The Philadelphia Eagles are gearing up to face an old rival in their quest for a fourth consecutive victory. As per FanDuel, the Eagles have opened as 6.5-point favorites for their Week 9 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, led by their former coach Doug Pederson.

Originally scheduled for Sunday Night Football, the game has been moved to an earlier start time of 4:05 PM Eastern. This change in schedule could be attributed to the struggles of the Jaguars, who currently hold a 2-6 record and a dismal point differential of -52, ranking them sixth-worst in the league.

To put it bluntly, Jacksonville is not a good football team. Their resume so far this season speaks for itself: they have only managed two wins, one against the Miami Dolphins and the other against the rookie-led Cleveland Browns. In contrast, they have suffered losses to teams like the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, and Chicago Bears.

One of the main factors contributing to the Jags' downfall is their weak defense. Only the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys have allowed more offensive points per game this season, and no team has a higher average passer rating against them than the Jags' 113.7. This could bode well for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles' offense, which showed great potential in their last game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

On the other hand, the Jags' offense is average at best, with rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence struggling to live up to expectations. Adding to their woes is the fact that their offensive coordinator, Press Taylor, is a former Eagles coach under Doug Pederson. Speaking of Pederson, this will be his second return to Lincoln Financial Field since being fired by the Eagles in 2022. He lost his previous trip back, and a defeat on Sunday could further jeopardize his position with the Jags.

The Eagles, on the other hand, seem to be gaining some momentum and have earned the benefit of the doubt after their recent performances. It will be interesting to see how they fare against their former coach and if they can continue their winning streak.

In the end, the prediction is that the Eagles will come out on top and cover the spread. Not only do they have the home-field advantage, but they also seem to be the stronger team at the moment. What do you think? Will the Eagles secure their fourth straight win, or will Doug Pederson and the Jags spoil their plans? Only time will tell.