There were few units more impressive in Week 1 of the preseason than the Baltimore Ravens offense. If there was one though, it might have been the Philadelphia Eagles passing game.
These two teams will collide on Saturday night in what could be a high-flying duel.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Not surprisingly, with the preamble we just went through, this game features the highest total of the week at 44.5, which looks a lot more like a number from a regular season game.
The Eagles are giving 3-points at -125 juice.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Joe Flacco ran his offense straight down the field to start off last week's game against the Saints, and we suspect he'll get more than just one drive in this one. Beyond that, Matt Schaub will likely have some of his time cut into, while Bryn Renner will probably once again play the whole fourth quarter.
Renner, of course, led a perfect two-minute drill, headlined by a one-yard touchdown run with just two seconds left to beat the Saints last week 30-27.
The Eagles didn't use Sam Bradford last Sunday against Indianapolis, instead using Mark Sanchez to start and play two possessions. From there, Matt Barkley played quite a bit before handing the pigskin over to Tim Tebow.
We have to imagine that Bradford, who is completely healthy, will get the start this week and perhaps play as much as a quarter and a half before giving way to Sanchez and the others.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
Chip Kelly just flat out wants to win. He's only 5-4 SU and ATS in his two and change seasons on the job in Philly in the preseason, but his teams are always out there looking to put points on the board in a hurry.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Every morning we come in and there's a new depth chart. When you have anything that's wide open like that, every day is a different day. You can't take any single day for granted." – Eagles offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde on the position battles in Philly's training camp
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
Test No. 1 for the Ravens' young wide receivers was successful last week. On a day where Steve Smith caught just one pass for three yards, men like Maxx Williams and Michael Campanaro really stepped up to the forefront for the Ravens.
We suspect we'll see more from Breshad Perriman down the line after his ailing knee heals, which will only further open up the battle for the wide receiver spots on this roster.
INJURIES
Zach Ertz was a late scratch last week for the Eagles after suffering what Kelly classified as a "core injury."
Perriman and Dennis Pitta are both likely to sit this one out for Baltimore.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Ravens have some good value here. The Eagles are going to try to run up and down the field, but they did get some good fortune against the Colts last week, not the least of which is the fact that Indy really didn't look like it cared all that much about the final outcome of the game.
If Tebow is really going to play extended time in this one as he fights for a roster spot, we can't see laying a field goal against a team which has already proven it can come from behind and win.
Points will be aplenty, but we still want them on our side.
Baltimore 27, Philadelphia 20
The NFL lines for this Saturday contest first surfaced at BookMaker, and the Philadelphia Eagles were positioned as 3.5-point favorites with a total of 44.5. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker's live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next quarter. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
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