Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles will both have ambitions of making a Super Bowl run this season, but their biggest stars are likely to be held out of harm's way during their final preseason encounter at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday.
Starting quarterbacks Joe Burrow of the Bengals and Jalen Hurts of the Eagles are unlikely to be risked in a game that will chiefly be used by the teams to assess the depth players on their squads ahead of the final roster cut-down decisions that must be made this weekend.
The Bengals are 2-0 so far after beating both Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears in their first two preseason match-ups, while the Eagles have a 0-2 record following defeats to Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots.
Bengals vs. Eagles betting tips and predictions
Cincinnati Bengals +2.5 (-105)
The latest changes to the preseason schedule for NFL teams mean that the final game is no longer the dress rehearsal for the regular-season opener, but merely a last chance for the front offices of teams to assess their players before deciding on who to keep around on their 53-man rosters.
With those moves needing to be made by 6:00pm ET on Sunday, that means some swift conclusions will have to be drawn after Friday night's match-up at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles made the playoffs last year, winning the NFC East with an 11-6 record, by going down 23-19 to San Francisco 49ers in their first post-season contest.
The Bengals have finished third in the AFC North in each of the last two seasons but have bigger ambitions this season after finally making the defensive additions that may prevent them from wasting the good work of their high-powered offense.
The AFC North team had a major scare this week when star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase went down with a knee injury in practice that had the whole franchise holding its breath, but he seems to have avoided any serious injury, although he won't be risked in Philadelphia.
Eagles fans may also receive a boost if they get the chance to see rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon in gameday action for the first time after he returned to practice following a hamstring issue. Any appearance he does make is likely to be brief, however.
At quarterback, it is set to be a battle of back-ups again with Burrow and Joe Flacco likely to sit out for the Bengals, with 40-year-old Josh Johnson and Sean Clifford sharing the load, while former Bengal Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee will continue to duel for the Eagles' No. 2 role.
Philadelphia have been disappointing so far, but they turned in an improved effort in their second game against the Patriots, losing 24-21 to a last-minute touchdown after a lackluster display in their opener against the Ravens.
They have been made favorites to pick up the first win, but the value could lie with taking the Bengals and the points.
The visitors have looked solid in both of their games, beating the Lions at home before a wide-margin win over a Bears team who had won their first preseason game comfortably.
A match between the first teams of these clubs might produce a very different outcome, but the Bengals have looked like a decent preseason squad and should put up another competitive effort.
Under 36.5 points (-110)
The Bengals are not used to limiting opponents to 14 or fewer points - they did that only twice last season - but they have done so in both of their preseason games this year and that's a promising sign for their improved defensive strength this season.
They picked off Detroit QB Luke Altmyer twice in their first preseason game and kept a lid on the production of Chicago's quarterbacks too, with starter Caleb Williams completing only two of his five pass attempts, while experienced back-up Case Keenum completed just nine of his 17 passes.
The Eagles managed only seven points in their opener, when rookie Cole Payton led their passing charts with just 37 pass yards, although they did better in New England, when McKee took charge with 173 yards and two TDs.
That was the only one of the four games these teams have played so far to have more than 37 points, though, and backing another low-scoring game as players who have not had a ton of practice reps take the field could pay off.
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Bengals vs. Eagles odds
Cincinnati Bengals | +125 |
Philadelphia Eagles | -150 |
Spread | PHI Eagles -2.5 |
Total Points | O/U 36.5 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
