The Green Bay Packers and the Cincinnati Bengals will play their first preseason game on Friday, August 11. Kickoff from Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio is set for 7 p.m. ET and will air on NFL Network.
The Packers are entering into an era without Aaron Rodgers under center. This will be our first look at backup-turned-starter Jordan Love in the offense as the presumed starting quarterback. The Bengals will be without starting QB Joe Burrow but will look to see what kind of depth they have behind him.
Here, we’ll take a look at our picks for best bets for Packers vs. Bengals in Week 1 of the NFL preseason.
All odds come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Packers vs. Bengals odds
Spread: Packers -4.5
Point total: 35
Moneyline: Packers -198, Bengals +164
Our picks, best bets
Pick against the spread: Bengals +4.5
Preseason games are tough to predict because you never know how long someone will play before getting benched. Cincinnati will be without Burrow, which gives the advantage to Green Bay early, but I don’t think the Packers sustain it. The Bengals have some exciting young playmakers on offense, which will lead to some good matchups against the Green Bay secondary. As long as Cincinnati doesn’t get blown out early, they should keep it close enough to cover.
Over/under: Under 35
Does anyone feel good about taking the over in the preseason? Again, you have no idea how long starters will play, and there is a giant exhale of excitement when the backups trot out onto the field. The tricky thing with this pick is that both teams have talented rookies that are likely to see playing time which could sway this. Still, with it being preseason, I’m taking the under.