Lions vs Bengals Prediction: NFL Preseason Odds & Best Bets Today

NFL Betting Picks in Summary

• Bengals -6.5
• Bengals 1st Half -6.5
• Ja'Marr Chase 10+ Receiving Yards
• Joe Burrow 20+ Passing Yards

Detroit and Cincinnati open the 2026 preseason Thursday night at Paycor Stadium, and this is a genuinely lopsided matchup on paper — but not for the reason the final score might suggest. This is a case where the point spread has as much to do with who's actually suiting up as it does with which team is better.

All NFL preseason odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL betting odds and may change after this article is published.

NFL Predictions and Picks for Preseason Week 1

Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals (Thu, 7 p.m. ET)

Bengals -6.5 (-118)

This is the clearest pick on the entire Thursday slate. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has confirmed the "majority of starters will see action," specifically naming Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown as players fans will see run out of the tunnel, even if only for limited snaps. Detroit is doing the opposite — Dan Campbell has said he doesn't expect Jared Goff to play at all, and estimates 25 to 28 players off the 90-man roster could sit this one out, along with Jahmyr Gibbs and Aidan Hutchinson. A real NFL starting offense against a lineup of third- and fourth-stringers is a legitimate edge, not just a number on a screen.

Bengals 1st Half -6.5 (-118)

If the starter-availability gap is the whole story here, the first half is where it should show up most clearly. Burrow and company are expected to get their limited run early, while Detroit's lineup should already be well into backup territory by the second quarter.

Ja'Marr Chase 10+ Receiving Yards (+100)

Chase is confirmed to play, and even limited preseason snaps for a receiver of his caliber tend to include at least one real target. A 10-yard gain is a low bar against a Lions secondary built mostly out of camp bodies.

Joe Burrow 20+ Passing Yards (-144)

Burrow doesn't need a long outing to clear this number — one or two completed drop-backs to Chase or Higgins gets there easily.