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My Five Infallible Weekend Bets for the Eagles, Phillies, Union, Temple, and Backyard Brawl
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We’ve got a GREAT weekend slate for sports fans across the Delaware Valley. Football, baseball, soccer, whatever. It’s all being played, and these aren’t throwaway games. The Phils are on fire and the Eagles go to Arrowhead for a Super Bowl rematch. The first-place Union have a chance to push their lead in the Supporters’ Shield race as well. Let’s get to it.
Eagles at Chiefs
We start with the easiest one first. The bet is Jalen Hurts anytime touchdown scorer. You bet this every time the Eagles take the field, because it’s hit in 14 of the last 20 games Hurts has played. Specifically, against the Chiefs, Jalen ran for a score in Super Bowl 59, two scores in the 2023 road game, and three scores in Super Bowl 57. That’s six rushing TDs in his last three games against KC. You can get Hurts ATS at -115 at ESPN Bet:
Union at Vancouver Whitecaps
This is the most difficult matchup remaining on the Union’s schedule. If they win out west, they remain in 1st place with four games left to play. It would keep them in pole position for the Supporters’ Shield.
The ‘Caps are third in the Western Conference with a +16 goal differential and 8-2-3 home record. The Union are 7-5-2 on the road and have only been shut out five times in 29 games, so we’re gonna play both teams to score (BTTS) at -200, or, if you don’t like that price, goal range 2-3 at +115 might be the better value. Playing the latter cashes if the game finishes in a 1-1 draw, or as a 2-1 win for either team. You can also play multigoal 1-3 at -150, which would cover a 1-0 win for either side.
Phillies vs. Royals
The Phils are hot, they’re scoring runs, and they’re playing at home.
You can go two ways here:
One, ladder the total game overs as you see fit. The Phils are throwing Walker Buehler, Taijuan Walker, and Aaron Nola this weekend, so there’s probably more run concession on the table after Jesus Luzardo, Cristopher Sanchez, and Ranger Suarez threw the last three games.
Two, just ladder the Phils team total around 3.5 or 4.5. They’ve scored four or more runs in six of their last seven games, and while KC is one of the stingiest teams in MLB (third-fewest runs allowed this year), they’re prime to get their doors blown off after playing some close games against the Guardians, Angels, and Twins. You should be able to get good value on the team total plays considering KC trends on not allowing runs.
Temple vs. Oklahoma
This line opened at 24.5 and moved to 21.5 because the public started hammering the Owls to cover. You can get +23.5 though at ESPN Bet.
If you don’t like Temple to cover, look into some of the first half odds. If you believe that Oklahoma is going to come out a bit sluggish on the east coast following a big win against Michigan, then Owls +13.5 and/or under 27.5 first half points might be the way to go. This feels like a game that will have a lot of early juice before OU’s superior talent takes over, it’s just a question of how long the Owls can keep it respectable.
West Virginia vs. Pitt
This should have been a good game in Morgantown, but WVU’s best player, running back Jahiem White, and second-best receiver, Jaden Bray, were lost for the season in a 17-10 road loss to Ohio in Week 2. As such, the Mountaineers have very little on offense. The QB is bang average and the remaining skill players are just okay.
The injuries caused the line to move from Pitt -4 to Pitt -7.5, with a -290 moneyline for the Panthers. Since that value is shot, I’d look at the Pittsburgh live line, or play the under 55.5 points. WVU is depleted on offense, and the O-line wasn’t very good to begin with, but the defense forced stop after stop against the Bobcats and kept that game from becoming a laugher, so this one feels like a cagey rivalry game early, before Pitt pulls away. WVU just doesn’t have any firepower in Rich Rod’s first rebuilding year.
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Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com