Week 2 of the NFL preseason kicks off Thursday when the New England Patriots host the Philadelphia Eagles. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett is expected to start for New England and rookie Drake Maye will also see game time in front of his home fans. The Patriots have yet to announce a starter for their regular season opener, so a strong showing from either signal-caller could go a long way. The Eagles aren't expected to play their starters on offense, creating opportunities for the backups to shine on Thursday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. New England is a three-point favorite in the latest Eagles vs. Patriots odds from DraftKings. The over/under for total points scored is 35. Before making any Eagles vs. Patriots picks, be sure to check out what SportsLine's resident Eagles expert, Matt Severance, has to say.
Severance is a well-connected writer and high-volume handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005. He went 121-93-2 for a profit of $589 on his NFL picks last season. And he went 103-89-2 during the 2023 college football season for a profit of $665. Furthermore, Severance is on a 20-7-1 roll (+1202) on his last 28 Eagles picks. Anyone who has followed his picks is way up.
Now, he has set his sights on Eagles vs. Patriots and just locked in his picks and NFL preseason predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the NFL odds and NFL betting lines for Eagles vs. Patriots:
- Eagles vs. Patriots spread: New England -3
- Eagles vs. Patriots Over/Under: 35 points
- Eagles vs. Patriots moneyline: New England -170, Philadelphia +140
- PHI: Eagles were eighth in the NFL in total offense (354.4) in 2023
- NE: New England was seventh in total defense (301.6) last season
- Eagles vs. Patriots picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Eagles can cover
Philadelphia won't trot out Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith, but they'll still have experience on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Kenny Pickett is expected to get the start on Thursday. Pickett has appeared in 25 games during his NFL career and led the Eagles to victory over the Ravens in the preseason opener. He completed 14-of-22 pass attempts for 89 yards and one touchdown in the victory.
Running back Kenneth Gainwell, who racked up nearly 550 all-purpose yards last season, averaged 5.8 yards per carry in last week's win over Baltimore. Kendall Milton led all rushers with 39 yards on nine carries. See which team to pick here.
Why Patriots can cover
Quarterback Bailey Zappe is fighting to stick onto the team and will see an extended number of snaps. Zappe has solid accuracy and will be playing with a high energy to make a positive impression on the staff. In the preseason opener, Zappe went 12-of-20 with 108 passing yards.
Running back Terrell Jennings is an elusive ball-carrier who led the way in Week 1 of the preseason. Jennings logged six carries for a team-best 38 rushing yards. Wide receiver JaQuae Jackson is another player fighting to find a way to land on the 53-man roster. Jackson reeled in his only target for a 38-yard touchdown in his last outing. Running back Kevin Harris has been with the Patriots for the last two seasons. Against the Panthers, the South Carolina product had eight carries for 22 yards and one touchdown. See which team to pick here.
How to make Eagles vs. Patriots picks
Severance has analyzed this matchup from every angle. He's leaning Under on the point total and has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
Who wins Patriots vs. Eagles, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Eagles vs. Patriots spread hits hard, all from the expert on a 20-7 roll on NFL picks involving the Eagles, and find out.
