NFC East odds: Eagles favored over Giants in 2014 divisional wagering

No team has dominated the NFC East in the past decade, but the Eagles are favored to repeat as division champs in 2014.

The Philadelphia Eagles were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season under rookie head coach Chip Kelly, but the Eagles will not sneak up on anybody in Kelly's second year as the consensus favorites to repeat as NFC East champions in 2014 at 5/4 odds.

Of course, no team has repeated as champion since the Eagles reeled off four in a row from 2001-2004 and all four teams have finished first within the past five seasons.

Believe it or not, Philadelphia could be even stronger offensively this season despite losing wide receiver DeSean Jackson to Washington. The last time the Eagles lost one of their top players to the Redskins was 2010, when quarterback Donovan McNabb was traded to Washington.

Philly turned that transaction into a winning proposition, with Michael Vick taking over for McNabb and leading the team to a 10-6 mark and a playoff berth while Washington finished last in the NFC East at 6-10.

The Eagles drafted Jackson's replacement in Jordan Matthews from Vanderbilt and also picked up running back Darren Sproles in a trade with the New Orleans Saints to bolster the rushing attack and help spell reigning NFL leading rusher LeSean McCoy.

Third-year QB Nick Foles is coming off a brilliant second season with 27 touchdown passes and just two interceptions, making Vick expendable and leading him to the New York Jets in the offseason. If Philadelphia's defense can just improve a bit more, going over a Win Total of 11 and making it back to the postseason seems more than likely.

The New York Giants (O/U 8 wins) appear to be Philly's top challenger for the division title this year at 3/1. But two-time Super Bowl champion QB Eli Manning will need to play much better than he did last season when he threw a career-high 27 interceptions and was sacked a career-worst 39 times.

The Giants lost a former first-round pick in RB David Wilson, who was forced to retire due to a chronic neck injury, but they have a potential sleeper taking his place in 2014 fourth-rounder Andre Williams.

Washington (15/4) and the Dallas Cowboys (4/1) both need healthy starting QBs under center in order to have any chance to win the NFC East. The Redskins (O/U 7.5 wins) have a new head coach in Jay Gruden, who previously served as offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Gruden hopes to use his skills to devise a scheme that will help protect prized signal caller Robert Griffin III and keep him on the field as much as possible. The Cowboys (O/U 7.5 wins) have a similar issue with QB Tony Romo, who is returning from back surgery and has reportedly struggled throwing the deep ball.

If Romo is unable to play like his former self, Dallas will probably end up regretting not drafting Johnny Manziel. Dallas opens with a tough assignment, at home to the Niners, a team that has been an ATS juggernaut as road favorites.

from SBNation.com - All Posts http://www.sbnation.com/odds/2014/9/4/6098813/nfc-east-odds-eagles-favored-over-giants-in-2014-divisional-wagering