Eagles open as underdog in first preseason game against Ravens on Saturday

Preseason action for the Eagles officially kicks off Saturday, when they make the short trip to Baltimore to face the Ravens, one of the most dominant teams in exhibition games in NFL history.

Winners of 23 straight preseason games dating back to the 2016 season, the Ravens are 20-3 against the spread in that time frame.

It will be the first game action for Eagles newcomers this offseason, including first-round picks Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, third-round picks Tyler Steen and Sydney Brown, and some late-round additions, including Kelee Ringo and Moro Ojomo.

Neither team will likely have its starters playing, including star quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Lamar Jackson of the Ravens. But it will give players who are fighting for spots a chance to prove they belong on the active roster before teams have to cut from 90 or more players to 53 prior to the start of the regular season.

With the Ravens’ history of success in the preseason, it’s no surprise they open as favorites in this matchup. Here’s a look at the betting line ahead of Saturday night’s game.

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The last time these two teams met in the preseason was in 2019, when the Ravens, who exploded for 23 second-quarter points, beat the Eagles, 26-15. Baltimore entered that game as a five-point favorite, and the win gave the Ravens their 15th straight preseason victory.

In the regular-season series, the Ravens lead 3-2-1, winning their 2020 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field, 30-28, with Carson Wentz at the helm for the Eagles. Hurts, a rookie at the time, carried the ball twice for 23 yards, sharing the field with Wentz.

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