Philadelphia Eagles at St. Louis Rams 2011 Pro Football Picks & Predictions

Philadelphia Eagles at St. Louis Rams
Sunday, 9/11/11, 1:00 PM EST, TV: FOX
Opening Point Spread: Philadelphia -4
Current Betting Line: Philadelphia -3.5
Opening Total: 44.5
Current Total: 44
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Eagles Giants NFL Preview — The Michael Vick Show opens up in St. Louis this season

Philadelphia is set to open its season as a road favorite in St. Louis and will be playing the 39th meeting between these two franchises. The Eagles trail in the series, 19-18, but head coach Andy Reid holds a 4-3 advantage. It’s important to note that quarterback Michael Vick’s last start on opening day came on Sept. 10, 2006, as he spent time in prison and was the backup to start the year in 2010. The former Atlanta Falcons star threw for 3,018 yards and 21 touchdowns in 12 games a season ago, earning comeback player of the year honors. Philadelphia is 1-2 ATS as a road favorite of 3.5 to 7 points the last two years.

The Eagles scored 38 unanswered points in a 38-3 win over the Rams as 9.5-point home favorites in the last meeting on Sept. 7, 2008. Philadelphia could elect to run LeSean McCoy for more carries than normal, as he averaged 8.4 yards a carry inside dome stadiums last year in games versus Dallas and Detroit. All eyes will be centered on the other side of the ball, with the cornerback trio of Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Asante Samuel making their debuts together in the secondary.

St. Louis showed remarkable improvement last year with 2010 No. 1 pick Sam Bradford as quarterback, winning six more games than the previous season. The Rams are hoping he continues to grow under center, as he set NFL records for a first-year player in passing attempts and passing yards. All signs point to that being the case due to the team’s 4-0 straight-up and 3-1 against-the-spread record in the preseason. St. Louis is 14-13 ATS as an underdog the last two seasons.

The Rams defense must disturb Vick in the pocket to have success and Philadelphia’s offensive line is vulnerable, allowing 49 sacks a year ago, which was fourth most in the league. St. Louis’ linebackers will also need to keep a close eye on McCoy in the passing game, as the former Pittsburgh Panthers star caught 78 passes for 592 yards in 2010. Completing the trio of assignments for the defense is Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who is difficult for any defense to match up with. The defense ranked 12th in the NFL in allowing 20.5 points per game last year.