It’s real live NFL football. And not a moment too soon.
The NFL preseason is here
The exhibition season is finally here. Sure, it’s just a taste of the real thing, but there’s a reason the NFL is the undisputed champion of the North American sports gaming scene. We’ve been watching the combines, analyzing the draft and finally putting our law degrees to good use. We’re ready to bet on some football.
There are two exhibition games coming up on Thursday and another four on Friday. The game drawing the most attention features the defending Super Bowl champions, the Indianapolis Colts, in Dallas to play the Cowboys. Any preseason trends you have for the Cowboys have to be revisited now that Wade Phillips has taken over for Bill Parcells. Well, except for one: the Under is 8-1 for Dallas in its last nine preseason openers. That trend has ample opportunity to continue, as both Phillips and Parcells are respected for their work on defense.
As is customary in Week 1 of the preseason, the starting units will be making brief cameo appearances on Thursday. Phillips says quarterback Tony Romo and the rest of the top unit will be out of the game after the first quarter. Colts head coach Tony Dungy says he wants QB Peyton Manning to take the first 10-15 snaps before hitting the showers. Indianapolis has a clear advantage in QB bench strength, but with all those would-be NFL players wilting in the 100-degree heat at Texas Stadium, watch out for both teams to go ultra-conservative with their play calls, making the Under even sexier. The total had already dipped from 36 at the open to 34 at press time. Dallas was favored by 4½ points.
Thursday’s other contest sees the Cincinnati Bengals visiting the Detroit Lions, with Detroit favored by two points. Once again, the Under looks like a strong play as Lions coach Rod Marinelli puts his stamp on the team’s defense. The Under went 3-1 in exhibition games and carried that success into Week 1 of the regular season before the Lions unraveled. The Under is now on an 8-3 preseason roll for Detroit.
The Bengals threw bettors for a loop by winning all four exhibition games SU and ATS last year; after last year’s legal problems, expect coach Marvin Lewis to run an even tighter ship from the start.
Friday’s slate includes one of those quirky games where one of the teams is already playing its second game of the preseason. The New Orleans Saints lost 20-7 to the Pittsburgh Steelers at last Sunday’s Hall of Fame Game. That gave New Orleans a head start on their next opponents, the Buffalo Bills, in preparing for the regular season.
However, the Saints (-5½ versus Buffalo) are expected to play Friday’s game as if it were the preseason opener, with the starters limited to the first quarter. New Orleans coach Sean Payton and Buffalo coach Dick Jauron both appear disinterested in winning exhibition contests, but playing in the Superdome does put some pressure on the Saints to perform.
Yes, sometimes a preseason game is about winning. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is a stern taskmaster in Week 1, going 7-0-1 ATS as he makes sure his teams are prepared as much as possible for battle. This year the Pats are deep at nearly every position on the field; we’ll see that come into play as New England visits the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2½).
Atlanta Falcons coach Bobby Petrino should also be somewhat motivated to squeeze a win out of his team this Friday. This is Petrino’s NFL debut after achieving great success with the Louisville Cardinals. He brings a much more businesslike approach to Atlanta than predecessor Jim Mora, and he’s got a lot of work to do now that quarterback Michael Vick is not with the team. A win in Jersey against the New York Jets (-3½) would be a confidence-building measure for Petrino, the Falcons and their beleaguered fans.
Rounding out the pre-weekend slate, the St. Louis Rams are at the Minnesota Vikings (-2½). The Rams went 0-4 ATS during last year’s exhibition season, and this year’s camp has been held in sweltering conditions. Minnesota was 3-1 ATS last year and 7-3 in its last 10 preseason contests, but has an offense that only a mother could love. The Under was also 3-1 for the Vikings last year.
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NFL preseason is here
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