The Bengals and Eagles will meet on Thursday, with Cincinnati sitting as a 6-point favorite.
Let's get into my Bengals vs Eagles prediction and my NFL Picks for this Week 1 preseason clash.
The game will get underway at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Bengals vs Eagles Odds
| Bengals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6 -112 | 36.5 -120o / 100u | -258 |
| Eagles Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6 -108 | 36.5 -120o / 100u | +210 |
- Bengals-Eagles Point Spread: Bengals -6 (-112) · Eagles +6 (-108)
- Bengals-Eagles Total: Over/Under 36.5 (-120o / -100u)
- Bengals-Eagles Moneyline: Bengals -258 · Eagles +210
NFL Picks: Preseason Week 1
The most significant piece of news for this game is that Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced that quarterback Joe Burrow and several offensive starters will play during the first half.
Per CBS Sports, the Bengals previously used scrimmages against other teams to prep their starters for the regular season. However, the team decided to skip those this offseason, instead opting for preseason game prep.
Meanwhile, per CBS News, we shouldn’t expect any of the Eagles’ top guys and first stringers to see much action.
Backup quarterback Tanner McKee has been a preseason star in the past, but watch out for sixth-round draft pick Kyle McCord on Thursday. McCord led all FBS quarterbacks in completions (391), attempts (592) and passing yards (4779) in his senior year at Syracuse. McCord is battling Dorian Thompson-Robinson for the third-string job.
We should expect to see Nick Srianni mix and match those three guys under center throughout the game, although it’s been reported that McCord will get a “good amount of playing time against the Bengals.”
Aside from quarterback, the Eagles have positional depth-chart battles at wide receiver (Elijah Cooks, Terrace Marshall), edge (Azeez Ojulari, Joshua Uche), cornerback (Kelee Ringo, Adoree’ Jackson), safety (Sydney Brown, Andrew Mukuba), and linebacker (Jihaad Campbell, Jeremiah Trotter Jr.).
Bengals vs. Eagles Predictions
I’m expecting the Bengals to play Burrow and Co. for 25 to 30 minutes in the first half and amass a healthy lead against Philly’s backups, and then mail it in for the second half.
That lines up perfectly with one of our PRO Betting Systems, powered by Evan Abrams.
NFL Preseason 1H Road Chalk targets preseason first-half road favorites of 4.5 points or less. These first-half road favorites often signal sharper expectations about team strength and rotation plans, even in exhibition settings, taking advantage of situations where coaching strategies, quarterback depth, and team preparedness outweigh the typical home-field advantage.
Additionally, Preseason travel does not carry the same disadvantage as regular-season games, allowing strong road teams to execute cleanly early before deeper rotations and game flow shift momentum.
By isolating these first-half situations, the system captures the market's accurate recognition of strength while avoiding late-game variance, turning these road chalk spots into a steady profit opportunity during preseason football.
Bengals 1H -3.5 looks like the smart play.
Pick: Bengals 1H -3.5 (-112, DraftKings)
