The Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals Week 8 game on Sunday, October 27, 2024, at Paycor Stadium is guaranteed to be an exciting clash. Odds lean toward the hosts, but Cincy isn't a clear favorite
Both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals are coming into Week 8 following two wins in a row. Still, it's Philly that's got a better record, 4-2. Cincy is 3-4, but Joe Burrow & Co. have started showing signs of huge improvement lately. This explains why bookmakers see them as 2.5-point favorites ahead of the October 27 game.
The Cincinnati Bengals are 0-3 at home, which is frustrating for their fans who saw them go 6-3 last season at Paycor Stadium. Another reason for frustration is that two of their home losses in the 2024 NFL happened against underdogs.
First, they shockingly lost to the New England Patriots 16-10; then, the Washington Commanders beat them 38-33. In their most recent game in Cincinnati, they gave real war to the favored Baltimore Ravens, losing the game in overtime, 41:38.
This happened in Week 5, and since then, they're undefeated. They beat the NY Giants 17:7 in Week 6, and the Cleveland Browns 21:14 in Week 7. As you can see, their defense has been doing a fine job lately.
Their offense hasn't been too effective, but their quarterback Joe Burrow - the highest-paid NFL player in 2024 - has been pretty good. In his last outing, for example, he went 15-for-25 for 181 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and no interceptions.
It seems that pundits don't hold much esteem for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2024 NFL, but these guys have been playing well. They're 4-2 overall, with their two losses happening against the in-form Tampa Bay Buccaneers (33-16) and the revamped Atlanta Falcons (22-21).
Same as the Bengals, the Eagles too are coming into Week 8 with two straight wins. First, they defeated the Cleveland Browns 20:16; then, they blew out the New York Giants 28:3.
In last Sunday's win over the Giants, their running game was sensational. While QB Jalen Hurts didn't produce much from passing the ball - 10/14 for 114 yards and 1 TD - he scored two rushing TDs.
Their third rushing touchdown was the world of Saquon Barkley who also gained 176 yards for his team on 17 carries. This is great news for Philly's fans ahead of the Week 8 game because Cincy's defense isn't famous for being great against good runners.
The Bengals are 11-worst defense in terms of opponent rushing yards. They're also 10-worst when it comes to the number of rushing TDs conceded. This means that they're likely to struggle against one of the NFL's best rushers.
However, this doesn't mean that the Eagles will run riot on them. The thing is that the Bengals have an ace up their sleeve - Joe Burrow. This guy has been playing at an MVP level, which is why we expect the Bengals to do fine offensively.
We think they're going to score at least one TD more than the Eagles, thus covering the spread. Still, our top pick for the October 27 game is that we'll see more than 47 points.