Week 6 of the NFL season has already arrived and will kick off with an NFC East battle as the New York Giants host the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles suffered their first loss in a calendar year that Jalen Hurts started and finished last week at the hands of the Denver Broncos. The Giants hold a 1-4 record, but have shown a little spark following the quarterback change, with the Jaxson Dart era now underway.
This will be the first of two matchups between these two teams in three weeks. They will meet again for a Sunday afternoon matchup in Week 8, but this will be the first time they face off with the primetime lights on them and both teams on short rest.
Looking at the odds, the Eagles are favored by 7 points and hold -360 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Giants hold +285 odds of getting the outright victory, with the game total set at 40.5 points.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action beyond just backing a side. This article will look at my three favorite prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for the Week 6 opener between these divisional foes.
Eagles at Giants Best Prop Bets
A.J. Brown Over 4.5 Receptions (-139)
There has been plenty of conversation about the relationship between A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts, as well as the star wide receiver’s role in the Eagles’ offense. Despite the 4-1 record, the Eagles have yet to hit their full stride, and Brown has made these notes publicly. He reportedly had a sit-down meeting with Hurts and Saquon Barkley for a few hours this week in an effort to fully get on the same page and calm tensions.
Looking at the on-field production, Brown has 19 receptions for 194 yards and a touchdown so far on the season. This is a far cry from the 1400+ yard pace he has reached in a pair of seasons in Philadelphia before, but an intriguing matchup to get back on track. Brown has seen 8+ targets in each of his last four games, while the Giants have allowed all seven wide receivers with 8+ targets against them to pull in at least five receptions this year. New York plays man coverage at the second-highest rate in the NFL (42.7%), and Brown tends to thrive in these chances. Plenty of the frustrations have been brought on by the shell and zone coverages the Eagles have faced, but this has not been how the Giants have played their defense to this point. New York has allowed the most receptions to wide receivers lined up outside this season, and this is where Brown has resided for 91.6% of his routes on the year. He also led the entire NFL in target share against man coverage last year, finishing third in receptions against man coverage.
While the tension is real, Brown has pulled in at least five receptions in three of the five games this season. He also reached this number in 10 of his 13 games played last year, 13 of the 17 games in 2023, and in 10 of the 17 in 2022. Closed mouths do not get fed, and Brown has made it clear that he is still hungry. Expect Jalen Hurts to make a conscious effort to give him opportunities and for the Eagles’ star wide receiver to pull in at least five passes for the fourth time this season.
Jaxson Dart Over 36.5 Rushing Yards (-115)
There are some expected growing pains to come with a rookie quarterback, but Jaxson Dart has impressed overall in his first two starts. He led the team to victory over the Chargers in his debut, but fell short against the Saints last week. Through the first two starts, he has completed 65.0% of his pass attempts for 313 yards, three passing touchdowns, and two interceptions.
He also has utilized his legs at a high rate. Dart rushed the ball 10 times for 54 yards and a touchdown in his debut and followed this with seven rush attempts for 55 yards last week. Philadelphia has struggled a bit against the run this season. Through the first five weeks, they rank 22nd in rushing yards allowed and 25th in net yards per rush attempt. This comes without facing a true dual-threat quarterback yet. Bo Nix rushed for 22 yards against them last week, and Patrick Mahomes rushed for 66 yards against the Eagles in their matchup.
Dart is more willing to use his legs than any quarterback the Eagles have faced thus far, and expect this to prove problematic. With Malike Nabers sidelined and the Eagles’ pass defense looking mostly solid, count on Dart taking off and seeing what he can get at a frequent rate. Dart has rushed for 50+ yards in both starts to this point, and the same should be expected in this matchup. There is some potential on some alternate lines to replicate this same level of rushing production, but for the sake of the article, I am locking in Dart to record over 36.5 rushing yards in his NFC East debut.
Saquon Barkley to Record 130+ Rushing & Receiving Yards (+185)
It has been a tough start to the season for Saquon Barkley. Just one year removed from recording 2,000 rushing yards and breaking the NFL record for all-purpose yards across the regular season and playoffs, he has yet to reach anywhere close to this level of production. Through the first five games, Barkley has rushed the ball 83 times for 267 yards and three scores while adding 17 receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown through the air. He has not tallied more than 94 yards from scrimmage in a game yet this year and is coming off just six rush attempts and nine total touches last week. This was not only the fewest of his Eagles tenure, but the third-fewest opportunities he has ever seen in an NFL game.
Barkley and the Eagles will be looking to switch this up this week and have the matchup to do so. He will be facing a Giants defense that ranks 26th in rushing yards allowed and 29th in net yards per rush attempt. This also comes without facing an elite running back yet this year. Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Javonte Williams, Isiah Pacheco, Omarion Hampton, and Kendre Miller have done the bulk of the damage to this point. Hampton rushed for 128 yards against the Giants while Williams and Croskey-Merritt each had 82+ yards on the ground.
Barkley is a tier above any of the running backs they have faced to this point, and he ripped off 176 rushing yards on just 17 carries last year against his former team. Expect him to be hungry based on the matchup and for this to be magnified after seeing just six carries last week. He has recorded 18+ rush attempts in 14 of his last 16 games, including four of the five this year outside of this. Barkley landed on the injury report this week, but it is considered general soreness and not expected to impact him on game night. Count on Philadelphia making a clear effort to get him the ball more frequently in this game. With a friendly matchup and the past success in mind, this has a clear path to being his best performance of the year. The Eagles have leaned on the former Offensive Player of the Year in the pass game more frequently this season, so I am backing the combined rushing and receiving yards. The standard prop bet for this is over/under 108.5. Expect him to clear this with room to spare and for Barkley to record 130+ combined rushing and receiving yards for the first time this year and secodn straight in matchups with his former team.
