NFL preseason weekend best bets: Is the Ravens' win streak in jeopardy?
A weekend full of football. Is there anything better? Yes, it's the preseason, and the games are mostly meaningless to fans, but after months of football deprivation, anything is better than nothing.
With two games last night, there are 14 set to kick off over the next three days. The times and odds are listed below, along with our two best bets for the weekend.
| Day (time ET) | Game (spread) | O/U |
|---|---|---|
| Friday (7 p.m.) | Giants @ Lions (+3) | 36.5 |
| Friday (7 p.m.) | Packers @ Bengals (+4.5) | 35 |
| Friday (7 p.m.) | Commanders @ Browns (-3) | 38.5 |
| Friday (7 p.m.) | Falcons @ Dolphins (+2.5) | 36.5 |
| Friday (7 p.m.) | Steelers @ Buccaneers (+2.5) | 39 |
| Friday (10 p.m.) | Broncos @ Cardinals (+5.5) | 37 |
| Saturday (1 p.m.) | Colts @ Bills (+5) | 38.5 |
| Saturday (1 p.m.) | Titans @ Bears (-3.5) | 37 |
| Saturday (4p.m.) | Jets @ Panthers (-3.5) | 37 |
| Saturday (5p.m.) | Jaguars @ Cowboys (+4) | 37.5 |
| Saturday (7p.m.) | Eagles @ Ravens (-5) | 35.5 |
| Saturday (9p.m.) | Chargers @ Rams (-3) | 33 |
| Sunday (1 p.m.) | Chiefs @ Saints (-3) | 37.5 |
| Sunday (4 p.m.) | 49ers @ Raiders (+3.5) | 35.5 |
There's a good reason why the Ravens are 5-point favorites Saturday against the Eagles. Baltimore has won a whopping 23 straight preseason games, the most in NFL history.
It's even more impressive that the Ravens have covered the spread in 20 of those 23 wins.
It's improbable that a team could win that many consecutive games with so many uncontrollable variables. While the record is absolutely meaningless and not predictive of the upcoming regular season, it does show that John Harbaugh values the preseason in a way many other coaches don't.
Twenty-three wins, though? All good things - and streaks - must come to an end. I won't predict the Eagles will win Saturday night, but they'll cover the 5-point spread.
Nick Sirianni has yet to reveal his preseason plans and said he won't until he's required. But it's fair to expect the Eagles to sit Jalen Hurts and most of the starters, especially the vets. Everyone remembers Hurts' first preseason game last year against the Jets when he was almost seriously injured in the first quarter.
Marcus Mariota will likely start for the Eagles. He's one of the league's best, if not the best, backup quarterbacks. Philadelphia also has a ton of depth at various positions, as well as some youth and inexperience at defensive line and linebacker. Since most starters won't play Saturday, that could lead to valuable youngsters such as Nakobe Dean and Jalen Carter playing early drives.
Lamar Jackson didn't play in any preseason games last year and threw just four passes during the 2021 preseason, which makes Baltimore's win streak even more impressive. It'd be shocking if Jackson suits up Saturday night. That means Tyler Huntley will start.
When Harbaugh discussed the preseason win streak earlier this week, he noted that many of those games have come down to the final plays in the fourth quarter. I expect a similar scenario against the Eagles.
Pick: Eagles +5
Jets @ Panthers (-3.5), O/U 37As evidenced by the Jets' first preseason game and the subsequent behind-the-scenes "Hard Knocks" footage, New York isn't taking the preseason too seriously. None of the Jets starters played against the Browns last week and probably won't play against the Panthers, either.
Even New York's second unit played somewhat limited snaps last week. The Jets and Panthers participated in joint practices this week, which is often seen as more valuable for coaches than the ensuing preseason game.
While that'll stop Saleh from playing Rodgers and the rest of the highly touted crew, Frank Reich said the Panthers will play their starters, including No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.
This is the first chance for Young to corroborate the overwhelmingly positive reports coming out of training camp. Plus, Young's backup is Andy Dalton, who's been around the league for quite some time. Although he's not starting-caliber anymore, he's still equipped to shred apart a defense full of backups.
The Young-Dalton duo that'll be featured in the first half, and maybe for most of the game, is a massive advantage against the Jets' preseason quarterbacks.
Even though Miles Sanders won't play Saturday after he tweaked his groin during Wednesday's practice, Chuba Hubbard should earn a big workload. It's hard not to lay the points with Carolina given the reps the starters are bound to play against New York's backups.
Pick: Panthers -3.5
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter @soshtry for more betting coverage.
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