Andrew Ortenberg
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First off and most importantly, Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours. Week 16 is almost in the books, but before it wraps up we’ve got three great Christmas Day games to look forward to. The second game on the card is this classic NFC East rivalry showdown between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, and I can’t wait.
There’s only one way to properly celebrate Christmas football, and that’s with a Same Game Parlay. Before we dive in, don’t forget to read all our other NFL Week 16 picks on sides and totals. But now let’s get right into this Giants vs Eagles SGP.
Darren Waller to record 70+ receiving yards (+400)
Jalen Hurts to record 50+rushing yards (+146)
Parlay odds: +955
We have a 2-leg Same Game Parlay, which pays out just north of 9/1 with FanDuel Sportsbook. Let’s break it down.
Darren Waller to record 70+ receiving yards (+400)
To start this Same Game Parlay I have Waller having a big day. The veteran tight end just returned to the Giants’ lineup last week, and I think oddsmakers are underestimating him. Last week he had 4 catches for 40 yards, and that was in a game where New York’s offense struggled all day and only put up 6 points. And that was Waller’s first game in over six weeks after he hurt himself back in October so he was still being eased in.
Now Waller is going to be a full go for this one, and I expect him to see plenty of opportunities. Tommy DeVito already clearly values him as a target, and the Giants don’t have much at receiver so he won’t have too much competition for targets. In Waller’s last full game before getting hurt, he had seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown.
Waller had gotten to at least 76 yards in three of his last six games pre-injury, so I think getting +400 on this has a lot of standalone value as well. Linebacker is one of Philly’s biggest weaknesses, and they sometimes struggle to cover tight ends accordingly.
There’s a reason they just signed an over the hill Shaq Leonard in free agency, and it’s because their other linebackers have been atrocious. Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson has gone over 70 yards in both of his matchups against the Eagles, and he only has four 70-yard games all season.
Jalen Hurts to record 50+rushing yards (+146)
Something is broken with the Eagles’ offense, and when all else fails it means Hurts uses his legs even more. Philadelphia’s passing game has been inefficient for a while now, as Hurts is only averaging 6.3 yards per attempt over his past five games. We often see the Eagles be more willing to dial up designed runs for Hurts in big games, and this NFC East rivalry showdown certainly qualifies.
The Eagles need this one like blood coming off three straight losses, so I think Hurts will be taking off early and often. Last week on Monday Night Football in a game the Eagles desperately needed against the Seahawks, Hurts ran 13 times for 82 yards and two touchdowns.
It was pretty much the only thing that was working for them on offense, so I fully expect them to go back to the well here. D’Andre Swift is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry during this losing streak, giving Hurts’ rushing production even more importance.
These teams last played each other in last year’s playoffs, and Hurts had 34 rushing yards. But that’s because the game was so incredibly far out of hand (28-0 at halftime) that there was absolutely no reason for him to run in the second half. He had 30 rushing yards just in the first half of that one.
