The Philadelphia Eagles return to the (officially) gridiron for the first time since last season’s Wild Card shellacking by the Tampa Buccaneers that closed the book on an epic collapse in the final six-weeks of the 2023-24 NFL season when they travel to Sao Paulo, Brazil to for a Friday Night football matchup against the Green Bay Packers. The matchup will mark the first time an NFL game will be played in South America. Unfortunately, the game is considered an Eagles home game meaning there will be one less at Lincoln Financial Field this year.

The Eagles will enter Friday’s matchup with a ton of unknowns. The Birds’ starting offense didn’t play a lick during the 2024 NFL preseason thus not giving the fans or opponents a look at Kellen Moore’s new look offense. By all accounts, quarterback Jalen Hurts had a tremendous camp under Moore’s tutelage which included only one interception throughout the summer session.  The offense will now also feature former All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley in addition to the Birds’ already existing offensive weapons. On the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles revamped the secondary bringing back old friend CJ Gardner-Johnson and adding a pair of rookie defensive backs in the NFL Draft.

As for the Green Bay, they ended the 2023-24 NFL Playoffs in disappointing fashion in a 24-21 NFC Divisional round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. While the end was disappointing, the Packers have found their next great quarterback in Jordan Love. The Packers are expected to battle the Detroit Lions for the NFC North division title this year and have been tabbed as dark horse to win the Super Bowl.

Here’s how to watch, betting odds, and more for the 2024 NFL Sao Paulo Game between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles.

2024 NFL Sao Paulo Game Info

• Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
• When: Friday, September 6, 2024
• Where: Arena Corinthians | Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Kickoff: 8:15 PM/EDT
• Gameday Weather: around 65-degrees with a chance of showers
• Telecast: Local NBC affiliates in the Green Bay & Philadelphia markets | Streaming exclusively on Peacock elsewhere with Noah Eagle (PxP), Todd Blackledge (analyst), and Kaylee Hartung (sidelines)
• Broadcast: SportsRadio 94 WIP with Merrill Resse (PxP), Mike Quick (analyst), and Howard Eskin (sidelines)
• Betting Favorite: PHI -3

Packers vs. Eagles Betting Odds

Packers vs. Eagles: Things to Watch

• How will the new look offensive line hold up?
  • The Eagles will look different along the offensive line this season and Friday will serve as the first true test of a unit that didn’t play together during the preseason. Jason Kelce is gone, and the revamped offensive line also includes Mekhi Becton starting at offensive guard after “beating out” Tyler Steen during the preseason. It’ll be worth watching to see if there’s any learning curve for a unit that has consistently been considered one of the best in the National Football League.
• Again, what will Kellen Moore’s offense look like?
  • This question was asked at the beginning of the preseason and, due in part to NO ONE PLAYING, the question was never really answered. OC Kellen Moore has been given the keys to an offense full of explosive weapons in both the passing and running games. How will he spread the ball around to keep all parties happy? Will each game dictate the type of play from the offense, or will they be “locked into” a system? This much we know, they will certainly use motion!
• Can we get a pass rush?!
  • One of the knocks on the defense during the training camp, joint practices, and preseason games has been the lack of a pass rush from the Birds’ front four. DC Vic Fangio will be looking for more consistency from Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, both of whom trailed off at the end of the 2023-24 NFL season. Fangio will also need to find a more consistent pass rush from his defensive ends. Bryce Huff, Josh Sweat, and Nolan Smith didn’t exactly light the world on fire during the summer.
• Will the real Jalen Hurts please stand up?!
  • Is Jalen Hurts the player that led the team within three-points of winning Super Bowl LVII or is he the guy that played sandlot football in 2023? The 2024-25 NFL season is a make it or break it year for Hurts. The fifth-year, two-time Pro-Bowler will have to prove what type of player he is.
• Rookie Watch
  • The Eagles enter the 2024-25 season with an interesting group of rookies including a handful of defensive players that are expected to make an immediate impact. Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell is likely to start for Fangio’s new look defense after showing tremendous athleticism and football IQ during the preseason. Other defensive rookies that will certainly make an impact include linebacker Jerimiah Trotter Jr and safety Cooper DeJean. On the offensive side of the ball, running back Will Shipley proved to be a worthy candidate of the old Boston Scott role. The rookie runner is expected to contribute as a change of pace back for the new look offense.
• BG’s Last Ride
  • Defensive end Brandon Graham will make his final opening day start for the Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paulo. The 13th overall pick by the Eagles in the 2010 NFL Draft announced 2024-25 will be his 15th and final season in the NFL. When the ball is kicked off on Friday night, Graham will move past Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik (14) for the most seasons played as a Philadelphia Eagle. BG already holds the record for most games played as a Philadelphia Eagle with 195 and counting heading into Friday’s opener. The next closest active player on the games played list is Lane Johnson with 143 games played.
• Turf Management
  • Anytime a game is played on a neutral site, especially a stadium that isn’t usually used for American football, the grass or turf tends to become a storyline. That shouldn’t be the case with the field at Arena Corinthians. The game will be played on Grassmaster system that is similar to the system used at Lambeau Field and Lincoln Financial Field, respectively.

Packers vs. Eagles Prediciton

Friday’s matchup doesn’t bode well for the Philadelphia Eagles. The Green Bay Packers enter the game as a better version of the team that finished the 2023-24 season while the Eagles come in with a ton of unknowns. Jordan Love against a very young Birds secondary is a scary, scary thought. Of course the Eagles could mitigate Love’s influence if they decide to pound the rock with Saquon Barkley against a Green Bay defense that was dismal against the run last season.

Factor in the dumb decision to have this game in Brazil, it just sets up as the perfect opportunity for the Packers to “upset” the Birds. 

Green Bay takes this one in a shootout. 34-31 Packers. 

All betting odds obtained from ESPNBet