Cincinnati Bengals vs Philadelphia Eagles Picks and Prediction for Friday August 28, 2026

The Cincinnati Bengals travel to Philadelphia to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, August 28, 2026, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET, and the game will be nationally televised on CBS. Cincinnati enters the preseason finale at 2-0, while Philadelphia is 0-2. The current betting line has the Eagles favored by 2.5 points, with Philadelphia around -144 on the moneyline, Cincinnati +122, and the total set at 36.5. Be ready for the NFL season with our free NFL picks.

Bengals Bring Strong Preseason Form to Philadelphia

Cincinnati has taken care of business through its first two preseason games, defeating Detroit 16-14 before producing a much more convincing 27-9 win over Chicago. The Bengals' reserves were particularly impressive against the Bears, taking a 17-9 advantage into halftime before shutting Chicago out in the second half.

The Bengals aren't expected to rely heavily on their regular-season starters in this finale, which puts more emphasis on their depth. That hasn't been a problem so far. Veteran backup quarterback Josh Johnson threw two touchdown passes against Chicago, while Cincinnati received contributions throughout the roster as players competing for final spots made their cases.

That's the biggest attraction to Cincinnati as an underdog here. Preseason handicapping is much more about depth than the quality of the starting lineup, and the Bengals have already demonstrated that their second and third units can win games. They have allowed only 23 combined points through two preseason games.

Eagles Still Searching for First Preseason Win

Philadelphia enters Friday at 0-2 after losing its opener 24-7 to Baltimore and then falling 24-21 to New England. The second performance was considerably more encouraging, as the Eagles stayed within striking distance throughout the night before losing late.

The Eagles sat their projected starters against New England, leaving the game largely in the hands of players competing for depth-chart positions. Philadelphia continues to evaluate its backup quarterback situation between Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton, and McKee helped his cause against the Patriots by throwing a touchdown pass.

Philadelphia's improvement from Week 1 to Week 2 is worth noting, especially with the Eagles now playing their preseason finale at home. However, laying 2.5 points with an 0-2 team is difficult when Cincinnati's reserves have performed considerably better through two games.

Cincinnati Bengals vs Philadelphia Eagles Picks and Prediction

Pick: Cincinnati Bengals +2.5

Cincinnati +2.5 is the side pick. The Bengals have won both preseason games and are coming off a dominant 27-9 performance in which their reserves handled Chicago effectively on both sides of the ball. Philadelphia showed improvement against New England, but the Eagles remain winless and have surrendered 24 points in each game. With Cincinnati getting nearly a field goal and having demonstrated stronger depth so far, take the Bengals +2.5.

Pick: Under 36.5

The under is the better total play at 36.5. Cincinnati has allowed only 14 and nine points in its first two games, while Philadelphia's offense has scored seven and 21. With the regular-season starters unlikely to carry substantial workloads and both coaching staffs focused heavily on final roster evaluations, sustained offense could become difficult as the game progresses. Take Under 36.5.

Projected Score: Cincinnati Bengals 19, Philadelphia Eagles 16.