Browns Eagles Betting – Eagles Soar, Recover To Thump Browns
Online betting odds have Philadelphia as one of the top favorites to win the Super Bowl thanks to all the moves they made in the short offseason, and players will get a chance to see why when the Eagles welcome a young and improving Cleveland team to town on Thursday. The Eagles have looked disjointed so far in the preseason, but expect their starters to raise their game this week.
- What: NFL Betting
- When: Thursday, August 25th, 7:30 PM ET
- Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
- Pick: Philadelphia Eagles -4.5
Why Bet On Cleveland Browns
The Browns lost a 15-point lead in a 30-28 loss at home against Detroit, and the first-unit offense looked very good, in particular, quarterback Colt McCoy. The second-year player was 10-of-18 for 96 yards and three touchdowns, showing mobility and accuracy, and he has built a connection with first-year head coach Pat Shurmur, who also calls the plays and Cleveland fans should be encouraged for the future. Two of those touchdowns went to tight end Evan Moore, who then suffered a concussion and may have to sit this one out as it is his second in two years. Rookie Greg Little also caught a score and if he can fulfill his potential, McCoy will have a big and dependable target on his hands. Armond Smith ran for 90 yards which mostly came on an 81-yard touchdown run, and he has a chance to move up the ranks at running back as Brandon Jackson left the Detroit game with a toe injury. Montario Hardesty will also make his preseason debut after limping in with an ailing knee.
But a few defensive players likely lost jobs after a fourth-quarter collapse, and the Browns gave up 407 yards in total. Cleveland also lost a couple of fumbles, and they can’t afford to make mistakes like that. We all know that the Browns are a young team and these mistakes are going to happen, but Cleveland has to minimize these mistakes.
Why Bet On Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are still integrating a number of players into their lineup, and they needed a couple of late touchdowns just to keep from getting blown out in a 24-14 loss to Pittsburgh. Mike Kafka went 14-of-19 for 160 yards and a pair of scores, but it’s not likely that he has overtaken Vince Young for the backup role behind Michael Vick. Rookie receiver Gerald Jones caught both of those touchdowns, and you can never have too many good wideouts nowadays. Safety Kurt Coleman led the defense with 11 tackles as the Philadelphia “D” did well to keep the team in the game in the face of turnovers. Coleman’s big game was important as the Eagles lost Quinton Mikell to free agency and that was going to be an area of concern for Philadelphia.
Even though it is preseason, a three-pick day by your quarterback is never good and Vick was awful against the Steelers, which means he’ll be eager to get out there this week and shake more of the rust off. Young also threw an interception, and the Philadelphia quarterbacks have to get their act together this week against the Browns. The Eagles will also be looking for more receivers as Jeremy Maclin won’t be ready for Week 1 because of an illness, and new signing Steve Smith is at least three weeks away from joining the team.
How It Will Play Out
The Eagles are 4.5-point NFL betting favorites in the most important preseason game of the schedule, and they’re 3-0 SU and 1-2 ATS in their last three regular-season games against the Browns. Players shouldn’t put too much stock in Philadelphia’s poor performance against the Steelers, as that was the most playing time that the starters have received yet in this preseason, and this should be a better indication of where they are at this point.
Cleveland is going to struggle defensively this season anyway and the Lions showed that they still have a few holes on that side of the ball. The Eagles are playing like a team that is trying to find a rhythm, and while they’re doing that, their coaching staff is also trying to trim the fat. Look for this game to be more of a regular game for them and the players, and bet on Philadelphia in your sports betting picks.
Browns Eagles Betting Pick: Philadelphia Eagles -4.5
