Is Daron Payne Playing Today? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Commanders vs. Eagles)

The latest injury update for Washington Commanders defensive lineman Daron Payne against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne.
Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The Washington Commanders will be without a key piece of their defense in the NFC championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Defensive lineman Daron Payne has been downgraded to out (he was originally listed as questionable) with finger and knee injuries. 

Losing Payne is a huge blow, as the defensive lineman finished the regular season with four sacks and five tackles for loss. He’s registered a quarterback hit in the playoffs, but Payne has played just 38 and 54 percent of the Commanders’ snaps in their first two postseason games.

Washington’s run defense has struggled this season, ranking 18th in the NFL in EPA/Rush and 30th in opponent yards per carry. So, it’ll need to work by committee to replace Payne defensively on Sunday.

Oddsmakers have set running back Saquon Barkley – Philadelphia’s star – with a massive rushing prop on Sunday.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

However, SI Betting’s Iain MacMillan shared why he thinks that is too high, even with Payne out, this week: 

This isn't necessarily a bet on Barkley to have a bad game, but a rushing yards total of 131.5 for a single game is virtually unheard of in the NFL.

Despite Barkley going over this number in both games against the Commanders this season, I think the UNDER is the play here. As bettors, we need to think it terms of probability and if you believe there's an over 50% chance Barkley gains over 131.5 rushing yards on Sunday, I'd have to disagree with you.

The Commanders' primary defensive gameplan should be to stack the box and force the Eagles to rely on their passing game, an area they've struggled in this season. It's also worth noting that if the Commanders offense comes out as hot as they have in their previous two playoff games, Philadelphia may be forced to abandon the run to keep pace with the Washington offense.

It’ll be interesting to see how Washington’s defense fares with Payne sidelined with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.


Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Peter Dewey
PETER DEWEY

Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.