The Philadelphia Eagles will host the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday evening after a pair of joint practices.
The intensity has been ramping up between these two squads after a long week of practice that culminated in a bit of a scuffle on Wednesday. After a lackluster showing on Day 1, the Eagles came out re-energized and looked like the better team in the final practice.
Both the first-team and second-team offenses scored touchdowns while the Eagles’ defense made life tough on Browns’ QB Deshaun Watson, forcing him into three interceptions on the day.
Let’s break down the NFL Week 2 Preseason game between the Philadelphia Eagles vs Cleveland Browns.
Philadelphia Eagles vs Cleveland Browns Preview
- 🏈 Game: Cleveland Browns @ Philadelphia Eagles
- 📅 Date: August 17, 2023
- 🕐 Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- 🏟 Location: Lincoln Financial Field
- 📺 TV Channel: NFL Network
- 💻 Live Stream: NFL+ | DAZN | YouTube TV
- 🏆 Eagles All-Time Record: 17-32-1
- 🎲 Odds: PHI -3.5 | O/U 38
Philadelphia Eagles vs Cleveland Browns Odds
Bet | Philadelphia Eagles | Cleveland Browns |
Moneyline | -177 | +157 |
Point Spread | -3.5 (-110) | +3.5 (-110) |
Total | Over 38 (-110) | Under 38 (-110) |
Philadelphia Eagles vs Cleveland Browns Prediction
The Eagles enter this game as 3.5-point favorites following a week of joint practices versus the Browns.
Cleveland got the better of Philly on Monday but that wasn’t the case in Tuesday’s practice. The Eagles showed renewed focus, especially in the trenches, where they dominated for most of Day 2.
The Eagles are loaded with depth running back, linebacker, and safety, which should help them stay fresh throughout the preseason.
The Eagles’ starters are expected to get the most run of the preseason in Week 2, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Jalen Hurts and company in for a series or two. Then again, we’ll see what happens, as Browns’ head coach Kevin Stefanski has already announced his intention to sit Watson and other Browns’ players already locked into starting spots.
Meanwhile, Marcus Mariota has made significant strides in Nick Sirianni’s system over the past two weeks and looked comfortable under center in the final practice versus the Browns, connecting on three touchdown passes. That bodes well for the Eagles’ chances on Thursday night, especially after losing the first preseason game by one point.
Look for Philadelphia to take care of business at home and notch its first preseason win.
Prediction: Eagles 21 Browns 14
Eagles vs Browns Best Bet
Much like Philadelphia’s first preseason game, I expect this to turn into a low-scoring affair.
The Eagles are loaded with depth running back, linebacker, and safety, which should help them stay fresh throughout the preseason.
Meanwhile, the Browns struggled to move the ball consistently against the Eagles’ defense in practice and it’s hard to see that changing on a short week.
Look for this game to stay under the projected total on Thursday.