The NFL preseason rolls on. We got to see first-round rookie C.J. Stroud struggle on Thursday, creating some possible openings for a quarterback controversy in Houston. Every week, I’ll post my top picks on Monday and provide an update before each game — you can check out all of my NFL preseason Week 1 picks here. Let’s dig into today’s Eagles-Ravens odds as we make our predictions and pick the best NFL preseason bet!
Looking for more 2023 NFL predictions? OddsShopper’s experts are here to break down the upcoming NFL season — make sure to check out the rest of our NFL articles, including our AFC East and AFC South previews. Come back during the NFL season for our market-based betting model’s picks and best bets — or try it out for Week 1 now!
Eagles-Ravens Pick & Preseason Prediction
Eagles-Ravens Betting Odds
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Eagles: +175 | Ravens: -210
Eagles +4.5: -105 | Ravens -4.5: -115
Over 35.5: -105 | Under 35.5: -115
Death, taxes and the Baltimore Ravens winning preseason football games. The Ravens haven’t dropped a preseason contest since the 1-3 run in 2015 that preceded John Harbaugh’s worst season as a head coach. Yes, 2015: the Ravens have now won their last 23 preseason games. I touted the Ravens at the then-available -225 (69.2%) in the early-week column, but we’ve seen some line movement in Philadelphia’s favor, so we can now buy the Ravens at -198 (66.4%) via DraftKings Sportsbook. Let’s attack the better number.
Baltimore usually starts out ahead, builds the lead and maintains it, the team’s final preseason game last season proved that wasn’t always the case. The Ravens trailed in the first quarter and never made it a two-score game — the defense just stayed aggressive enough to seal the win. It’s that late-game aggression that signals Baltimore’s unblemished preseason record isn’t because of efficient play early but because of a coaching staff that sees the preseason as an opportunity to instill a winning culture.
This year’s Ravens shouldn’t be any different. Although we won’t see Lamar Jackson under center come Saturday, last year’s preseason quarterbacks, Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown, are both still in town. So is veteran Josh Johnson, who even started for the Ravens in a regular-season game in 2021. They’ll all have to pick up new offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s scheme, which may prove difficult, but they’ll also get a much deeper supporting cast than we’re used to seeing in Charm City, especially at wide receiver. Offseason acquisitions like first-round rookie Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor should play several snaps.
If the Ravens are known for caring about the preseason, the Eagles are not. Philadelphia went 1-2 in exhibition play last year, barely escaping the Cleveland Browns by a single point. They even allowed the New York Jets to put together two go-ahead drives deep in the fourth quarter in Week 1 last year. The low-effort showing followed a 0-2-1 preseason campaign from the year before. Head coach Nick Sirianni, who took over the team that year, doesn’t seem to worry about setting the tone during the preseason as John Harbaugh does, so trusting the Ravens to continue their winning ways isn’t the worst idea.
Of course, the books know the Ravens are on a 23-game preseason winning streak. The juice is stacked in their favor as a result, but perhaps by an insufficiently wide margin at some books. You’ll find Baltimore listed at -210 (67.7%) at Pinnacle, a sharp book, so the -198 (66.4%) via DraftKings stands out as a +EV wager. While you still need the Ravens to win a meaningless preseason game at nearly 70% of the time to make a profit at that price, there is still enough edge here to warrant some action — just don’t go too crazy with this one.
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Eagles-Ravens Preseason Betting Pick: Baltimore Moneyline -198 at DraftKings
