SuperBook Sports previews tonight’s doubleheader

NFL: Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs have been one of the best early stories in the NFL, getting off to a surprising 2-0 start after Tom Brady retired and Tampa Bay turned to journeyman Baker Mayfield at quarterback. But the former No. 1 overall pick has been solid, including throwing for 317 yards in a win over Chicago last week.

Still, the Buccaneers have only played two NFC North teams. They are in for a much tougher test against the team that represented the conference in the Super Bowl a season ago.

The Eagles are also 2-0, but both wins have come by only a single score. They escaped New England with a 25-20 victory and then Minnesota had a backdoor cover on “Thursday Night Football” in a 34-28 shootout. Philadelphia is benefiting from the schedule, getting a rare full 10 days in between games without a bye, playing Thursday and then not again until the following Monday. Jalen Hurts and company will be ready to get back on the field.

So far this season, the Eagles run game has been on point. Hurts already has 72 yards and two touchdowns, while they found a way to get D’Andre Swift involved against the Vikings. He went off for 175 yards and a score on 28 carries, after he bizarrely only received one against the Patriots. Kenneth Gainwell should also be back in the fold after missing Week 2, so Nick Sirianni will have plenty of weapons to deploy in his deadly running game. Having A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smiths in the passing game doesn’t hurt, adding to their plethora of stars.

However, Tampa Bay has weapons of its own. Mike Evans showed against the Bears that he’s still an elite receiver, even if Brady isn’t throwing him the football. The 30-year-old wideout had a huge day, hauling in six catches for 171 yards and a touchdown, including a 70-yarder in the second quarter to set up a TD three plays later. Evans is a problem, and the Eagles will have to contain him to avoid the upset.

Steve Quinne’s Pick: Philadelphia -5.0 (-110)

Everyone loves an underdog, but Tampa Bay is destined to come back down to Earth. There’s a reason Mayfield is now on his fourth team in the last two years, bouncing from the Browns to the Panthers to the Rams to the Buccaneers. He can win in spurts, but it isn’t sustainable. And Minnesota and Chicago are a combined 0-6, so Philly will be an entirely different beast. 

The time off will help an Eagles team that is even more loaded than it was a season ago, and they shouldn’t have a problem running the football on their way to 30-plus points for the second time this year. The Philadelphia defense will also rebound after their so-so performance against the Vikings, making Mayfield’s life tough and showing they’re better than the tape they put out a week ago. It should be an entertaining contest, but the Eagles will cover the less-than-a-touchdown spread with a 31-21 victory.

NFL: Los Angeles Rams at Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati is one of the surprises of the season thus far, but not in a good way. A team that many thought would go back to the Super Bowl for a second time in three years, and this time win it, is 0-2.

Joe Burrow got the richest deal in NFL history (until Patrick Mahomes topped it) and has looked pedestrian since the ink dried. He aggravated his calf injury in last week’s loss to the Ravens and is questionable to play on Monday night. Superstar wideout Ja’Marr Chase predicted he won’t play, so his status is obviously worth monitoring and a major question mark. 

Many thought the Rams could be bad this year, especially after star wideout Cooper Kupp landed on IR, but that hasn’t been the case. They stunned people by easily dispatching Seattle on the road in Week 1 by a final score of 30-13. And in Week 2, they hung with the very dangerous 49ers, before bowing out with a respectable 30-23 loss. Matthew Stafford looks like the 2021 version of himself, throwing for more than 300 yards in both contests and finding new targets with Kupp sidelined and some worried if he’ll ever be the same player again.

Perhaps the most surprising of those wideouts is Puka Nacua, who has burst onto the scene out of nowhere. Nacua has more than 100 yards in both games, going for 147 last week with a ridiculous 15 receptions against San Francisco. That was even better than his 10 catches and 119 yards against the Seahawks. The rookie out of BYU was only a fifth-round pick, but a lot of GMs are already kicking themselves for passing on him in the draft multiple times. Tutu Atwell has also stepped up, going for 119 yards against Seattle and 77 versus the Niners. Stafford is still a solid QB, and his playmakers that many didn’t know have also stepped up.

Only once in the past 25 years has an 0-3 team made the playoffs, so this feels like a rare September “elimination” game for the Bengals. If Burrow plays, they need him to be better, but they need more from their other stars, as well.

Chase has just 70 yards receiving on the season and no touchdowns. Tyler Boyd is stuck at 62 yards, also with no scores. Joe Mixon hasn’t found the end zone and is averaging just 57.5 yards per game rushing. Only Tee Higgins can seem to score, with two touchdowns, but he’s also not over 100 yards receiving on the season.

It’s go time for the Bengals. This year could end before it feels like it really even started.

Steve Quinne’s Pick: Los Angeles M/L (+130)

Obviously, a ton depends on whether or not Burrow ultimately plays. It will undoubtedly move this line in a big way if it’s Jake Browning behind center against the Rams. But with or without Burrow, Cincy has simply looked pedestrian this season. Whether it’s Burrow’s calf, the pressure of the contract or other teams having more scouting material to go on, the Bengals just don’t look like themselves. 

And an opportunistic Los Angeles team knows this. Sean McVay is one of the best head coaches in the NFL for a reason, and he’s getting the most out of a group that a lot of folks counted out before the season even started. The Rams went into an electric environment in Seattle and took the crowd out of the game. They’ll face a similar situation in Cincinnati, but it doesn’t seem to bother Stafford. Look for the spiraling Bengals to fall even further, as the Rams shock everyone with a 24-21 win.