Traders who are looking for an introduction to NFL prediction markets might find Saturday night’s NFL preseason matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens an attractive option to begin forecasting sports outcomes.
With over $70,000 in total volume already achieved in the game’s “winner” market on Kalshi, traders are leaning heavily into a Philadelphia Eagles victory despite the team’s announcement that it will bench multiple star players for the entirety of the game.
As we’ve explained previously, NFL preseason “winner” markets that present one team as a huge favorite cause us to do a double-take. If traders are resolutely decided that the Eagles are nearly two-to-one favorites to win Saturday night in Baltimore, then they can be our guest and take Philadelphia at 64¢ per contract.
But Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts won’t be competing on the field Saturday night. Veteran Andy Dalton will start instead. Rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon and speedy cornerback Riq Woolen will also sit out for the game’s entirety as head coach Nick Sirianni uses the first preseason game to measure the ability of “bubble” players who will need to perform in order to secure a spot on the team’s 53-person roster by August 30th.
Baltimore will place many of its star players on the bench for the entire game, too. New head coach Jesse Minter has already confirmed that quarterback Lamar Jackson is OUT, along with defensive end Calais Campbell. By rule, we’re picking up contracts on the Ravens to win Saturday night at 37¢ based solely on the price. It’s worth repeating that teams are more concerned about conserving key players for the grueling regular season than they are about winning preseason games.
The Baltimore Ravens will enter the 2026-27 NFL regular season with a new head coach, Jesse Minter. Many seasoned NFL fans will view Minter as a significant “step down” from future Hall of Fame coach John Harbaugh, who has moved on to the New York Giants.
However, Minter has strong ties to the Harbaugh family due to the role he played as defensive coordinator for the Michigan Wolverines during the team’s national championship run under then-head coach Jim Harbaugh (who is now the sideline play-caller for the Los Angeles Chargers). Minter followed the younger Harbaugh brother to Los Angeles but accepted a job as the Ravens’ new head coach during the offseason.
We believe there might be market movement on Kalshi that makes the Ravens’ per-contract price more expensive by late tonight (once the six preseason games have ended). We’re expecting traders to pick up on the fact that teams won’t prioritize “winning” a preseason game by suddenly injecting their superstars when they find themselves facing a deficit.
Traders who can get the Ravens at any price under 40 cents per contract are the actual “winners” in this specific Kalshi prediction market, in our view. The Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Baltimore Ravens preseason game will be broadcast on the NFL Network unless the viewer is physically located in the Philadelphia or Baltimore regions (one will need to watch TV coverage if that’s the case).
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