Eagles at Bengals: What Bettors Need to Know
By Nick Parsons
It may not be the regular season, but it’s always fun when Terrell Owens takes on his old team. The lone preseason game on Friday has T.O.’s new team, the Bengals, playing hosts to the Philadelphia Eagles.
MORE REPS FOR THE STARTERS?
Kevin Kolb and Philly’s first-team offense only played a quarter in their preseason opener but Andy Reid says they’ll play for the entire half against the Bengals.
The official site of the Eagles also suggested that they will go into the game with an offensive mindset, “The focus for the offense will be getting in the end zone, as they moved the ball with ease against the Jaguars but were unable to convert touchdowns in the red zone.”
Backers can also take some solace in backups Michael Vick and rookie Mike Kafta. Vick went 11-17 for 119 yards and added in 50 rush yards and a rushing TD, while Kafta was decent as well going leading a TD drive in his first series and throwing a 57 yard pass later on that led to a FG.
Defensive starters are also expected to play for the entire half. Starting cornerback Asante Samuel is questionable with a hamstring injury.
SHORT WEEK
The Bengals are on just five days’ rest which could result in limited playing team for starters. Don’t forget, this is Cincinnati’s third preseason game because of the club’s participation in the Hall of Fame game.
“We’ve got some guys having just played a game couple days ago that are still on the mend,” Cincy head coach Marvin Lewis told reporters, “so we’ll have to see how some guys are prior to the game.”
Depth, however, is decent for the defending AFC champs. Back up QBs J.T. Sullivan and Carson’s brother Jordan both already have 100 yard games to their name, while back up RB Bernard Scott ran for 65 yards on just eight carries against the Broncos.
Offensive tackle Andre Smith could see some playing time after practicing this week. OT Andrew Mitchell, DE Robert Geathers, LB Rashad Jeanty, S Tom Nelson and FB Fui Vakapuna are not expected to play.
ODDS, TRENDS AND WEATHER
The line has remained steady at -3 in favor of the Bengals some books have moved it to -2.5. The total opened at 35.5 but has since moved to 37.
Popular opinion is siding with the over at around a 60/30 split. The last seven Eagles preseason games have gone over the total.
Weather shouldn’t be a factor with clear skies and lows in the upper 60s expected.
Eagles hit the road as underdogs against the Bengals
By: StatFox
Both Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick contributed to the Eagles’ 28-27 win over the Jaguars in their preseason opener. Kolb was 6-11 for 95 yards, while Vick went threw for 119 yards (11-17, INT) and ran for 50 yards and a TD on six carries. Third-string QB Mike Kafka pitched in as well, leading the Eagles to the deciding FG in the fourth quarter. The Eagles defense did not perform as well, particularly against the pass, allowing a pair of long TD passes in a 17-point second quarter for the Jaguars and a 55-yard score near the end of the third quarter.
The Bengals bounced back from their 16-7 loss to Dallas in the Hall of Fame Game to post a 33-24 win over the Broncos on Sunday. Carson Palmer played three series, connecting on 12 of 15 pass attempts for 105 yards while leading his team to seven points. Terrell Owens caught four passes for 23 yards, while Chad Ochocinco caught just one ball for four yards. Rookie Jordan Shipley from Texas recorded five receptions for 50 yards.
With a pair of starting-caliber QBs in Kolb and Vick, there is not much dropoff at that key position when the Eagles go to their second stringers. Expect their offense to have an edge over the Bengal defense in the second half. A look at the FoxSheets also shows: Play On - Road underdogs or pick (PHILADELPHIA) - after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread, in the third week of the preseason. (41-18 over the last 10 seasons.) (69.5%, +21.2 units. Rating = 2*).
Friday's NFL Action
By SBGGlobal.com
Bet The Eagles at Bengals
Philadelphia Eagles at Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals will look for another good offensive performance as they host the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday night in a NFL betting game that will be televised by Fox. The Bengals offense did well last week as they scored 33 points in a preseason win over the Denver Broncos. The Philadelphia offense wasn’t too bad last week either as they scored 28 points against Jacksonville.
Cincinnati is a 3-point favorite with a total of 37 at SBG Global.
Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer was very good last week as he went 12 of 15 for 105 yards and wide receiver Terrell Owens looked ready to go as he had four catches for 23 yards. Backup quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan was also solid as he went 7 of 15 for 118 yards.
The Eagles got solid play last week from quarterbacks Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick. Philadelphia still would like to get Kolb and the first string offense more playing time so they are expected to play the entire first half on Friday. The Eagles would also like to reach the end zone as they had to settle for five field goals last week. It is somewhat unusual for starters to play an entire first half in the second football betting preseason game but the Eagles want Kolb and the offense to be ready for the regular season. The Eagles also plan to play their first string defense for the first half.
This is the third preseason game for the Bengals since they played in the Hall of Fame game and normally the starters play a lot in the third game. The Bengals may go with the first string in the first half especially since the Eagles are planning to do the same thing. Usually the second preseason game is only good for a quarter but on Friday this game has the potential to be good for at least the first half. The third quarter might be decent as well since the Eagles have Michael Vick as their backup quarterback while the Bengals have J.T. O’Sullivan.
The Eagles and Bengals have met nine times in NFL preseason betting history with the Eagles holding a 5-4 edge. The last time the teams met in the preseason was in 2005 when Philadelphia won 27-17.