The NFL Preseason continues this week with a very intriguing matchup on Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field between the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns. The kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET. Philly lost their opener last week to the Baltimore Ravens, but essentially none of the starters played. As for the Browns, they’re 1-1 thus far, beating the New York Jets in Canton before losing to the Washington Commanders last Friday at home. Keep reading for the Browns vs Eagles picks.
Before we get into the odds, preview, and prediction, check out our NFL betting odds and Super Bowl odds for 2024.
Unsurprisingly, the Eagles are the favorite here with -180 moneyline odds. The Browns come back at +160. The spread favors the home club by a field goal. The total meanwhile sits at 37. Philly has won five of the last six meetings with Cleveland overall.
It’s well known that most teams don’t play their starters in preseason action to steer clear of any injuries. The Browns have been using their main guys in joint practice with Philly this week, but when it comes to Thursday’s contest, it will be depth players taking the field, which is mostly what we saw last Friday against the Commanders in the 17-15 defeat.
Deshaun Watson took just three snaps and completed all his passes for 12 yards while also rushing for 20 yards on three carries. Elijah Moore had a catch, too. Other than that, it was mostly backups seeing minutes. Joshua Dobbs took most of the snaps at QB, completing 8 of 16 throws for 77 yards and throwing one interception. Kellen Mond meanwhile got some playing time. So did rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who is a potential candidate for the backup job behind Watson. The former UCLA standout looked solid, converting 9 of 10 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown.
Out wide, David Bell and Mike Harley both reeled in TD scores. The two wide receivers are pretty low on the depth chart but will get another chance to show themselves on Thursday, especially with the Browns’ WR room dealing with a few injuries at the moment.
Cleveland has some intriguing talent on both sides of the ball, and if Watson can really live up to the hype in 2023, it will set the tone for how their season could go. The AFC North is going to be a difficult one to win though with the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens getting better this offseason.
Philadelphia was phenomenal in 2022, posting the best record alongside the Chiefs at 14-3. It was only fitting that the two teams met in the Super Bowl, but Patrick Mahomes and Co. proved to be too much for Nick Sirianni’s group when it came down to it. That disappointment of losing on the grand stage will only motivate the Eagles to come back with a vengeance in 2023, though.
The team managed to improve their roster even more this offseason in more ways than one. They re-signed Jason Kelce, drafted Jalen Carter ninth overall to join their defense, re-signed Darius Slay, and brought in James Bradberry, among other moves. Most of their transactions were defensive, but that’s totally fine. The offense already has so much firepower with Hurts coming off an MVP-caliber year while DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown are legitimate superstar weapons for their signal-caller.
When it comes to preseason, the main culprits didn’t play at all in Week 1 against the Ravens. Tanner McKee took most of the snaps, going 10 for 20 for 148 yards. Marcus Mariota and Ian Book were also used by Sirianni. Mariota, a former first-round pick, was probably the most impressive QB and looks to be the backup for Hurts in 23′, completing 7 of 11 throws for 58 yards. He also showed off his ability on the ground, rushing for 29 yards.
D’Andre Swift, who was acquired via trade in the offseason, only had a pair of carries but ran for 24 yards, showing why he will be a special player for the Birds. After the Browns come to town, Philly has just one preseason game to play host to Anthony Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts. Week 1 on September 10th will be a big matchup with Mac Jones’ New England Patriots in Foxborough.
It’s hard to predict this matchup considering the starters won’t feature, but I’ll ride with Philly’s recent success against Cleveland. Take the Eagles moneyline.
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