting pressure, and defensive tackle Daron Payne suffered a season-ending Jones fracture during practice on Friday.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the NFL considered flexing this game out of the Sunday Night Football slot in favor of the Cleveland Browns versus Pittsburgh Steelers. The league decided to keep the Eagles and Commanders in the primetime window.

Sportsbooks list Washington as either a five-and-a-half or six-point favorite. The Eagles are trying to improve their defense after a poor performance against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night.

Bucks County Tribune staff members offered their predictions for the game. Tim Kelly predicts a 23-17 Commanders victory. Kelly believes Jayden Daniels can throw the ball effectively even if the Eagles play better defensively.

Kelly noted that the Eagles have limited skill-position talent around backup quarterback Tanner McKee. He expects the NFC East race to become a two-team battle that does not involve either of the Sunday night opponents.

Anthony SanFilippo picked the Eagles to win 19-17. He cited the Eagles' offense performing slightly better against another weak defense last week. SanFilippo believes the Eagles defense will respond to criticism of their effort and desire.

SanFilippo argued that the NFL should have moved the game because two bad teams are slugging it out to stay out of the basement of the division. He suggested that a win for Philadelphia would only extend the conversation about whether to rebuild the roster.

Bob Cooney and Cory Nidoh both predicted a 23-20 Commanders win. Cooney believes the Eagles special teams will make a big mistake that costs them the game. He expects Washington to exploit the Eagles' lack of passing options.

Nidoh noted that the Commanders nearly beat the San Francisco 49ers two weeks ago and came off a bye. He expects Tanner McKee to look good against a poor Washington defense even without Smith and Wicks.