CINCINNATI — If you’re eager to get your final glimpse of Andy Dalton, A.J. Green and the rest of the Cincinnati Bengals before they open the regular season Sept. 10 in Baltimore, you better be positioned in front of your television by kickoff tonight.

And don’t blink.

Dalton and the rest of the starters are not expected to take more than a few snaps tonight at Lucas Oil Stadium as the Bengals face the Indianapolis Colts in the final preseason game for both teams.

“I think we will probably play a series, just get a good drive going and hopefully go down and score points,” Dalton said.

The Colts are expected to take a similar approach with their first unit, which is led by No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Luck.

By the time the second half begins, the field will be filled with players who have limited to no NFL regular-season experience. 

Forty-four players — 22 on each team — will be looking for work less than 24 hours after the game ends as all NFL teams will be required to trim their rosters from 75 to 53 by 9 p.m. Friday.

The deadline creates a last-ditch, all-in mentality for players on the roster bubble. 

“To me, that’s what makes the preseason games so much fun and so interesting, because you have all these matchups and battles that are going on both teams,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “That’s a fun thing, if I were a fan, to watch. I get excited watching it.”

Through minicamp, OTAs, training camp and preseason games, the coaches have spent the last five months evaluating the roster. In many cases their minds are already made up, but it’s possible  that the final two or three spots can be won — or lost — tonight. 

“When you’re in professional sports, you always have to have a ’last guy at the position’ type of mentality,” Lewis said. “It’s important for me and the coaches to know where our thoughts are all the time as we work in preparation. But we’ve got chances for guys to still show.”

As many as eight of the players waived Friday could be back  by 1 p.m. Saturday as the team fills its practice squad.

The 31 other NFL teams will have a chance to claim anyone the Bengals waive Friday, but any player who clears waivers can be re-signed to the practice squad.