Injured Quarterbacks Affecting NFL Week 16 Point Spreads

Despite missing its starting quarterback, bettors are lining up to place wagers on the Philadelphia Eagles. The defending Super Bowl champion is hosting the Houston Texans on Sunday. The game opened as a pick ’em, but has since moved two points in favor of the Eagles.

Carson Wentz injured his back two weeks ago, which was diagnosed as a stress injury. Backup Nick Foles took over last Sunday when the Eagles shocked the Los Angeles Rams, winning on the road, 30-23. Philadelphia was a 13.5-point underdog.

Eagles coach Doug Pederson said he was going to give Wentz another week of rest and reassess if he wanted to use his starter in the team’s final regular season game at Washington.

“Obviously when he’s healthy he’s our quarterback,” Pederson said. “We continue to gather information, as we do on all our players. The information is favorable and it’s something that was positive for him, positive for us. But we have to make sure he’s 100 percent before we put him out there.”

Foles has a 7-2 record as a starter dating back to last December when Wentz tore his ACL. Foles led the team to a Super Bowl victory and won the game’s MVP.

Double-Digit Spread Streak Continues

Last week the streak of at least one game having a spread of 10 or more points was in danger of being snapped. The last time there wasn’t one was Week 7.

It appeared last Sunday there wouldn’t be one, but news of Carson Wentz’s injured back sent the line of the LA Rams-Philadelphia game from 9.5 to 13.5 in the Rams’ favor. The Eagles won outright, 30-23.

This week there are two games that have spreads of 10 or more. The first is Thursday’s Washington-Tennessee contest. The Redskins, who lost quarterbacks Alex Smith, and back up Colt McCoy, and have been using Mark Sanchez, are 10-point underdogs on the road to the Titans. They were getting seven points last week against Jacksonville and won 16-13.

The second double-digit spread game is Buffalo at New England. The Patriots are laying 12.5. The last time the two met in Buffalo, the Patriots won easily, 25-6. They were a 14-point pick in that game and covered the spread by five.

Packers Rodgers Expects to Play

With the Green Bay Packers officially out of the playoff race, there was talk interim coach Joe Philbin was going to sit starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the final two games, including Sunday’s road game at the New York Jets.

That caused the line to go from Green Bay -3 to a pick ’em. Rodgers, though, quickly shot down any talk of shutting it down.

“Look no one has talked to me about it,” Rodgers said. “I want to play though. I am expecting to start and play. I’d like to be out there and lead us the last two weeks.”

Philbin backed up the All-Pro quarterback, saying Rodgers will be under center against the Jets unless the groin injury he suffered against the Bears prevents it.

“The week is early and we’re just going to have to see,” Philbin said. “I have no idea what his (Rodgers) status will be. Hopefully, he’ll be ready to play, but again, nobody is going to go out on that field unless they are physically ready to go out on the field and contribute to the success of the team, so yeah, it’s just a little early,”