Week 1 2010 NFL Preseason Action
Week 1 2010 NFL Preseason betting gets into the swing of things tonight as three games are on the betting board at Sportsbook.com. The defending champion Saints travel up north to take on the Patriots, the Panthers will be in Baltimore, and the Raiders visit Dallas.
New Orleans at New England Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Sportsbook.com Line: New England -1.5 Total: 35.5
The reigning Super Bowl champs travel to New England to take on a franchise that knows a few things about winning Super Bowls. If familiarity indeed builds contempt, then this preseason tilt could have some fireworks as the Saints and Patriots are conducting joint practices this week in preparation for this matchup.
Among the storylines in Patriots camp is the presence of Wes Welker after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery in the offseason. Welker (NFL-best 123 receptions in 2009) appears on course to make an immediate impact again this season.
The Saints humiliated the Patriots on a Monday night in the Superdome last season as the porous Patriots defense had no answer for Drew Brees and his arsenal of offensive weapons. Look for the Saints to take advantage of a defense that remains a work in progress.
The Saints have proven to be a solid play in the preseason on the road with slightly elevated totals: NEW ORLEANS is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) in a road game where the total is between 35.5 and 38 points since 1993. The average score was NEW ORLEANS 19.2, OPPONENT 19.4 - (Rating = 2*).
Carolina at Baltimore, Thursday, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Sportsbook.comLine:Baltimore -3 Total: 34
A pair of powerful rushing teams square off in the first preseason contest for both clubs. There’s no question the Carolina offense will once again feature a heavy dose of DeAngelo Williams this season, while the Ravens will be handing the ball off to Ray Rice, Willis McGahee and Le’Ron McClain.
The Ravens have an established starting quarterback in Joe Flacco, while the Panthers will be replacing longtime starter Jake Delhomme. Matt Moore replaced the injured Delhomme for the final five games of last season, leading the Panthers to a 4-1 record. Moore will face competition from second-round draft pick Jimmy Clausen.
The always stingy Baltimore defense is a little banged up in the secondary at the moment, but expect them to be able to stifle Carolina’s attack. Baltimore has had success against Carolina:BALTIMORE is 3-1 straight up (and against the spread) versus CAROLINA since 1993.
Oakland at Dallas Thursday, 9:00 p.m. EDT
Sportsbook.comLine: Dallas -3.5 Total: 34.5
The Raiders are putting their hopes on the arm of quarterback Jason Campbell, whom they acquired from Washington during the offseason. Pushing Campbell will be veteran Bruce Gradkowski, who gave the Raiders a bit of a spark last season after replacing mega-bust JaMarcus Russell.
The Cowboys offense went without a touchdown in their 16-7 win over Cincinnati on Sunday night in Canton, scoring on a 6-yard interception return by Brandon Sharpe in the fourth quarter. The Dallas defense forced four turnovers in the game. Tony Romo went 5-for-10 for 59 yards without a pick. Rookie WR Dez Bryant remains out with an ankle injury.
The Raiders are eager to establish a winning attitude while their perennial playoff contending opponents may have less to prove in the preseason. Also consider this StatFox system in your wagering:<P>
Play Against - Favorites of 3.5 to 10 points (DALLAS) - after 1 or more consecutive wins against the spread, in August games. (47-22 over the last 10 seasons.) (68.1%, +22.8 units. Rating = 2*).
NFLPS: Friday NFL Exhibition Action
Football bettors have the opportunity to wager on three more NFL Preseason games Friday night. Even if betting on preseason football isn’t your thing, it doesn’t hurt to pay attention to these games as you can gather important intel for your regular season wagers in addition to the numerous NFL futures offered. With that being said, let’s take a quick look at all three games on Friday’s NFL betting board; numbers courtesy of Sportsbook.com.
Jacksonville at Philadelphia Friday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Sportsbook.comLine: Philadelphia -3 Total: 33.5
The Eagles prepare for the first season of the post-Donovan McNabb era and will be putting their trust in the arm of Kevin Kolb, who filled in admirably for the injured McNabb last year. Kolb inherits an array of young targets in wide receivers Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson and tight end Brent Celek. Maclin (knee) and Jackson (back) have both missed practice time this preseason.
The Jaguars may have finished in last place in the highly competitive AFC South last season, but at 7-9 they were not far from making the playoffs. The Jags will have to improve upon a defense that ranked near the bottom in defending the pass. Offensively, David Garrard will try to build on the connection he established with wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker a year ago, while still relying heavily on the powerful legs of running back Maurice Jones-Drew.
The Jaguars have been successful on natural surfaces away from home. Consider this trend from StatFox: JACKSONVILLE is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) in road games in games played on a grass field since 1993. The average score was JACKSONVILLE 21.6, OPPONENT 18.1 - (Rating = 1*).
Also Eagles’ coach Andy Reid has been known to not take the early part of the preseason all that seriously: PHILADELPHIA is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in the first two weeks of the pre-season since 1993. The average score was PHILADELPHIA 15.5, OPPONENT 20.5.
Buffalo at Washington, Friday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Sportsbook.com Line: Washington -3 Total: 32.5
The Redskins camp, their first under two-time Super Bowl winning coach Mike Shanahan, has been one of the more intriguing ones so far. The saga of Albert Haynesworth, who finally passed his conditioning test, and the addition of Donovan McNabb to replace Jason Campbell, who is now in Oakland, has been fun to watch.
New Buffalo coach Chan Gailey is looking to Trent Edwards to lead his offense this season. Edwards will face competition from both Brian Brohm and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Whoever ends up as quarterback will be happy that the Bills finally came to terms with first round draft pick C.J. Spiller out of Clemson. The all-purpose back could have an immediate impact on the Bills, who have a long way to go to catch up to their division rivals in New England, New York and Miami. On the defensive side, it remains unclear whether the Bills will have the services of Aaron Schobel, who can’t seem to make up his mind about whether and where he wants to play.
The depth of competition at quarterback for Buffalo could result in some inspired offensive play throughout the game, keeping things close. BUFFALO is 2-0 against the spread at WASHINGTON since 1993.
Kansas City at Atlanta, Friday, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Sportsbook.com Line: Atlanta -3 Total: 34.5
The Chiefs have gone to the Patriot well once again, adding coordinators Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel, who were instrumental in bringing three Lombardi trophies to New England under Bill Belichick. Weis will be designing plays for Matt Cassel, whose numbers dipped last season, his first with the Chiefs, after enjoying remarkable success in 2008 filling in for the injured Tom Brady.
The Falcons missed the playoffs a year ago, but did post a respectable 9-7 record with second-year starter Matt Ryan under center. Atlanta’s porous pass defense will have to improve in order for them to compete for the division title with the defending Super Bowl champion Saints.
Ryan and the Falcons are out to prove that they are more like the team that made the playoffs two seasons ago than the one that played inconsistently in 2009, and that winning attitude could very well show itself in the preseason.
The following StatFox Power Trend illustrates the road struggles of the Chiefs: KANSAS CITY is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) as a road underdog of 3 points or less since 1993. The average score was KANSAS CITY 13.6, OPPONENT 21.8 - (Rating = 1*).
Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
