Patriots vs Eagles Odds, Lines, and Picks NFL Preseason Week 2
- The New England Patriots are 1.5-point road favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles in Thursday night’s preseason game
- The teams held joint practices this week and will likely play mainly reserves in the game
- Odds, analysis and a prediction can be found below
After holding two joint practices this week, the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles square off at 7:30 pm ET Thursday in a preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
The Patriots are coming off a 22-13 victory over the Washington Football Team in their exhibition opener last week. The Eagles dropped a 24-16 decision to the Pittsburgh Steelers and are home underdogs.
Thursday night’s game will be televised by the NFL Network.
Patriots vs Eagles Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | -125 | -1.5 (-110) | Over 38.5 (-110) |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +105 | +1.5 (-110) | Under 38.5 (-110) |
Odds as of August 18th at DraftKings
The Patriots are favored by 1.5 points, the line holding steady after opening at the same figure, and the total is 38.5 points. There is a 30% chance of showers or thunderstorms at kickoff with the temperature forecast to be 81 degrees and a west wind at 5 mph.
QBs Get Practice Work
Neither team has revealed plans on who will or won’t play Thursday.
However, after holding the two joint practices, it seems likely Patriots coach Bill Belichick and Eagles counterpart Nick Sirianni saw enough of their starters this week that reserves will see the bulk of the action.
Making each other better. pic.twitter.com/qWA7pfxrEZ
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 17, 2021
Starting quarterback Cam Newton led things off for the Patriots last week and completed four of seven passes for 49 yards. First-round draft pick Mac Jones then took over and was 13 of 19 for 87 yards before veteran Brian Hoyer connected on two of four attempts for 14 yards.
On Tuesday, Newton had what was described by observers as his best practice in weeks. After Newton struggled to learn the offense in his first season with the Patriots last year, Belichick may give him some time in this game to gain experience.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts could also get some snaps as he is trying to establish himself as a QB1 in the NFL after starting the last four games of his rookie season in 2020. Hurts had similar stats to Newton’s last week, going 3 of 7 for 54 yards.
.@JalenHurts on the money to @goedert33! #PITvsPHI pic.twitter.com/MIhvxS7wjo
— NFL (@NFL) August 12, 2021
Veteran Joe Flacco, in his first camp with the Eagles, completed 10 of 17 for 178 yards a touchdown. Third-stringer Nick Mullens finished the game and was just one of five for four yards with two interceptions.
Looking Back at Last Week
Rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson, a fourth-round draft pick, rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries to lead the Patriots over Washington. His 91-yard scoring run with 1:04 left sealed the victory.
THERE HE GOES!
91-YARD TD FOR @dreeday32
📺: @wbzsports / @nflnetwork / Patriots app pic.twitter.com/4zqXMcK3D0
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 13, 2021
Another rookie, Quinn Nordin, kicked three goals from 35, 50 and 40 yards. Signed as an undrafted free agent, Nordin is looking to unseat veteran Nick Folk.
Reserve cornerback Joejuan Williams’ interception early in the fourth quarter set up a 1-yard TD run by Stevenson.
The Eagles looked sloppy against the Steelers in the 40-year-old Sirianni’s first game as a head coach at any level. The Eagles’ biggest highlight while the first-string offense was in the game was a 34-yard pass from Hurts to tight end Zach Ertz.
Flacco and rookie wide receiver Quez Watkins connected on a 79-yard touchdown late in the first quarter to give the Eagles a 10-0 lead.
Don’t blink, you might miss this #TouchdownTuesday.@Mronesx_ | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/iFRjPKHn2j
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 17, 2021
However, the Eagles generated just two field goals over the final three quarters.
What’s the Best Bet?
The game will likely be less interesting and competitive than the joint practices. That is usually how it works during the preseason.
Look for this game to come down to whether Jones or Flacco performs better as both are likely to get a decent amount of playing time. Jones has more to prove as a rookie than Flacco, who has been in the league for 13 years.
It is also instructive to note Belichick has won seven of his last nine preseason games.
The Pick: Patriots -1.5 (-110)
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
