Saquon Barkley Rushing Yard Pick for Eagles at Commanders

Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles will suit up for a Sunday Night Football matchup against their NFC East rival, the Washington Commanders, to close down today’s NFL slate.

Injuries have been a major factor in preventing this Eagles team from reaching its peak. Jalen Hurts remains sidelined for the season with his blood clot issue, and a number of other impact players will be unable to take the field. Barkley missed Weeks 5 and 6 with a hamstring injury but made his return last week and will take the field tonight as Philadelphia attempts to get its season back on track.

Looking at the odds for the Week 8 SNF matchup, the Commanders enter as six-point favorites and hold -270 odds of winning outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Eagles hold +220 odds of winning outright, with the game total set at 40.5.

There are plenty of ways to get involved in this battle of NFC East rivals. Check out the game preview and more on DraftKings Network. For now, here’s my top Saquon Barkley prop bet for Sunday Night Football.

Saquon Barkley Rushing Yard Pick at Commanders

Saquon Barkley Over 46.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

It has been an underwhelming start to the season for Saquon Barkley based on his sky-high standards. Through his opening five games played, the Penn State product has tallied 43 rush attempts for 244 yards and one touchdown. It is worth noting that Barkley was injured in the first drive of the matchup with the Rams after just two carries, and he was limited to just four rushing attempts against the Titans after dealing with a stinger during the game.

Philadelphia was forced to play without Barkley in Weeks 5 and 6, but he made his return to the field in the previous matchup against the Cowboys. It was clear he was not 100% healthy, but he gave the offense everything he had at a point in the season that had reached desperation. Barkley tallied just seven carries but converted them into 62 rushing yards and a touchdown while adding a pair of receptions through the air.

The star running back had an additional week to rest up and get healthy, and he was completely taken off the injury report by the end of the week. When he has been available and on the field, Barkley has still been productive. He is averaging 82.5 rushing yards over the pair of games in which he has tallied at least 15 carries, and his 5.7 yards per carry is the second-highest figure of his career.

This is a friendly matchup for the entire Eagles attack, as Washington enters Week 8 ranking 31st in opponent points allowed and 25th in total yards conceded. Its rushing defense is especially vulnerable entering this game. Javon Kinlaw has been ruled out for the matchup, while Daron Payne suffered a season-ending injury and Jer’Zhan Newton is considered questionable. These are key players in the trenches tasked with stopping opposing teams’ rushing attacks, and the path to Barkley producing is much clearer without them.

Even with Tanner McKee playing better football last week, Barkley is clearly the most talented member of the offensive attack, and Philadelphia will lean on him for as much as he can take. The 46.5 rushing-yard total is too low based on the level of production he has shown when healthy and with the former Offensive Player of the Year returning closer to full strength. Count on the Eagles star to continue seeing his level of opportunity expand and clear the 46.5-yard line for the fourth time this season.