It may just be preseason, but it feels oh so good to be able to welcome the NFL back into our lives. After last weekend’s Hall of Fame game helped get proceedings underway, Sportzino’s free sportsbook is here with a full slate of NFL odds.
To help kick off our latest NFL prediction, the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will host Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night in a matchup that demands a strong American football odds analysis.
August football is back, and so are we with NFL preseason predictions Week 1.
With a preseason bash on the slate this Thursday in Philly, check out our Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals predictions, including our NFL expert picks, with kickoff set for August 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Matchup Philadelphia Eagles vs Cincinnati Bengals Overview
Teams: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Date: Thursday, August 7, 2025
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Lincoln Financial Field
Win Probabilities
The NFL win probabilities have been generated using insights from recent NFL games in combination with expert NFL picks and predictions. The Philadelphia Eagles are headed into a new season with another ring, and have been given a 32.3% chance to win this NFL game. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals have a fresh start ahead, and have a 71.4% chance according to the NFL win probabilities.
Projected Final Score
The projected final score anticipates a close game in the City of Brotherly Love, but for the Eagles to prevail with a final score of Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 Cincinnati Bengals.
Expert Prediction: Who Wins?
As always, so much of a preseason game’s analysis hinges on the quarterback depth chart each team boasts, and really just the depth up and down the roster. And, as key starters’ participation in preseason has lessened more and more over the years, it’s vital to get a sense of who will actually be playing in a given August preseason contest.
In that sense, the opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals has set up nicely. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has already stated his starters, including franchise quarterback Joe Burrow, will play on Thursday night.
For their part, the Eagles will be counting on the same, albeit perhaps in more limited fashion after a lengthy playoff run to end last season.
Why the Philadelphia Eagles Can Cover
Completely regardless of how well, and how much, the starters play, the Philadelphia Eagles have something strong going for them as it relates to preseason performance.
On both the offensive and defensive line, the Eagles are outstandingly well coached and set a fierce tone. In preseason play, that is a tremendous edge. On the offensive line, they’re able to set a tone of competitiveness that second- and third-string players may not be able to — or frankly, want to — match ahead of the regular season. That in itself will help to manufacture a productive run game.
On the defensive line, that sort of play up and down the depth chart can be a huge competitive advantage. Opposing offensive lines in preseason will be mismatch units with limited time together and, as a result, a total lack of cohesiveness. That’s primed for the Eagles to exploit and find an edge as a result.
The high quality play of Philadelphia’s offensive and defensive lines is a near guarantee, but a fascinating wild card needs to be considered, too: backup quarterback Tanner McKee. Though he was a middling prospect at best, McKee put together some seriously impressive tape in his lone start as a rookie, in Week 18.
Against a lifeless Giants team, McKee went 27 of 41 for 269 yards and two touchdowns while not turning the ball over. McKee’s play in last season’s regular season finale was enticing enough that the Eagles will no doubt give him plenty of run in the preseason, and a chance to cover at home vs. the Bengals.
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Why the Cincinnati Bengals Can Cover
While the Eagles can count on systematic advantages in preseason, due to the long-established infrastructure of their team, a middling Bengals team held together by its superstars has no such pleasure. It does, however, have a quality that lends itself to preseason competitiveness.
Though Joe Burrow will likely only see a handful of drives throughout August, relative to its competition, Cincinnati will get quality quarterback play wire to wire. In Jake Browning and Desmond Ridder, it has a pair of NFL-caliber quarterbacks — even at the backup level — to depend on.
Browning, in particular, has shown himself to be among the league’s best backup quarterbacks. Across seven starts in relief of Burrow during the 2023 season, Browning completed 70.4% of his passes and totalled just under 2,000 yards passing, with a 12 to seven touchdown to interception ratio. With his arm talent and decision-making, he can legitimately exploit backup defenses.
Though Ridder faded from relevance as a starter as quickly as he appeared, he too has shown competent backup-level play at times. He’s a veteran of nearly 20 starts and, despite a so-so arm and a penchant for turnovers, is the type of player who can operate an offense in the preseason.
For all of Browning and Ridder’s competence, however, one question remains. Much like how the Bengals’ offensive line has sabotaged Burrow and the offense in recent years, the line’s depth could be of similar detriment to the backups in preseason.
Against a defensive line with quality talent and coaching in Philadelphia, it could prove tough for the Bengals — it’ll be on the skill of Browning and Ridder to overcome if they are to cover.
Current Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
| Philadelphia Eagles | –250 | –6 (CIN favored) | 37 (Over –107 / Under –115) |
| Cincinnati Bengals | +198 /+210 (range) | +6 (Eagles underdog) | 37 (same line) |
How to Make Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals Picks
Ready to make picks on the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals matchup on Thursday, August 7? Make sure to head over to Sportzino.com, where you can find every NFL game on the slate this weekend, and so much more!
