The Detroit Lions will visit the Cincinnati Bengals tomorrow night at Paycor Stadium in the first NFL preseason game for both teams. Kickoff is set for 7:00pm local time with moderate fan attendance expected as general admission ticket prices hover around $10.
There’s a huge buildup for the Cincinnati Bengals to win tomorrow’s preseason game against the Lions on NFL prediction markets. This is because Cincinnati’s head coach Zac Taylor has already announced that he will be starting QB Joe Burrow, WR Ja’Marr Chase, and WR Tee Higgins. The Detroit Lions, by contrast, will bench most of their key players for the entirety of the game.
We’re very hesitant to take any NFL team “to win” at 72 cents per contract on a preseason game. That’s not to say we’re gung-ho on the Detroit Lions pulling off the upset, but 72 cents is too expensive for our tastes, even if the Bengals’ stars are scheduled to start.
If there’s any hint of a potential injury to a key player during the first quarter for the Bengals, the team is likely to pull its starters and instead opt for “bubble” players who are actually competing for a job. Simply put, the Bengals don’t need a preseason victory tomorrow night in front of their home crowd. The game’s results won’t matter at all once the regular season begins and each NFL team begins with a record of 0-0.
For this reason, we’re buying the Detroit Lions “to win” contracts at 29¢ for tomorrow night’s preseason matchup against Cincinnati. The Lions may start at a disadvantage, but there’s no way we’re paying more than 70¢ for an NFL preseason game “winner” contract.
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell has a far more pragmatic view of the NFL preseason compared to Cincinnati play-caller Zac Taylor, in our view. He won’t risk his starting quarterback, Jared Goff, suffering a Week 1 preseason injury in mid-August that could sideline him for the rest of the season. The same goes for star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Did we mention that heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast to pelt the Paycor Stadium field tomorrow night throughout the preseason contest? The temperatures will be mild but the field is likely to be impacted once the pregame tarp is removed and play begins.
We fully expect this market to move once Cincinnati fans and believers realize that any small, on-field occurrence could result in the Bengals’ star players being abruptly yanked from the game altogether. Until those traders come around, the Lions at 29¢ per contract to win tomorrow’s preseason game against the Bengals is a lock for us. It may not come true, but the price is too good to pass on.
If you’re physically located in the Detroit or Cincinnati areas, you’ll need to watch the game on local TV broadcasts. Otherwise, an NFL+ basic subscription will grant you access to all the out-of-market preseason games.
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