Pick of the Week: Detroit Lions vs Cincinnati Bengals — Thursday, August 13, 2026

7:00 PM ET

Spread: DET +6.5 / CIN -6.5

ML: DET +220 / CIN -270

Over/Under: 37.5

Pick of the Week: Bengals -6.5

Preseason spreads live and die on one question: who's actually playing? Both coaching staffs have already answered it. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed this week that Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown will all see the field Thursday night, even if only for limited snaps. Lions head coach Dan Campbell has said the opposite, telling reporters he doesn't expect to play many of his regulars and specifically ruling out Jared Goff. That's about as clean a playing-time mismatch as a preseason spread offers, and it's coming straight from the coaches, not a guess based on tendencies.

Detroit's problem doesn't stop at the starters it's resting. The team's depth is banged up in a way that will show up even after the backups take over. With Teddy Bridgewater's retirement, undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer is now in line for real quarterback snaps. Projected starting center Cade Mays is out 8-10 weeks with a fractured wrist, and rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder, a player who'd otherwise be competing for meaningful reps in exactly this kind of game, is sidelined with a hamstring injury. Running back Isiah Pacheco is dealing with an MCL sprain that could keep him out for the rest of the preseason, rookie edge rusher Derrick Moore is managing a groin issue, and both tight end Miles Kitselman and wide receiver Kendrick Law were placed on injured reserve this week. Detroit isn't just choosing to field a lesser roster Thursday — the group that would normally fill in behind its stars is thin, too.

Cincinnati isn't perfectly healthy, either. Safety Dax Hill is out with a hamstring injury, and offseason free-agent signee Bryan Cook is also sitting Thursday. But those are depth-chart absences, not headline ones. The four players who actually decide this spread — Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and Brown — are all confirmed to play regardless.

Bottom Line: A 6.5-to-7-point spread is unusually large for a preseason opener, and it reflects a real, confirmed personnel gap rather than a home-field edge or guesswork. Lean Bengals -6.5.

Odds referenced at time of writing and subject to change. Please gamble responsibly — if you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.