The Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles will meet in Week 3 of the NFL preseason tonight. Kickoff is set for in 8:00 p.m. ET from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. The game will broadcast live on CBS.
The Eagles are 2.5-point favorites over the Bengals on the spread (Eagles -2.5), with the over/under set at 36.5 total points. Philadelphia is listed as a -146 moneyline favorite to win outright, while Cincinnati is priced at +124 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Bengals vs. Eagles predictions and NFL picks for Friday, August 28.
My Bengals vs Eagles Prediction
- Bengals vs Eagles pick: Bengals +2.5 (-102)
My Bengals vs. Eagles best bet is on Cincinnati to cover the spread (+2.5), with the best price currently available at FanDuel. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Bengals vs Eagles Odds
| Bengals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -102 | 36.5 -115o / -105u | +124 |
| Eagles Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -120 | 36.5 -115o / -105u | -146 |
Bengals vs Eagles NFL Preseason Preview
Cincinnati Bengals Betting Preview: Unsung QBs Lead Charge
Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor has already confirmed that Joe Burrow and the rest of the starting unit will sit out this Friday night preseason finale at Lincoln Financial Field.
For the most part, veteran backup Joe Flacco has received the starter treatment as well. Flacco has only appeared in one preseason game, completing 5-of-8 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown, so it is safe to assume his workload will be limited again here.
With the top two quarterbacks on the depth chart remaining safely on the sideline, it makes sense on paper that the Bengals are entering this game as 2.5-point road underdogs.
However, the quarterback depth behind Burrow and Flacco has been surprisingly effective, leading Cincinnati to a 2-0 preseason record following a 16-14 win over the Lions and a 27-9 blowout over the Bears.
Josh Johnson and Sean Clifford have taken the vast majority of the snaps, and both have proven to be competent preseason signal-callers.
Johnson has completed 25-of-42 passes for 240 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, while Clifford has added 121 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on 11-of-18 passing.
While this duo might not draw many headlines, they are far more reliable than the standard third- and fourth-string quarterbacks taking the field across the league this week.
More importantly, they have been significantly more productive than Philadelphia’s backup tandem through the first two weeks of the preseason.
Philadelphia Eagles Betting Preview: Conservative Game Scripts Limit Scoring Upside
On the other side of the field, the Eagles are searching for their first win of the preseason after dropping contests to the Ravens (24-7) and the Patriots (24-21).
Jalen Hurts has yet to see the field this August, and even if he does suit up for this finale, his playing time will be capped at a drive or two within a hyper-conservative game script.
That means Philadelphia's ongoing quarterback battle between Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee will once again take center stage.
If you are just looking at the raw preseason statistics, McKee appears to hold the edge in the race for the primary backup job. McKee has completed 22-of-32 passes for 208 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions, while the 15-year veteran Dalton has struggled, completing just 6-of-16 attempts for 64 yards.
Despite those numbers, reports out of Eagles camp indicate Dalton still holds the inside track for the primary backup role, proving that this coaching staff places very little value on in-game preseason performance.
Furthermore, Philadelphia is operating under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, and they seem to be prioritizing keeping their schematic cards hidden ahead of the regular season. This vanilla approach has resulted in a bleak offensive output of just 7 and 21 points in their two exhibition games.
While fourth-string quarterback Cole Payton could provide a brief spark with his mobility, the Eagles appear to be an overvalued home favorite reliant on name-brand depth that has failed to execute efficiently this preseason.
Bengals vs Eagles Prediction, Betting Analysis
This matchup checks all the boxes for our Bet Labs system titled "NFL Preseason: Small 'Dogs, Low Totals."
This strategy isolates tight spreads between zero and -3 alongside low totals capped under 40 points, which signals a limited scoring environment driven by conservative coaching, backup rotations, and vanilla play calling.
In these tight, low-scoring contests, catching points becomes much more valuable. Small underdogs in this specific environment routinely stay within the number or win the game outright.
With the total sitting at 36.5 and the Bengals catching 2.5 points, the market appears to be presenting a classic mispriced line in this scenario.
Oddsmakers slightly favor the Eagles because they boast a more recognizable quarterback tandem on paper and they are playing at home. However, the current betting line fails to account for the broader preseason context.
Cincinnati's reserve rotation of Johnson and Clifford has outplayed Philadelphia's depth so far this preseason, and the Eagles' coaching staff has shown little interest in ramping up the offensive intensity prior to the start of the regular season.
We'll trust the system, ignore the market bias, and take the points with the Bengals in this spot.
Pick: Bengals +2.5 (-102)
