Eagles-Titans Preseason Week 1 Betting Preview
Football, nay, EAGLES FOOTBALL, is back (sort of), baby!
The opening chapter of a season brimming with hope and great expectations will be written tonight at Lincoln Financial Field when the Birds host the Tennessee Titans to open up preseason play.
Yes, it’s preseason football, but not only can you get in on the action at both PA legal online sportsbooks and NJ online legal sportsbooks… deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want to bet on preseason football.
Let’s be honest about this, we don’t know exactly how long key starters from either team will play, or if they will play at all. We also don’t know, specifically, what each team is hoping to accomplish in this game.
The point is there are so many unknown variables at play with preseason games that it’s difficult to provide any type of meaningful analysis.
Still, we’ve identified some information for you to use that might make you feel a little bit better about wagering on a side tonight.
Before we get to it, let’s first take a look at the current odds.
Eagles-Titans Odds
All odds are as of 3:15 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
Bettors in Pennsylvania, including those of you that are heading to the game, can bet with:
Spread | Money | Total | |
Titans | +1.5 (-110) | +106 | O 37 (-102) |
Eagles | -1.5 (-110) | -128 | U 37 (-118) |
Spread | Money | Total | |
Titans | +2 (-110) | +114 | O 36.5 (-110) |
Eagles | -2 (-110) | -134 | U 36.5 (-110) |
Currently, the Eagles are slightly cheaper on the moneyline at FanDuel, while those looking to hit the over should take the value at 36.5 with SugarHouse.
Meanwhile, for those of you in New Jersey:
Spread | Money | Total | |
Titans | +2 (-110) | +114 | O 36.5 (-110) |
Eagles | -2 (-110) | -134 | U 36.5 (-110) |
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Spread | Money | Total | |
Titans | +2 (-110) | +120 | O 36.5 (-110) |
Eagles | -2 (-110) | -140 | U 36.5 (-110) |
If you want to grab the Eagles on the moneyline, do it at William Hill where they are currently +114. If you’re on the Eagles, the price is slightly cheaper at DraftKings.
Eagles-Titans Need-to-Know Trends and Betting Information
Again, with the lineup and playing time decisions a relative unknown, we can’t diagnose matchups the way we usually would with a regular season game. What we can do, however, is look at the past preseason performances of these teams in order to gain some insight on what may play out tonight.
Let’s start with the quarterbacks.
Carson Wentz has dealt with numerous injury issues and has missed significant time over the last two seasons. With the Eagles’ chances for another Super Bowl ring directly correlated with Wentz’s health, it wouldn’t be surprising if he plays only a series, if he plays at all, on Thursday night.
As for Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel played him for only one series in his team’s first preseason game a year ago. Mariota completed two of his three passes on a drive that led to an opening-possession touchdown.
That said, the best thing to do here is probably focus on how these teams have performed under Pederson and Vrabel.
Doug Pederson’s Preseason History
It’s been a mixed bag for Pederson’s teams in the preseason. Overall, the Eagles are 7-5 both straight up and ATS under him in such games.
But they’ve had an excellent track record under him at home in a three-season sample, going 5-1 SU and ATS at Lincoln Financial Field. Pretty strong. The Eagles are also 3-1 ATS when favored by three points or less at home in four preseason games.
Moreover, six of the seven Eagles’ preseason wins under Pederson have come by four or more points with an average margin of victory of 7.86 points per game.
I know I’m painting a rosy picture here, but do keep in mind that the Eagles posted only a 1-3 record in the preseason last year and played a pretty ugly brand of football with it.
Also keep in mind that it’s the preseason.
Mike Vrabel’s Preseason History
In short, Vrabel’s preseason history is bad, albeit in a limited one-season sample. The Titans went 0-4 last season, losing all four games by 10 points or more. I’m not willing to draw any conclusions about Vrabel’s concern with winning preseason games based on that alone, but we can only work with what we have.
Other Info to Know
The Eagles are 19-11 ATS at Lincoln Financial Field in the preseason dating back to 2005.
They were a 3.5-point favorite for much of the week, so it’s worth noting that they are also 14-6 ATS dating back to 2005 when favored between three and four points at home, making them the NFL’s most profitable team in that spread range during that span. Obviously, the line has shrunk as we near kickoff.
Eagles-Titans Prop Bet at FanDuel Sportsbook PA
If you’re looking for a more aggressive payout, perhaps taking a long shot on the Eagles at -14 (+290) is of some value given the Titans were non-competitive in Vrabel’s first preseason as head coach.