It’s not easy learning a playbook in a matter of weeks, and this will be a good test against a solid Eagles defense. The third game of the preseason always most closely resembles the regular season, and the Eagles are hoping to tune up for a playoff run of their own. This could be a competitive contest, with the home field advantage a slight factor.
This game in Week 3 of the preseason contest will go down Thursday, August 24, 2017, at 7 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Odds Analysis
The spread hasn’t been released yet, but it makes sense for the Eagles to be slight favorites in this one. Philadelphia has a nice collection of talent and a team that is aiming to take the next step forward this season. Running back Ryan Mathews was recently released but the ground game should be fine.
The Dolphins have some talent as well but the quarterback situation is a little scary. If Cutler has any issues, the Eagles should be able to take advantage. Expect the Eagles to give a few points and the scoring total to be relatively low.
Quarterback Rotation
Cutler should see a decent amount of work as any practice he can get with the first team heading into the season must be taken advantage of in the preseason. He didn’t play in the first exhibition game and went 3-of-6 for 24 yards in last week’s 31-7 loss to the Ravens.
Cutler has a talented arm but is prone to making mistakes. If he isn’t on the same page as the wide receivers, a playmaking Eagles defense will aim to take advantage. Matt Moore will likely see action once Cutler is done, and it’s unknown if David Fales and Brandon Doughty will get onto the field.
Carson Wentz should see his most extensive action of the preseason as well. The Eagles’ starting signal-caller has been sharp thus far. He went 4-of-4 for 56 yards and a touchdown in his debut and was 6-of-9 for 56 yards last week.
Backup Nick Foles has been dealing with elbow soreness and it’s unknown if he will play, but Foles is a solid second-stringer and should help Philadelphia’s cause if he can see some action. The Eagles have some nice offensive pieces as LeGarrette Blount and Alshon Jeffery have been added to the fold.
Coaching History
Doug Pedersen has been fantastic in the preseason in his short stint as a coach, winning five of his six games. The Eagles went undefeated in the exhibition slate a year ago.
Adam Gase is 3-3 in the preseason with the Dolphins. He went 2-2 in 2016 and has split this year’s games, so it’s tough to read much into his presence in this one.
Free ATS Pick
The Eagles are the easy call in this showdown. They have the home field advantage and more continuity as Wentz is heading into his second season under center. Philadelphia has some quality players on both sides of the ball and is looking to play well in this game heading into the regular season.
It will be interesting to see how Cutler looks in his most extensive action before the games get going for real. The Dolphins may struggle offensively in this one and they seem likely to fall to Philadelphia.
NFL Odds: Eagles 24, Dolphins 13
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