There will be no Carson Wentz, but the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will play host to the Atlanta Falcons to kick off the 2018-19 NFL season on Thursday. The game is set for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC (live streaming via FuboTV, NBC Sports).
Falcons vs. Eagles 2018: Time, TV schedule, pick/prediction for NFL opener
It’s the Nick Foles show once again to kick off the 2018-19 NFL season. Here’s what you need to know for Thursday’s game.
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Wentz is still Philadelphia’s starter, but until he is medically cleared from a December surgery on his right knee, Nick Foles is going to be under center. Foles, of course, led the Eagles to a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
The Falcons played few starters throughout the preseason, giving guys like Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman a pass entirely, so seeing them in action should be fun.
Time, TV, and streaming info
- Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
- Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
- TV: NBC
- Streaming: FuboTV, NBC Sports
- Odds: The Eagles opened as 5.5-point favorites, but the line has shifted considerably, with some books having Atlanta favored by a point and others with Philadelphia favored by 1.5 points.
Falcons vs. Eagles news
- The Eagles will be a little thin at receiver going into Thursday’s game, with both Alshon Jeffery and Mack Hollins ruled out for the game in addition to Wentz. That makes Nelson Agholor and Mike Wallace the primary pass-catchers for Foles to work with.
- Atlanta, on the other hand, is fairly healthy, with Ben Garland, Isaiah Oliver and Blidi Wreh-Wilson listed as out for the game.
- Among the players and positions to watch on Thursday, pay close attention to the Falcons’ offensive line play:
One of the biggest stories of the 2017 divisional game was the inability of Atlanta’s offensive line to protect Matt Ryan and get much of anything going in the run game. It wasn’t entirely unexpected—LG Andy Levitre was on IR, forcing Ben Garland into the line-up alongside struggling rookie RG Wes Schweitzer. Despite this challenge, the Falcons probably still should’ve won that game.
Heading into Thursday night, Andy Levitre is healthy (which is a big deal for this offense), and the team has a shiny new RG in free agent addition Brandon Fusco. Fusco isn’t an elite option, but he’s an above-average veteran that should provide far more stability than Schweitzer—who has been relegated to a depth role this season. Whether or not this healthier, more experienced offensive line can succeed where the 2017 iteration failed will be one of the biggest factors in deciding the outcome of Thursday’s game.
- While the Falcons opened as underdogs to the Eagles, the news that Wentz will not be starting shifted the lines considerably.
- The folks at Bleeding Green Nation put together a nice piece on how Julio Jones will attack the Eagles defense. Philadelphia will certainly have its hands full in Jones.
Falcons vs. Eagles prediction
Both teams project to be very good this season, but while Foles was great in the Super Bowl, the Falcons probably have the edge with Wentz on the sidelines, at least in my opinion. As far as SB Nation’s NFL expert picks go, three are picking the Falcons, with the other four, plus the OddsShark computer, going with the Eagles.
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