This is a 10* on DENVER

The Broncos won the Hall of Fame Game, coming from behind to defeat Atlanta 14-10. But they haven't won since. It's been three straight losses and they haven't scored more than 15 points in game. While that may not sound like a rousing endorsement, luckily they'll face a downtrodden Arizona team here. The Cardinals haven't done much in the preseason either nor should they be expected to do much in the regular season. Like Denver, the Cards won their first preseason game, but haven't won since. Last week they could manage only nine points in a loss to Minnesota. Rookie Kyler Murray has struggled. But the defense could be a greater concern as it has given up 366 yards/game including 166 on the ground, which is the most any team has allowed. They've sustained some injuries too; on both sides of the ball. Denver has an ongoing battle for the backup QB job, which means there's motivation. Drew Lock will get the start, followed by Brett Rypien and Kevin Hogan. With a rookie head coach (Vic Fangio) looking to impress the home crowd, that's another reason the Broncos will care more. Play on DENVER

AAA

This is an 8* play on NEW ORLEANS

Were these teams to play in the regular season, the line would obviously be a lot higher. While we're not getting nearly the same Saints team here, we'll still gladly lay the points. The Saints' backups looked pretty impressive in last week's 28-13 win over the Jets. Miami is very likely to be the worst team in the league this year. So a game featuring nothing but their reserves figures to be a very unimpressive performance. The Dolphins have yet to decide on a starting QB for the regular season. It will end up being either Josh Rosen or Ryan Fitzpatrick, neither of whom figures to perform well for a bad team. The Saints backup QBs - Taysom Hill and Teddy Bridgewater - figure to do a better job here than their Miami counterparts. The Saints ran for over 300 yards in the first two preseason games and should be effective doing that again here. Play on NEW ORLEANS

AAA

This is an 8* play on CAROLINA

Carolina has been bet from favorite to underdog in this final preseason matchup and we don't have the foggiest idea why. It's not like Pittsburgh has any special motivation to win tonight. Sure, a win tonight would mean a perfect 4-0 preseason for the Black & Gold, but it's not like that means anything. The last two weeks have brought low-scoring victories over Kansas City (17-7) and Tennessee (18-6). We don't expect much more in the way of scoring from Pittsburgh here, so laying points with them isn't a great idea. They haven't been favored since failing to cover against Tampa Bay in the first preseason game. The Panthers got a scare last week with Cam Newton hurting his ankle in an ugly 10-3 loss to New England. Newton should still be good to go for the regular season opener, but the rest of the team will be motivated here to erase the memory of last week's poor effort. Play on CAROLINA

AAA

This is a 10* play on the UNDER

Don't look for much in the way of scoring in this preseason finale between the Vikings and Bills. One of these teams is going to finish its preseason unbeaten. But what we see on the field Thursday won't resemble what we've seen in each team's first three games. Minnesota has been especially aggressive in scoring 26.3 points/game, but they've made their point and are going to be content to "go through the motions" here. The same rings true for Buffalo, who has scored at least 24 points in all three of its games, all of which have gone Over. Tyree Jackson is expected to take all the snaps at QB for the Bills and so far the rookie has completed only 33 percent of his pass attempts. So look for Buffalo's offense to struggle in what should be an ugly game overall. Play UNDER Minnesota-Buffalo

AAA

This is a 10* Play on Tennessee

Look for the Titans to handle their business at home in this preseason affair. This will be their last home game before the regular season. Last week they lost to New England 22-17 as three-point favorites. There's a very real QB competition here in Tennessee with Marcus Mariota trying to hold off Ryan Tannehill. Both will be motivated to look good in this dress rehearsal game. Pittsburgh is 2-0, coming off two wins at home. They beat Tampa 30-28 and Kansas City 17-7. They're feeling pretty comfortable heading into the regular season and really have nothing to prove here. The Titans did win the preseason opener, 27-10 over the Eagles, and should have a performance more closely resembling that one with starters playing longer this week. Look for Tennessee to move to 14-6-1 ATS their L21 preseason home games. Play on TENNESSEE

AAA

This is a 10* play on the JETS

Given how the Saints tend to treat these preseason affairs, we're not sure why they are now road favorites against the Jets. New Orleans did win last week's game, 19-17 over the Chargers, but it was hardly an impressive effort as they had to rally late from a 17-3 second half deficit. Needless to say, the Chargers best defensive players weren't on the field when the comeback took place. Now the Jets' first-teamers won't be out their late either, but whomever is should at least be able to hold a lead. This is the Jets' first official home game under Adam Gase, though they did play the Giants here at the Meadowlands in Week 1 and lost 31-22. Things went better last week in a 22-10 win over Atlanta, but Gase is still probably focused on getting that first win in front of the Jets faithful. New Orleans is on a much shorter week here with two less days to prepare. Though the Jets offense hasn't looked great thus far, starters are going to play more this week. That includes center Ryan Kalil, who will be making his debut. The Saints were lucky to win last week. They won't be so lucky here as they drop to 0-6 ATS their last six preseason affairs. Play on the JETS

AAA

This is a 10* play on the OVER

If you're wondering why the spread for this early game on Saturday has jumped so high, well, it probably has to do with the fact that Minnesota is leading all teams this preseason with an average of 433 yards/game. They've covered against both New Orleans and Seattle, but we're not about to lay this many points. But the total is still there, ripe to be exploited, in light of the Vikings offensive success so far. Arizona is banged up in the secondary and will start the year without both of its starting cornerbacks as Patrick Peterson is suspended. In other words, the Vikings should continue to pile up yards and points. Look for the Cardinals to follow their lead though as rookie coach Kliff Kingsbury isn't about to take his foot off the gas pedal with his starters likely playing the entire first half of this one. The Cardinals did score 26 points last week in Oakland, but also gave up 33, so we're looking for another shootout on Saturday afternoon. Play OVER Arizona-Minnesota 

AAA

This is a 10* on TAMPA BAY

As if it weren't already patently obvious, the Browns are officially now this year's "trendy" team with their appearance on this week's cover of Sports Illustrated. Bettors have actually lined up to bet against the Browns in each of the first two weeks of preseason, but both times that proved to be ill-advised. Cleveland is 2-0 with wins over Indianapolis and Washington. The public has taken notice, betting the Browns to road favorites for this week's tilt with Tampa Bay, who won but did not cover last week in Bruce Arians' home debut. Interestingly enough, the Bucs rallied late in both games so far. The first week, they did not win, but did steal the cover in Pittsburgh. Starters see their most action in the third game, which may seem to favor the Browns here, but don't disregard how hard Tampa Bay has been playing late in these games. They've ended up outgaining both previous opponents, something that the Browns can't say as they were outgained last week. Four turnovers aided them in the Washington game as well. Look for the Bucs to play cleaner and harder and to move to 6-1-1 ATS their last eight preseason contests. Play on TAMPA BAY

AAA

This is an 8* play on OVER Jacksonville-Miami

It has not been a good start to the preseason in Jacksonville. After being shut out 29-0 by Baltimore in the first game, things didn't go much better in a 24-10 loss to Philadelphia last week. But with this being the dress rehearsal game, we'll start to get a better feel for what the Jaguars have to offer. Coach Doug Marrone has gone on record as saying almost all starters will play Thursday, most notably QB Nick Foles. So you can expect more points here than the 10 total the Jags have scored the first two games. Miami is a team that's rebuilding, but the players are looking to impress new coach Brian Flores. Last week, the Dolphins lost 16-14 in Tampa Bay. But they were a lot better in the first home game, beating Atlanta 34-27. With a QB competition very much alive (Josh Rosen vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick), the Dolphins will have someone under center looking to score points virtually the entire game. Fitzpatrick will start. Rosen has led five scoring drives against backup defenses in the first two games. Play OVER Jacksonville-Miami

AAA

This is a 10* on the OVER

For Denver, this is the third preseason game, so they've had a chance to work out the kinks. Well, at least in theory. The Broncos have scored just 14 points in each game, winning one and losing one. It was the Hall of Fame Game they won, thanks to a late touchdown. They weren't as fortunate last Thursday in Seattle. Again, they scored a late TD though. The Broncos had a lot more yards in the second game (298 vs. 188), which is a positive sign. As for the 49ers, they were 17-9 winners over Dallas in their only game. They scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to "steal" the win. Even though neither team has shown much penchant for scoring thus far, we like this one to go Over the total. Starters will play more this week than we've seen previously. There's also depth at quarterback. Denver has Drew Lock (17-28 for 180 yards) and Kevin Hogan to backup Joe Flacco. The 49ers have Nick Mullens and CJ Beathard, both of whom started regular season games last year in the wake of the Jimmy Garoppolo injury. Play OVER San Francisco-Denver 

AAA

This is a 10* on the RAMS

We know the Rams basically showed up to Oakland only because they had to last week, turning in a non-existent effort in a 14-3 loss to the Raiders. But the line for this week's game with Dallas (in Hawaii) has jumped the fence and moved dramatically more than what you typically see for any NFL contest - regular season or preseason. It's opened up some nice value on the Rams as their opponents this week, the Cowboys, haven't won a preseason game since 2017. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett has a 12-22 SU record in the preseason, so him being bet to the role of favorite seems confusing. Rams coach Sean McVay didn't play a single starter last week. Because of the poor effort, we're likely to see some this week, even if it's not the Pro Bowlers. Dallas didn't score a touchdown in its preseason opener. QB Dak Prescott may be limited here due to injuries on the offensive line. Ezekiel Elliott remains a hold out and WR Amari Cooper is injured. Take advantage of this line move, which makes no sense. Play on LA RAMS

AAA

This is a 10* on the UNDER

Both teams games went Over last week. Miami beat Atlanta 34-27 while Tampa Bay lost to Pittsburgh 30-28. The Bucs actually outgained the Steelers by 130 total yards and had 12 more first downs, but had to score two late touchdowns just to cover the spread. Backup QB Ryan Griffin threw for 330 yards, which seems pretty incredible, but most of that was garbage time as he directed the two scoring drives (both 65+ yards) in the final five minutes. Also incredible was Josh Rosen's performance in Week 1 as he threw for 191 yards and led three Miami scoring drives. These kind of numbers shall not be repeated here, however, as we look for both defenses to show up with some pride and atone for last week's miserable efforts. Griffin had the big numbers last week for the Bucs, but the primary backup Blaine Gabbert led the offense to just three points in four drives. Play the UNDER

AAA

This is a 10* on the GIANTS

The Giants certainly looked impressive in the first preseason game. They racked up over 400 yards in the annual tussle with the Jets, which they won 31-22. Perhaps most notable was rookie QB Daniel Jones leading the offense into the end zone on his only drive. If not for a weather delay, Jones very well may have stayed in the game longer. Regardless, it was still a much better showing than what the Bears delivered in their preseason opener. They lost to Carolina 23-13 at home. QB Mitchell Trubisky also played just a series, but accomplished nothing as it was a three-and-out with all handoffs. Trubisky isn't likely to see a ton of action in Friday's game either. Jones will likely play more for the Giants. For Chicago, there just aren't many positional battles (outside of kicker!) and thus the reserves won't be as motivated. Going into the regular season as healthy as possible is priority #1 in the Windy City. The Giants will want this one more. They are 5-2-1 ATS their last eight preseason games. Play on NEW YORK

AAA

This is a 10* on ATLANTA

The Falcons have played two games, but have zero wins as they dropped the Hall of Fame Game to Denver, 14-10, and then lost 34-27 to Miami last week in a sloppy effort. That makes it 10 straight preseason losses under Dan Quinn, which might seem to demonstrate a whole new level of apathy towards these preseason affairs. However, with Matt Ryan scheduled to take a few snaps this week (his 1st action of the preseason), we are expecting a more inspired effort as the Falcons play at home for the first time. They led the HOF Game with under two minutes to play, but a Matt Schaub interception led to the game winning score for Denver. Last week, it was tied going into the final two minutes. So both games have seen Atlanta lose late. Schaub looked better last week (172 yards), which is important seeing as Ryan won't be on the field long. The Jets lost last week as the defense gave up 31 points and over 400 yards to the Giants. Adam Gase chose to rest a number of his starters and the same should hold true again this week. We believe that the Falcons are really eager to snap this preseason losing streak of theirs. Play on ATLANTA

AAA

This is a 10* play on the UNDER

Lots of star players won't see the field at all in this one - for both teams. While that's not unusual for the preseason, here the absences will be a little more noticeable. 49ers quarterback Garoppolo is still working his way back from an ACL injury, so he won't play at all. Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard will be taking the majority of the snaps instead. Their receiver group has not looked all that great in camp. Dallas never treats the preseason too seriously, so we should see even less of their star players. They averaged only 10.7 points/game in the preseason last year and lost all four games. The Under is 25-9 their last 34 preseason road games. Play UNDER Dallas-San Francisco

AAA

This is a 10* on MINNESOTA

The Vikings will never forget their 2017 playoff win over the Saints. A Google search of "The Miracle of Minneapolis" will quickly remind you of what transpired there. The Saints did gain a measure of revenge by coming here last year and winning a regular season game 30-20, but once again their season ended in heartbreak thanks to some questionable officiating in the NFC Championship Game. New Orleans plays host to the latest Vikings-Saints tussle and far less is on the line compared to two years ago as it's only preseason. That means no Drew Brees for the Saints (hasn't taken a preseason snap since 2016) and little of Kirk Cousins for the Vikings. But we look for the Purple People Eaters to get the job done Friday as the Saints are unlikely to take this game very seriously. NO has failed to cover all four preseason home games the last two years. The two years before that saw them go a combined 0-8 in preseason games. Play on MINNESOTA

AAA

This is a 10* on SEATTLE

Our favorite play on the Thursday NFLX card is Seattle, who is now GETTING points at most shops for some reason. Denver did win the Hall of Fame Game, but was largely unimpressive in doing so. They got a late turnover and converted it into a game-winning touchdown with less than 90 seconds left. Prior to that, the Broncos offense had gained just 150 total yards. Seattle was winless in the preseason last year, so expect them to be motivated. Last year aside, Pete Carroll has been a great bet in these preseason games, going 22-14 SU including three perfect years, the most recent coming in 2017. This game is in Seattle, so the Seahawks ought to be more motivated to win one in front of the fans. We just don't think the Denver QB situation is very good right now behind Joe Flacco and quite honestly, we're not sure Flacco is any good. The Seahawks have strong group of running backs, which means they should be able to move the ball throughout the game, no matter whom is in at quarterback. Play on SEATTLE

AAA

This is an 8* play on CLEVELAND

Few teams come into the 2019 season with more hype than the Browns. When's the last time anyone said that? But given how the team improved over the 2nd half of the 2018 season and the addition of Odell Beckham Jr (plus several key additions on the defensive side of the ball), the optimism surrounding the team is probably justified. Freddie Kitchens was largely credited with the improvement we saw from QB Baker Mayfield throughout his rookie season and that earned him the head coaching job. Tonight is Kitchens' 1st home game as Browns coach. It comes against a Redskins team that has more questions than answers right now. We're not sure what the reason is for the substantial swing in the line here, but there's definitely value on the Browns now. Washington doesn't really have a starting QB right now as the job will go to either Colt McCoy or Case Keenum before rookie Dwayne Haskins eventually takes over. The Browns have won 7 of their 8 preseason games the last two years and will be motivated to win this one for Kitchens. Play on CLEVELAND

AAA

This is an 8* play on the OVER

Baltimore's preseason prowess under Jim Harbaugh is well documented. They've gone a perfect 9-0 straight up the last two years, including a win in the 2018 Hall of Fame Game. So it's not a surprise they're laying more than you usually see this time of year. But what is surprising is how low the total is. It doesn't take much for a game to go Over a number this low, so we're taking full advantage. Lamar Jackson won't play much for the Ravens, leaving the QB duties to Trace McSorley and Joe Callahan. The Ravens averaged 25.4 points/game in the preseason last year. These teams practiced against one another during the week, so there's some familiarity. Jacksonville has a good defense, but don't expect to see much of the top talent on the field Thursday. Same for QB Nick Foles on offense. Foles was acquired to help resurrect an offense that was last in the league in points per game last year. The Jags offense should be a little motivated here to show improvement. Play OVER Jacksonville-Baltimore

AAA

This is an 8* play on ATLANTA

As per usual, the NFL season kicks off in Canton with the Hall of Fame Game. This year's participants are Denver and Atlanta, two teams coming off losing seasons and hoping for better things in 2019. The Broncos made several major changes in the offseason with Vic Fangio replacing Vance Joseph as head coach and QB Joe Flacco being signed in free agency. The Falcons largely bring back the same group as last season. It's a pretty talented roster, one that should have better results this season. Being that the Falcons are 0-8 in the preseason the last two years, we expect them to be a little more motivated than the Broncos Thursday night. Starters won't see the field much, if at all, for either team. But Denver is still trying to figure things out under a new regime. With the line move, we're getting a good value on Atlanta, who top to bottom has a better roster. Denver did not tear it up in the preseason last either, going 0-4 ATS. Play on ATLANTA

AAA

This is a 10* ART OF WAR”on the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers opened as a 3-point dog (the line which we have), but it’s since gone up to a full 7 points. Regardless, we still love the Packers here. Green Bay comes in off a 51-34 thumping of the Steelers, while the Raider fell 19-14 to the Rams last week. Green Bay backup QB Brett Hundley is making the most of his time in the preseason, last week going 6 of 9 for 77 yards. TE Jimmy Graham made an appearance and hauled in a TD pass as well for the Pack. Green Bay QB DeShone Kizer had 108 yards and a TD additionally. Several starters sat out for the Raiders 19-15 road loss to the Rams last Saturday. Backup QB EJ Manuel was decent by going 10 of 16 for 89 yards. But this lack of chemistry from the starting unit leads to a major setback in front of the home town crowd in our opinion. Note that Oakland is just 1-3-1 ATS in its last five on grass, while Green Bay is 5-0-1 ATS in its last six preseason games. Green Bay has posted 82 points over the first two games and we have a hard time seeing the home side slowing the Pack down. Grab the points, play on GREEN BAY.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* NFLX GAME OF THE YEAR on the LA Chargers.

When we released this pick the Chargers were the underdog. Regardless, we think that this one favors the home side in a significant enough way to pull the trigger on a play of this magnitude. Both teams are 0-1. The Hawks fell by two at home to the Colts, while the Chargers lost 24-17 at Arizona. LA has a battle at the back-up QB position between Cardale Jones and Geno Smith. Jones was 6 of 12 for 50 yards, while Smith finished 14 of 23 for 218 yards, one TD and one INT. It’s the second pre-season game of the year, arguably the most meaningless of the entire thing. With a tough Week 3 matchup in Minnesota next weekend, we think the Hawks simply go through the motions today. After dropping their first game in Arizona, the Chargers have two games in a row at home, including next week’s Week 3 matchup against the Saints. No better time than now to get the momentum rolling in the correct direction. Lay the points, play on the CHARGERS.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* TOTAL ART OF THE GAME on the UNDER Lions/Raiders.

Expect to see a heavy dose of the back-ups and wannabe’s in this one. The Lions will not be playing starting QB Matt Stafford and the Raiders will not be starting Derek Carr. We think the door is being left wide open for each side’s defensive unit to shine. A great “situational” play on the UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* TOTAL OF THE MONTH on the OVER Colts/Seahawks. 

The NFL preseason, especially Game 1, is all about testing out new schemes, new players and getting accustomed to actually being on the field of play. This is a big season for both teams, who over the last couple of years have failed miserably to live up to expectations. Colts’ starting QB Andrew Luck is back healthy this year and it’s reported that he’ll see significant time in the first quarter. The Seahawks’ once vaunted defense is now a work in progress and Luck and company should have a pretty easy time today moving the ball against Seattle’s back-ups. This number is a little low, play the OVER.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* ATS SIDE WINNER on the Chicago Bears.

Anything can happen in the preseason. Baltimore’s backup QB’s in Lamar Jackson and Robert Griffin III look a lot better on paper than the Bears backup’s in Tyler Bray and Chase Daniel. But Chicago’s QB’s are backed by a strong run game this year in Tarik Cohen and Jordan Howard. The Bears also had the No. 10 defense last year. Both teams have plenty of new faces in the WR position, so we’ll call that area a “wash” for now. Baltimore’s strength will also lie on the defensive side this year. We think the BEARS strong run game, combined with their superior defense makes Chicago the correct call here. Grab the points.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* ART OF WAR on the Chicago Bears.

While we wouldn’t be shocked by an outright upset, we’re going to grab the points in a contest which we see being decided late. Tennessee comes in at 1-1. So too does Chicago. But we ultimately feel that the difference maker today will be Chicago’s potential regular season starting QB Mitch Trubisky, who is so far 18 for 25 for 166 yards, one TD and no INT’s thus far. Trubisky is expected to get most of the playing time today, which we feel will be a significant factor. Tennessee is also expected to give its starting QB Marcus Mariota plenty of time today, but he’s without his top two receivers in Corey Davis and Eric Decker. The Titans beat Carolina 34-27 last week and we think they’ll be more focused on trying to establish the run today (so as to limit any potential and completely unnecessary injury, as Mariota is coming back from major leg injury), as well as putting a much greater emphasis on the defensive side of the ball after last week’s near collapse after having a large early lead. This one has the feeling of more of a “chess match” than a “track meet,” where field position becomes critical in the final outcome. And in a scenario like that, we’re grabbing the points. Play on the BEARS.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* GAME OF THE WEEK on the Oakland Raiders.

While we obviously wouldn’t be shocked by an outright upset, we will in the end recommend grabbing as many points as you can as we look for the determined visiting side to at the very least, keep this one close enough to sneak in through the back door with the handful of points that it’s been afforded in this one. Starters are going to see most of the action today, however, backups and wannabe’s will also be seeing considerable time. Oakland though has yet to taste victory in the preseason (0-2), while Dallas is already 2-1. We feel the Raiders will have something to prove tonight as they look to get off the schneid. The Cowboys though won’t be as desperate and would really love to avoid any significant injuries more than anything else at this point. As mentioned off the top, we wouldn’t be surprised by an outright victory, but in the end we’re going to grab the points. Play on the RAIDERS.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* SIDE OF THE WEEK on the New Orleans Saints.

New Orleans is 0-1 SU/ATS after falling 20-14 at Cleveland in Week 1, while LA is also 0-1 SU/ATS after getting crushed 48-17 by Seattle last weekend. It’s impossible to go into precise player matchups in the preseason, as not even the head coaches know for sure how long starters and backups will play in each game. We’re primarily a stat and situationally based handicapping service anyways, so an approach like this is natural to us. Ultimately we think the Chargers get caught looking ahead to their Week 3 matchup against their new cross city rival, the LA Rams. It’s a weird dynamic for both teams and it’s a situation which we believe shouldn’t be overlooked this weekend either. It’s a perfect spot for New Orleans to bounce back in and then go back home for its Week 3 dress rehearsal against the Texans. While we wouldn’t be shocked by an outright upset, we will in the end recommend grabbing as many points as you can. Play on the SAINTS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Washington Redskins.

The Packers are 1-0 SU/ATS to open the preseason, while the Redskins are 0-1 SU/ATS. t’s impossible to go into precise player matchups in the preseason, as not even the head coaches know for sure how long starters and backups will play in each game. We’re primarily a stat and situationally based handicapping service anyways, so an approach like this is natural to us. With a win under their belts we think the the Packers simply go through the motions today as they look to avoid any serious injuries to their starters, but also to backups and wannabe’s as everyone gets prepared for the all important Week 3 “dress rehearsal.” Washington on the other hand will be much more motivated here after its embarrassing 23-3 loss to Baltimore on the road last week. This one simply means more to the REDSKINS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the KC Chiefs.

Kansas City is 0-1 SU/ATS and Cincinnati is 1-0 SU/ATS. It’s impossible to go into precise player matchups in the preseason, as not even the head coaches know for sure how long starters and backups will play in each game. We’re primarily a stat and situationally based handicapping service anyways, so an approach like this is natural to us. With a win under their belts we think the Bengals simply go through the motions today as they already start to focus on the all important Week 3 “dress rehearsal.” The Chiefs on the other hand will be the more motivated side after falling 27-17 to the 49ers last week. And to us, this is the difference maker. This one means more to the CHIEFS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Tennessee Titans.

Carolina is 1-0 SU/ATS and Tennessee is 0-1 SU/ATS. It’s impossible to go into precise player matchups in the preseason, as not even the head coaches know for sure how long starters and backups will play in each game. We’re primarily a stat and situationally based handicapping service anyways, so an approach like this is natural to us. With a win under their belts, we think the Panthers simply go through the motions today to avoid injury and get ready for the critical Week 3 “dress rehearsal.” Tennessee on the other hand really needs to get off the schneid with a better all around performance after a 7-3 loss to the Jets last week. We like the more motivated home side to pull away down the stretch for the comfortable ATS victory. Play on the TITANS.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* TOTAL ART OF THE GAME on the UNDER between the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks. 

It’s impossible to go into precise player matchups in the preseason, as not even the head coaches know for sure how long starters and backups will play in each game. We’re primarily a stat and situationally based handicapping service anyways, so an approach like this is natural to us. Minnesota comes in off a 17-10 win in Week 1 at Buffalo and now transitions to the West Coast for a late night contest. Week 3 is the all important “dress rehearsal” and the Vikes will finish up the preseason with both games at home. We think Minnesota simply goes through the motions tonight as it looks to avoid any serious injuries to its backup and wannabe’s. Seattle on the other hand is off a 48-17 rout of the LA Chargers. LA played no defense whatsoever, but with that high-scoring rout in the rear-view mirror, we think the shift back home will turn the focus onto the defensive side of the ball for the Seahawks. Seattle once again finished among the defensive leaders in almost every statistical category last year and the unit will be a strength of the team again this season. The Hawks host the Chiefs in Week 3, so it wouldn’t be surprising either to see the home side getting caught “looking ahead” to that much more important matchup. The many external factors working against both sides make the UNDER the savvy move in this contest.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* BIG TIGER on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bucs are 0-1 and the Jags are 1-0 in the preseason (both SU and ATS.) Looks like a prime spot for a letdown for Jacksonville though after a somewhat shocking win over the defending Super Bowl Champs in New England last week. Tampa fell 23-12 to Cincinnati and will be eager to get off the schneid with a better all around effort tonight. The Bucs have started to build around starting QB Jameis Winston with guys like DeSean Jackson, who will play opposite the dynamic Mike Evans. The defense actually looked good in the loss, allowing only 176 yards. The Jags played Week 1 like it was in fact the Superbowl. Backup QB Chad Henne had a highlight 97-yard scoring strike to Keelan Cole. There is some added incentive for Tampa this year though, as the team is being featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” The Bucs will be eager for a much better showing this time around. A great situational play in our opinion, as Jacksonville has a letdown and the BUCCANEERS leave it all on the line.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* GAME OF THE MONTH on the Seattle Seahawks.

The San Diego Chargers are now the LA Chargers. It’s been a weird offseason for veteran QB Philip Rivers, the coaching staff and everyone else involved in the organization. Rivers and gang will hope that a shift in venue will help kick-start the team as it would go on to finish a dismal 5-11 last year. Seattle was 10-5-1 last year in the regualr season and was 3-1 in the preseason (San Diego was just 1-3.) Seattle knows who will be under center in Week 1, so the focus falls onto backup wannabe’s Trevone Boykin and CJ Prosise (each will see a half today likely.) Focus for the Seahawks will also fall onto the RB position, with new-comer Eddie Lacy battling Thomas Rawls for the No. 1 spot. Seattle struggled without a strong running game last year, averaging just 22.1 PPG, but the defense was once again superb, allowing an average of just 18.2 PPG, ranked third overall. Both Rivers and RB Melvin Gordon are expected to see very limited to no time whatsoever in this one for the home side. The Chargers have a competition going on for backup QB as well between Kellen Clemens, Mike Bercovici and Cardale Jones. San Diego was decent offensively last year in averaging 25.6 PPG, but ranked 29th overall on the defensive end in conceding 26.4 PPG. Hawks’ coach Pete Carrol puts emphasis on the preseason. The Chargesr have a lot of outside external factors at play here and we think the organization comes in a bit flat in this meaningless preseason Week 1 contest. Play on the SEAHAWKS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the UNDER 49ers/Chiefs.

We don't subscribe to any single handicapping methodology, but instead feel that being flexible with ones approach is the best way to secure profits over the longterm. Sometimes we keep it simple, while other times we'll take into account numerous different factors, like motivation, scheduling and significant injuries. Recognizing classic "spot bets" is something we always do as well, IE: the "look ahead" spot, the "let down" spot and the "trap" game. One set of criteria which we always use when making our decisions are Against The Spread (ATS) statistics.

This particular play is based on a few different factors:

San Francisco struggled offensively last year and that will once again be a weak point for the 49ers this season as the team tries to nail down its No. 1 QB. KC knows who will be under center in Week 1, but will be focusing on the run game on the offensive side of the ball in the preseason. 

The bottom line: Both teams were decent defensively last year, especially KC. Arrowhead is a tough environment to play in and we have a hard-time seeing these back-ups producing much offense tonight. This number is just a little high, play the UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the UNDER Bucs/Bengals. 

We don't subscribe to any single handicapping methodology, but instead feel that being flexible with ones approach is the best way to secure profits over the longterm. Sometimes we keep it simple, while other times we'll take into account numerous different factors, like motivation, scheduling and significant injuries. Recognizing classic "spot bets" is something we always do as well, IE: the "look ahead" spot, the "let down" spot and the "trap" game. One set of criteria which we always use when making our decisions are Against The Spread (ATS) statistics.

This particular play is based on a few different factors:

Once again the starters will be seeing little to no time whatsoever in this one. The preseason offers teams a chance to work on weak areas, meaning each of these teams will be concentrating on the run while on offense, while also focusing on the defensive side of the ball.

The bottom line: All signs point to more of a “chess match” in this one, where field position will in the end likely determine the winner and in a scenario like that, we’ll take the UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the UNDER Steelers/Giants.

We don't subscribe to any single handicapping methodology, but instead feel that being flexible with ones approach is the best way to secure profits over the longterm. Sometimes we keep it simple, while other times we'll take into account numerous different factors, like motivation, scheduling and significant injuries. Recognizing classic "spot bets" is something we always do as well, IE: the "look ahead" spot, the "let down" spot and the "trap" game. One set of criteria which we always use when making our decisions are Against The Spread (ATS) statistics.

This particular play is based on a few different factors:

Neither Ben Roethlisberger nor Eli Manning will be playing at all tonight. In fact, almost all of the major key offensive players from both sides will be sitting. We have a hard time figuring out where the offense is going to come from. 

The bottom line: Looks like the defense’s will be the main story line in tomorrow’ summaries in this one. Play the UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* BIG TIGER on the Atlanta Falcons.

Miami has several injured players, including to starting QB Ryan Tannehill, a factor which made the Fish go out and sign retired QB Jay Cutler. Cutler will see a few snaps today before giving way to Matt Moore. To say the QB situation is “unsettled” for the Dolphins would be a bit of an understatement in our opinion. Additional Dolphin injuries also include RB Jay Ajayi and left guard Ted Larsen (Mike Pouncey is also banged up and out until at least Week 1 of the regular season.) ATL knows who it will have under center in Week 1, but Matt Ryan will see limited to no time whatsoever in this one (the same for every starter on both sides of the field.) WR Julio Jones is still recovering from foot surgery. RB’s Tevin Coleman and Devonte Freeman could both see a few touches. 

The bottom line: No game means less than Week 1 of the preseason, but we think this one means more to the Falcons. Atlanta will want to start the year off on the “right foot” after the epic OT Super Bowl collapse last season (we unfortunately had both the Falcons and the UNDER in that one, losing the side and total, but cashing our second straight Super Bowl SUPER TEASER.) ATL coach Dan Quinn will want to get his team a quick win and back into the right frame of mind, while the Dolphins clearly have more questions than answers right now. Play on the FALCONS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* SUPER TOTAL on the UNDER between the Houston Texans and the Carolina Panthers.

Houston finished No. 1 defensively last year, but struggled offensively. The Texans were ousted in the playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl winners New England Patriots last season, but they’ll have a new QB under center this year as the team tries to figure out if rookie DeShaun Watson will get the call over Tom Savage. The visitors have a QB battle going on, but the strength still lies on the defensive side of the ball. Houston is incredibly deep on the defensive side and we feel that that depth is going to play a big role in the final outcome tonight. Carolina went to the Superbowl in 2015/16, but in 2016/17 it missed the playoffs altogether. QB Cam Newton has a shoulder injury and isn’t expected to play in this one. RB Jon Stewart was a standout last year for the Panthers and should also be again this season. Carolina will be focusing on establishing rookie back Christian McCafferey throughout the preseason as well. The Panthers will also be looking to regain their form on the defensive side after a disastrous campaign in 2016/17. We think that too much has to go right for these offenses to combine to push this one over. Looks like the defense will be the main story in tomorrow’s summaries. Play the UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* BLOWOUT on the Arizona Cardinals.

This is a situationally based selection. The Cardinals finished 7-9 last year. Arizona had a poor preseason, finishing 1-3. The Cowboys went on to finish 13-3 in the regular season, but then fell 34-31 to Green Bay in the Wildcard round. Dallas was also just 1-3 in the preseason though. We think the Cowboys will once again be disinterested in the preseason this year, while clearly the Cards have many different things to work on after last season’s epic overall collapse. Playing in the Hall Of Fame Game means that you get one extra warm up and it’s a contest which we believe will mean more to Arizona. The Cards got off to a lousy start in the preseason a year ago and never recovered after that. The Cowboys are obviously the more complete team and will only be using the preseason to figure out a few missing pieces. The starters will see just a few snaps (if any at all) and we think this also proves beneficial for Arizona, as it will have many competitions going on up and down and on both sides of the field. We think the Cardinals play with fire to open the year. Play on ARIZONA.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* RED DRAGON on the Oakland Raiders.

Setting the scene: The fourth week of the NFL preseason is all about motivation. With the starters benched, Week 4 usually comes down to the coaching staff and not the players on the field. Both of these teams should be in the playoff mix at the end of the year, but we think Seattle is going to simply to go through the motions tonight.

Seattle: It’s 2-1 so far in the preseason, including winning its all important Week 3 matchup in a 27-17 victory over the Cowboys. 

Oakland: It’s just 1-2 so far in the preseason, including getting destroyed in its all important week 3 matchup in a 27-14 setback to the Titans. 

The bottom line: No need to overthink this one. The Raiders have more to work on in Week 4 than the Seahawks do and also have the extra added motivation in playing their final tune-up game in front of the home town crowd. Play on OAKLAND.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Setting the scene: Cincinnati is 1-1 in the preseason, including a satisfying 30-14 win at Detroit last Thursday. The Jaguars though are winless and we’re expecting the team to play with some passion tonight and to find a way to get the job done once it’s all said and done.

The Bengals: Cincinnati starting QB Andy Dalton looked good last week, going 7 of 9 for 78 yards, while backup AJ McCarron was 10 of 15 for 95 yards and a TD. Note that the visitors will once again be without the services of starting TE Tyler Eifert, out since May with an ankle issue. 

The Jaguars: It’s a big year for Jacksonville, which hasn’t finished with a winning record or made the playoffs since 2007. This is a team on the rise, with talents like QB Blake Bortles and receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. Bortles has completed 14 of 18 passes for 190 yards and two TD’s so far in the preseason and he’s expected to see a bunch of time tonight as well.

The bottom line: The winless home side is filled with younger players, meaning that this contest likely “means” a lot more to them. The Bengals are largely a veteran club, so a win or loss today is completely meaningless to them. Play on JACKSONVILLE.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Arizona Cardinals.

Setting the scene: The Cards are 0-2 to open the preseason, while the Texans are 2-0. The preseason is completely meaningless, but we think that Arizona will be the hungrier of these two teams as it looks to finally break into the win column.

Arizona: Expect head coach Bruce Arians to leave his starting QB Carson Palmer in a bit longer than usual this week as he looks to get the offense untracked. Backup QB Drew Stanton is viewed upon by many as being the best No. 2 in the league, but he hasn’t turned many heads yet either. 

Houston: DE JJ Watt will not be playing. Brock Osweiler has looked decent, but not great so far for his new team. Houston is already a sexy dark horse pick for many, but we’re going to caution in reading too much into a couple of decent preseason contests. 

The bottom line: We think the intensity in which the CARDINALS play with today turns out to be the difference in the end. 

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the OVER between the San Diego Chargers and the Minnesota Vikings.

Setting the scene: San Diego is 1-1 while Minnesota is 2-0 so far in the preseason. Both teams though come in off Week 2 victories, as the Chargers handled the Cardinals 19-3, while the Vikes scored an impressive 18-11 road win over Seattle. So far these teams have looked great defensively, but we’re expecting each to open up the playbook tonight as they focus on the offensive side of things.

San Diego: The Chargers will surely be looking to kick their offense into gear this week, last weekend they scored 12 of their 19 points via the field goal. But starters Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates are both expected to see time today after getting held out last week. That’s clearly going to have a positive effect on the offensive side of things. 

Minnesota: The Vikings also held out their starting QB Teddy Bridgewater last week, but he’s also expected to see extensive time tonight. We look for the home side to give their No. 1 guy plenty of opportunity to air it out tonight (note that backup QB Shaun Hill was effective in the win over the Seahawks, converting on 10 of 17 passes for 129 yards). 

The bottom line: The preseason is all about working on certain “areas.” Both teams clearly will be looking to jump-start their offenses this week and we think that’s going to result in this total eclipsing the posted number as the game comes down the stretch. Play the OVER.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* TOP TOTAL on the OVER between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Indianapolis Colts.

Setting the scene: Philadelphia is 2-0 in the preseason, but will look to jump-start it’s offense this week after beating Tampa Bay 17-9 in Week 1 and then shutting out the Steelers 17-0 last weekend. Indianapolis is 1-1 so far, winning 19-18 in Buffalo in Week 1 and then falling by the identical score to the Ravens last week. Neither team has been lighting up the scoreboard, but we think that changes in Week 3.

The Eagles: So far Philadelphia has been getting the job done with defensive play, but we think the Eagles’ will have their hands full with a Colts team focused on the offensive side of things. As mentioned above, clearly the Eagles will be looking to open up the playbook offensively this week after back-to-back sub-par outings.

The Colts: Andrew Luck got his first playing time last week and made the most of it, completing all eight of his passes on his lone series. Ultimately Indianapolis was done in by eight penalties while on offense for 96 yards. Of injury concern, both Darius Butler and Jalil Brown missed last week due to hamstring and foot injuries and each is expected to be out of an already banged up secondary this evening as well. 

The bottom line: Luck had a sub-par season a year ago and he’ll be playing with a chip on his shoulder this year. The Eagles have already proven they can play defensively, so look for the club to switch gears this week and put added emphasis onto the offensive side of the ball. Play the OVER.

AAA Sports 

This is a 10* NFC TOTAL OF THE WEEK on the UNDER between the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers.

Setting the scene: Green Bay is 2-0 and San Francisco is 1-1 in the preseason so far. It’s Week 3, meaning that the starters are supposed to see the most action today and while some may be expecting a shootout, we’re not. In our opinion, all signs point to some sloppy offensive play and more of a “chess match,” where field position and ball control become paramount.

The Packers: Last week the Green Bay offense posted 277 total yards, which included 145 on the ground. Eddie Lacy carried the ball nine times for 45 yards and a TD. Aaron Rodgers is expected to see his first playing time of the preseason tonight, but the pro bowler won’t be out there too long. The Packers have looked decently defensively so far, last week they had two INT’s while allowing Oakland just 187 total yards. 

San Francisco: The QB battle will continue this week between Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick. Jeff Driskel and now Christian Ponder will be fighting for the third spot. Switching QB’s every quarter does not seem to be the best strategy in trying to gain any type of offensive consistency. Clearly the 49ers could care less if they win this game, this is a team which still has many kinks to iron out before the regular season gets underway. 

The bottom line: Neither Kaepernick or Rodgers has taken a single snap this year, so everything points to special teams and the defenses taking the lime-light this evening. In our professional opinion, this number is just a little bit high, play the UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* TOP TOTAL on the UNDER between the Atlanta Falcons and the Miami Dolphins.

Setting the scene: Both teams come in off higher-scoring shootouts in Week 2, as Atlanta handled Cleveland 24-13, while Miami was blown out 41-14 by Dallas. Week 3 means that the starters on both sides of the ball will see the majority of the action today and we think that each side’s defense and special teams will be the main story lines in tomorrow’s summaries.

The Falcons: QB Matt Ryan was 6 of 11 for 78 yards in last week’s win over the Browns, while backup Matt Scaub was 8 of 12 for 78 yards. Third-string pivot Matt Simms was 10 of 13 for 136 yards and a TD. Expect the visitors to hit the ground game hard once again this week though as they had tremendous success with the run against Cleveland, totaling 225 yards in all. Devonta Freeman had 42 yards on ten carries and a TD. 

The Dolphins: QB Ryan Tannehill was one of the lone bright spots in last week’s setback to the Cowboys, he’d finish 12 of 20 for 162 yards and two TD’s. Note that Miami averaged just 19.4 points per game in 2015, ranking it 27th overall.

The bottom line: The preseason is all about focusing on problems that need to be worked out before Week 1. Miami was terrible against the run last year, so it has a big opportunity to work on that issue vs. a Falcons team which will be committed to the ground throughout this one. The home side will also be eager to erase the stench of last week’s pathetic defensive effort from memory with a concerted effort on that side of the ball. When you add it all up, we feel this number is just a little bit high, play the UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* ART OF WAR on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Setting the scene: We jumped on this line early in the week and got Kansas City at +3 and it’s since come down to closer to +1, but regardless, we love the Chiefs to assert themselves this evening after letting their Week 1 contest slip away on a no-time left on the clock heave by the Seahawks. LA on the other hand is primed for a letdown tonight after it stormed back from a 24-7 halftime deficit to beat the Cowboys 28-24 last weekend.

The Chiefs: Despite losing 17-16 at home on a 37-yard pass from Trevone Boykin to Tanner McEvoy with no time left on the clock, the Chiefs pretty much dominated the Seahawks in every category last week. Backup QB Nick Foles is expected to see considerable time today and he’ll be a difference maker tonight in our professional opinion.

The Rams: Case Keenum has been named the starter, so the pressure is off first-round pick Goff, who struggled mightily last week. Keenum was 6 of 7 for 58 yards, but it was Sean Mannion who picked up the slack by going 18 of 25 for 147 yards and three TD’s. LA looked poor on the defensive end and we think it’ll have its hands full with this dynamic Chiefs offense today as well.

The bottom line: KANSAS CITY is the much more motivated team today, grab the points.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* TOTAL OF THE WEEK on the UNDER between the Carolina Panthers and the Tennessee Titans.

Setting the scene: Carolina dropped its opener 22-19 at Baltimore last week, while Tennesse would throttle San Diego by a score of 27-10. For a number of different situational reasons, we’re expecting this total to sneak UNDER the posted number tonight.

The Panthers: Despite it only being Week 2 of the preseason, the Panthers will be looking to earn a win today after a somewhat sloppy overall performance vs. the Ravens. The team though will clearly already be preparing for its all important Week 3 contest, the dress rehearsal for the “real thing.” Both Cam Newtown and backup Derek Anderson looked solid last week, but the run game struggled, with second stringer Cameron Artis-Payne rushing for only 10 yards off five carries and Brandon Weher going for only 13 yards on ten carries. We’re expecting the visitors to concentrate on the run while on offense today.

The Titans: This would seem like a predictable letdown spot for Tennessee, after the big Week 1 victory and before the Week 3 contest, we believe that the home side is going to simply go through the motions this evening. Tennessee got big production from starting QB Marcus Mariota and RB DeMarco Murray last week, but they’ll see little (if any) playing time today. The home side will also be looking to establish the run today while on offense, expect to see a heavy dose of backup Derick Henry, who had 74 yards off ten carries last week.

The bottom line: We think these disinterested teams come out flat and expect this total to go UNDER the total once the final whistle sounds.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the UNDER between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Diego Chargers.

Setting the scene: A great situational play in our opinion. Both teams come off high-scoring blowout losses. Week 2 is normally one of the most meaningless contests, but after sub-par Week 1 performances, we’re expecting these sides to tighten things up across the board, all of which we predict will cause this game to fall below the posted number once the smoke clears at the end of the night.

The Cards: Arizona dropped its opener 31-10 to Oakland. RB and 2015 first round draft pick DJ Humphries struggled. QB Carson Palmer was 3 of 5 for 38 years in limited action. He will see little (if any), tonight as well. Backup QB Drew Stanton didn’t see much time either, finishing with 42 yards. Third stringer Matt Barkley was 8 of 24 for 121 yards and an INT. 

The Chargers: San Diego fell 27-10 to the Titans. Perhaps the biggest bright spot was RB Kenneth Farrow, who finished with 60 yards on 16 carries. QB Philip Rivers completed two of three passes for 64 yards and a TD. Backups Kelvin Clemens and third-stringer Zach Mettenberger struggled for the most part.

The bottom line: Note that the under is 4-0 in San Diego’s last four home games. Both team’s had major troubles offensively last weekend and we don’t see that trend changing in such a short period of time. Play the UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the UNDER between the Miami Dolphins and the Dallas Cowboys.

Setting the scene: Week’s 2 and 4 are the most meaningless in the preseason. We think these teams simply go through motions today as they each prepare for the all important Week 3 “dress rehersal.” 

Miami: The Dolphins come in off a satisfying 27-10 win at the Giants last week. Backup QB Matt Moore was 10 of 14 for 122 yards, a TD and a pick. But the focus on offense today will be at the RB position, Miami signed Arian Foster a few weeks ago and while he didn’t play last week, he could this time around as he battles Jay Ajayi for the starters job. The Dolphins struggled with run defense last week, but head coach Adam Gase says the starters will get more time tonight.

Dallas: The Cowboys are coming off a 28-24 loss to the Rams in LA. After that high-scoring shootout, we’re expecting a much more conservative game from the home side in this one. Backup QB Dak Prescott was a bright spot, going 10 of 12 for 139 yards and two TD’s. 

The bottom line: Miami’s first team offense looked shaky last week and it should have its hands full again today in this crazy venue. Both teams put a bunch of points on the board last week, but we think everything points to a lower-scoring UNDER this time around.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Washington Redskins.

Setting the scene: Ultimately we think that New York will simply go through the motions today as it looks ahead to the all important Week 3 of the presason.

New York: The Jets opened the preseason with a satisfying 17-13 home win over Jacksonville last Thursday and suffice it to say, we’re expecting a classic “letdown” tonight. New York held out several starters in that game, including RB Matt Forte and defensive starts Muhammad Wilkerson and Darrelle Revis. None of these players is expected to suit up today either. New York got good production from its QB’s, but we can expect to see a heavy dose of Bryce Petty today. 

Washington: The only week that team’s really care about in the preseason is Week 3, but after falling 23-17 in Atlanta last week, the Redskins are going to be the “hungrier” side today. Ultimately it was 14 penalties for 123 yards which did Washington in. 

The bottom line: We think Jay Gruden will be much more prepared in Week 2 and with an opportunity to get a win in front of the home town crowd, we’re expecting the coach to open up the playbook. Kirk Cousins is expected to see more time than Ryan Fitzpatrick today, which is also a major factor working in our favor. We’re laying the points and backing the determined home side, play on WASHINGTON.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* WEEK 2 BIG TIGER TOTAL on the OVER between the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks.

Setting the scene: If you had the Seahawks in Week 1, you have to be feeling pretty “lucky,” as the team would use a “no time left on the clock hail-mary” and a 2-point conversion to steal one 17-16 at Kansas City. Minnesota comes in off an identical score victory, besting Cincinnati 17-16 last weekend. Both teams went UNDER the number in their openers, but we’re expecting each to open up the playbook today and for these backup QB’s to push this one OVER the total once it’s all said and done.

The Vikes: Teddy Bridgewater completed six of his seven passes for a total of 92 yards and a TD in his limited action last week. First round pick Laquon Treadwell was also dominant, catching four passes for 41 yards. Expect the offense to once again air it out today as star RB Adrian Peterson will likely not play a single snap in the preseason (as per usual). Minnesota finished in the middle of the pack offensively this year, so we’re expecting the team to put an added emphasis on that side of the ball moving forward. 

The Hawks: Backup QB Trevor Boykin looked good last week, finishing with 188 yards and a TD. RB Christine Michael also excelled, going for 44 yards off seven carries. 

The bottom line: Pete Carrol is about as competitive as they come and despite this just being a meaningless preseason contest, he’ll know that the Vikes are 9-1 in their last ten preseason games. All signs point to this one flying OVER the number as the game comes down the stretch.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* SIDE OF THE MONTH on the Houston Texans.

Setting the scene: Houston’s future looks bright with the addition of QB Brock Osweiler. San Francisco is excited to have new coach Chip Kelly directing things, but the 49ers’ QB picture isn’t very clear at this point. While we wouldn’t be shocked by an outright upset, we’re going to recommend to grab as many points as you can.

Houston: These teams met in the 2015 NFL preseason opener and Houston would go on to win by a 23-10 decision. Osweiler is expected to see considerable time in the first half of this one, note that he completed 170 of 275 passes in eight games for the Broncos last year. Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden will be battling it out for the No. 1 backup spot.

San Francisco: Colin Kaepernick? Blaine Gabbert? Which one will be the starting QB on Opening Day is anyone’s guess at this point, but the winner of this battle will likely be the one that can grasp Kelly’s elaborate schemes the most quickly. Kaepernick completed 59% of his passes and tossed only six TD’s compared to five INT’s last year, while Gabbert completed 63.1 percent, while throwing ten TD’s compared to seven INT’s. 

The bottom line: Houston seems like the more co-hesive unit to open the preseason as we’re expecting the 49ers to need some time to adjust to Kelly’s new direction. Play on the TEXANS.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* GAME OF THE WEEK on the LA Rams.

Setting the scene: The St. Louis…I mean, the LA Rams return to Los Angeles to play their first game in their “new” city. The new look Rams will welcome “America’s Team” in the Dallas Cowboys to town, a club which finished just 4-12 last season after QB Tony Romo went down with injury early on. 

Dallas: The Cowboys drafted RB Ezekiel Elliot out of Ohio State to help with their offensive issues this offseason. Expect to see a bunch of backup QB Dak Prescott out of Mississippi State as well. 

LA: The Rams finished 7-9 last year. The team traded up to get the No. 1 pick in the 2016 Draft and selected QB Jared Goff out of Cal. LA would use five of its six picks in total to address the offensive side of the ball. 

The bottom line: Neither team instills much confidence at the moment, but we think the pressure is on the home side to perform right out of the gates, even in Week 1 of the preseason. Billions of dollars have been spent and a victory tonight would go a long way in impressing owners, management and the new fan base. Jason Garrett and the Cowboys have a lot of things to work on in the preseason, but winning in Week 1 is not of any importance whatsoever. Lay the point on the RAMS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* ART OF WAR on the Minnesota Vikings.

We don't subscribe to any single handicapping methodology, but instead feel that being flexible with ones approach is the best way to secure profits over the longterm. Sometimes we keep it simple, while other times we'll take into account numerous different factors, like motivation, scheduling and significant injuries. Recognizing classic "spot bets" is something we always do as well, IE: the "look ahead" spot, the "let down" spot and the "trap" game. One set of criteria which we almost always use when making our decisions are Against The Spread (ATS) statistics. Sometimes these stats can be overrated and other times they help foreshadow the outcome of a contest. 

This particular play is based on a few different factors:

Setting the scene: The Vikes were 4-1 in the preseason last year, also beating the Steelers 14-3 in the Hall Of Fame Game. The Bengals were 3-1. 

The Bengals: Cincinnati has Andy Dalton back under center this year and he’ll likely see a few snaps today. The majority of work will be for backup AJ McCarron, who played well in his time last season, as well as a fight between Keith Wenning and Joe Licata for the No. 3 job. Don’t expect to see much, if any of the starters playing for the home side today though.

The Vikings: The offense is led by RB Adrian Peterson, but he won’t be suiting up for this one. Teddy Bridgewater also won’t see much time today under center, but backup QB’s Shaun Hill and Taylor Heinke will be battling throughout the preseason for the No. 2 spot. And we think this is a significant advantage to us today.

The bottom line: ATS stats are completely meaningless in a game like this in our professional opinion. The major factor swaying us tonight is that the Bengals already know who their starting and backup QB’s are, while the Vikes have a big competition on their hands. It’s as simple as that and while we wouldn’t be shocked by the outright upset, we’ll recommend to grab as many points as you can. Play on MINNESOTA.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* Week 1 NFLX SIDE OF THE YEAR on the Chicago Bears.

“Motivation” is a big factor to take into account when handicapping any game. For the most part teams use the preseason as a time to figure out what they need to work on and which people to keep and which to let go. Most week’s games are completely meaningless in the preseason, but every now and then there comes along a situation where one side would be more motivated than the other and in our professional opinion, that’s the case here!

Denver: The Broncos just won the Super Bowl and their future Hall Of Fame QB retired immediately after. Clearly Denver could care less if it wins today, it has so many issues to deal with and address, including a QB competition after backup Brock Osweiler also left the team in the offseason.  

Chicago: Da Bears finished 6-10 last year despite QB Jay Cutler putting together one of his best seasons, posting a career-best 92.4 passer rating. 

The bottom line: It was another dismal season for Chicago last year, but here’s the perfect opponent to start the 2016/17 season off against. A win against the defending champions in front of the home town crowd will be something everyone in the organization will be hungry to accomplish. While both teams will be utilzing almost entirely backup and wannabe players, we think the motivation factor does indeed heavily favor the BEARS this evening.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* Week 1 NFLX TOTAL OF THE YEAR on the UNDER between the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots.

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of these two teams? We immediately gravitate towards the two future Hall Of Fame QB’s in Drew Brees and Tom Brady, a couple of the best gun-slingers of all time. Brady of course is suspended for the first four games of the season, but is able to participate in the preseason without any issues. He’ll see little if any time today. That’s the same thing for Brees as well.

New Orleans: The Saints finished 7-9 and third in the tough NFC South last year. Clearly New Orleans needed to make some moves on the defensive side of the ball, so its first pick in the draft was DT Sheldon Rankins out of Louisville. 

New England: For the first four weeks it will be all about “managing” the game for Jimmy Garoppolo, who clearly won’t be asked to do too much, while also required to minimize any costly mistakes. The preseason will be all about getting Garoppolo and the rest of the team prepared for the first four weeks. 

The bottom line: This is a game which will be played almost entirely by back-ups and wannabes. Both teams have a lot of different things to work and focus on, but actually winning the game isn’t one of them. This is obviously a meaningless contest for both the Saints and Patriots. We think special teams and defensive play grind this one down to a lower-scoring UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* ART OF THE GAME on the St. Louis Rams.

We have played on the Chiefs in Weeks 1, 2 and 3 of the preseason, they're 3-0 SU and ATS (KC would beat the Seahawks 14-13 in Week 2, which was a win for us as we played early and got a "pick."). This week however we're fading the Chiefs as we expect the visitors to simply go through the motions and to hopefully escape without any significant injuries. Conversely, St. Louis can not be feeling comfortable with its performance so far in the preseason, it's 0-3 SU/ATS, including losing 24-14 at home as a 2.5 point favorite to the Colts last week. While the starters will see little to no time whatsoever, clearly the Rams still have a lot to work on this week, we expect the team to make the most of the familiar surroundings and to find a way to get the job done at the end of the night; play on ST. LOUIS.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* GAME OF THE WEEK on the Dallas Cowboys.

For almost every team, the fourth week of the preseason is a "throw away" contest, starters see little to no time whatsoever, leaving the backups and wannabe's to fight for any remaining spots. For some teams though that have struggled with consistency over the first three weeks, the fourth week can still be an important one, especially for morale as it looks to build on something positive before heading into the regular season. And that's the case here as the Dallas Cowboys come into this game having gone 0-3 SU/ATS so far in the preseason, including a humbling 28-14 defeat at home to the Vikings as 2-point favorites last week. Conversely, the Texans have to be feeling pretty confident with the way they've performed thus far, we look for the visitors to simply go through the motions this evening after going 2-1 SU/ATS to this point, including a convincing 27-13 annihilation in New Orleans last week as a 3.5-point underdog. It's as simple as that, this game will clearly "mean" more to the home side and we look for the COWBOYS to make the most of it.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* SITUATIONAL ASSASSIN on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

For almost every team, the fourth week of the preseason is a "throw away" contest, starters see little to no time whatsoever, leaving the backups and wannabe's to fight for any remaining spots. For some teams though that have struggled with consistency over the first three weeks, the fourth week can still be an important one, especially for morale as the it looks to build on something positive before heading into the regular season. And that's the case here, for the most part the Pittsburgh Steelers have looked pretty inept in the preseason, a 14-3 loss to Minnesota in the Hall of Fame game was followed by a 23-21 setback in Week 1 in Jacksonville. Week 2 saw the Steelers blow out a vanilla Green Bay team at home, while the all important Week 3 "dress rehearsal" was a blowout 43-19 loss at Buffalo last Saturday. Carolina certainly has nothing to hang its head about with its performance so far in the preseason though, a 25-24 win at Buffalo in Week 1 was followed up with a 31-30 victory at home over Miami. And then last week Carolina would go blow for blow with New England, finally succumbing 17-16 to the defending Super Bowl champions. It's as simple as that, we feel that all signs point to this game meaning a lot more to the home side. Play on the STEELERS.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* ART OF WAR on the Oakland Raiders.

The Cards are 0-2 in the preseason, while the Raiders are 1-1. Arizona's offensive line struggled to move the ball against Kansas City last week and it failed miserably in protecting the QB vs. the Chargers. The Cardinals are also decimated in the linebacking unit and we feel they'll once again have their hands full with Derek Carr and the healthier home side. Both teams starters are expected to play the entire first half. Oakland's lone loss this year came last week in a hard-fought 20-12 setback to the surging Vikings, who including the HOF Game, are now 4-0 in the preseason after dispatching the Cowboys in Dallas yesterday. Carr and Amari Cooper have already hooked up on a couple of dazzling plays, while Michael Crabtree will also be leaned upon heavily this year. We can also expect to see another big dose of RB Latavius Murray, who had 20 yards on four carries including a 2-yard TD run in the setback to the Vikes. The bottom line is, we think the Raiders offense will be too much for the banged up Arizona defense. Simple as that. Play on OAKLAND.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Seattle Seahawks.

We jumped on this line the second it came out and got it at a "pick." It's since gone up, but regardless, we think Seattle's first team offense and defense comes to play today and finds a way to get the job done at the end of the night. In the grand scheme of things, preseason records obviously mean very little, but after going 0-2 SU/ATS to open, we believe the powerhouse 'Hawks will be extra keen to lay a severe beating to their opponent on both sides of the ball. A big factor working in our favor is that Seattle has not suffered any significant injuries and many key starting pieces return to the line-up today. Remember, despite playing almost all backups on both sides of the ball in their first two contests, the Seahawks dropped Game 1 by only a score of 22-20 to a determined Broncos team and then 14-13 at the ever difficult Arrow Stadium vs. the Chiefs last week. Conversely, after going 2-0 to open the year and despite this being a Week 3 dress rehearsal in front of the home town crowd, we feel this sets up as a bit of a letdown spot for the satisfied Chargers. No matter what happens over these last two games, the team doesn't have to worry about the preseason being a complete disaster, it's already won two games and has to be feeling good about itself. And note, San Diego would need a last-second field-goal from Josh Lambo to secure last week's 22-19 win over the Cardinals. We're expecting a lop-sided, wire-to-wire effort. Play on the SEAHAWKS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the New York Giants.

The Jets and Giants square off at their MetlLife Stadium in East Rutherford New Jersey and we think the G-Men will find a way to get the job done at the end of the night. The Jets are leaning on veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick after starter Geno Smith suffered a broken jaw last week with a run in with a teammate. The Jets were clobbered 23-3 in their opener by the Lions, but bounced back with a 30-22 victory over the Falcons last Friday. If we dig a little deeper into that win though, we find that the Jets were actually down 14-0 vs. Atlanta's starters and only clawed their way back into the contest and eventually the lead vs. the team's backups and wannabe's. The Giants come in off a solid 22-12 victory at home over the Jaguars last Saturday and will look to make it two in a row. Giants' coach Tom Coughlin is on the hot seat this season, we look for the veteran bench boss to have his team ready to play today and to take advantage of this situation; play on the NEW YORK GIANTS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While we obviously wouldn't be surprised by an outright victory, we will in the end recommend grabbing as many points as you can as we expect the visitors to at the very least, take this one down to the wire. Bills' QB EJ Manuel is expected to see most of the time in this one as he's yet to even play with any of the other starters at this point in the preseason. Whoever is under center for the home side is not going to be able to rely on much of a run game today as Bryce Brown, Bobbie Dixon and LeSean McCoy are all out with injury. Also note that the Bills are hurting at the WR position as well, as Percy Harvin, Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Chris Hogan will all be sitting. And note that Buffalo's defense won't be unveiling any of its exotic schemes in the preseason, instead waiting until Week 1 before letting the rest of the World see their looks, not surprisingly, opponents have really been taking advantage of the Bills vanilla unit in the preseason. Pittsburgh starts QB Ben Roethlisberger, new backup Mike Vick is expected to see some garbage time. Other than injuries to C Maurkice Pouncey and DE Stephon Tuitt, the visitors come into the "dress rehearsal" very healthy. In last week's 24-19 win over Green Bay, Pittsburgh's defense was its usual dominant self, under the direction of new coordinator Keith Butler, the unit racked up six sacks in the victory. We think the oddsmakers are way off on this one, play on the STEELERS.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* FRIDAY NIGHT SCORPION on the Kansas City Chiefs.

AAA Sports will have their full analysis for this selection posted shortly. No later than 6 hours before game time.

This is a 10* M.N.F. GAME OF THE MONTH on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sometimes we feel that it's necessary to completely dissect a game, looking at trends, motivational and situational factors as well as individual player matchups and weather reports etc. And in other contests we believe a more common sense approach is the best way to handicap a game and that's the case here. Which of these team's "wants" this one more? It's a fair question. In our opinion, this is a fantastic situational play as the Bengals come to town off a satisfying 23-10 win at home over the Giants in Week 1, making this Week 2 matchup a contest which wouldn't be too hard to envision the visitors "looking past" with a game at home vs. Chicago in the all important "dress rehearsal" in Week 3 next week. Conversely, Tampa Bay will be eager to perform in its first game in front of the home town crowd, a spirited effort in Week 1 resulted in a 26-16 loss to Minnesota in Week 1, but it was just a late TD away from covering with the 3.5 points it was afforded in that one. And for us, it's as simple as that for this GAME OF THE MONTH pick, the situation is overwhelmingly working in favor of the home side in our opinion, play on the BUCCANEERS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* UNDERDOG DESTRUCTION on the St. Louis Rams.

For Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, it will be his first time back in Tennessee since he left the team after the 2010 season. We think this is an underrated situational factor and look for the veteran bench boss to play to win here. The Titans looked good on the road last week, but we're expecting a step back in front of the home town crowd; Tennessee would fall 31-24 to the Falcons in Week 1. Rookie QB Marcus Mariota opened the game with two turnovers, but looked good in going 5 for 5 in his final series. Backup Zach Mettenberger was 8 for 11 for 129 yards and two TD's. Tennessee though looked poor in the run game, averaging just 1.9 YPC, which won't get any easier facing this stout Rams defensive unit. St. Louis will be extra motivated offensively today as well after a lacklustre 18-3 loss to the Raiders last week. When he was on the field, he looked brilliant, QB Nick Foles led his team 70 yards on the opening drive for 3 points. Also note that the Rams will be putting an added emphasis on cleaning up their sloppy play after committing 14 penalties in Week 1. We think there are enough factors working in favor of the RAMS to pull the trigger on this one and while we obviously would not be surprised by the outright victory whatsoever, we will in the end recommend grabbing as many points as you can.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Minnesota Vikings.

We like Teddy Bridgewater and the home side to continue to roll in Week 2, the Minnesota pivot would go 7 for 8 for 86 yards last week and he'll have a big opportunity to tear apart this porous Raiders defensive unit and weak secondary. Derek Carr on the other hand looked a bit shaky in his time last week, he'd go 6 of 9 for 43 yards and an INT. Carr and his backups are going to be in tough today as the Vikings defense was all over the Bucs last week, sacking Jameis Winston multiple times. In this meaningless Week 2 preseason contest, we expect the Raiders to simply go through the motions today as they get set to prepare for their full dress rehearsal in Week 3 at home to Arizona. A great situational play on the surging VIKINGS, who will look to take advantage of home field before two tough road games to end the preseason, at Dallas and Tennessee respectively.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the UNDER between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts.

Andrew Luck is only expected to see a few snaps today, but RB Frank Gore is expected to finally see some time. Defensively the Colts will be looking to take advantage of a Bears offensive unit which will be without the services of standout rookie WR Kevin White. Like Luck, QB Jay Cutler is only expected to see a few snaps. Chicago though will be leaning heavily once again on RB Senorise Perry, who had 10 carries for 89 yards and a TD last week; Perry and Jacquizz Rodgers will be in a fight to by the No. 1 backup to Matt Forte. Indianapolis got destroyed defensively last week, the unit will be looking to atone for the disastrous effort. A great situational play in our opinion, indeed making the UNDER the savvy move in this contest.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the UNDER between the Miami Dolphins and the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers will feature a stout defensive unit once again this season, but there's no question that the offense took a major blow when starting WR Kelvin Benjamin suffered a season-ending knee injury during practice this week. Carolina's offense will revolve around QB Cam Newton, but he'll see very little time under center today, instead the unit will be trying to establish its run game, the absence of DeAngelo Williams this season means the onus falls on short-yardage specialists Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert. Miami will also be leaning heavily on its QB, Ryan Tannehill this year, but the starters for Miami are only going to see a quarter at the most of action in this one. The Fish were ranked 12th overall last season in total defense, but the signing of Ndamukong Suh is poised to push the unit into the Top 5 this year. We're expecting a "chess match" today, an added emphasis by both teams to limit turnovers and mistakes and to protect the ball, so in a contest where field position becomes paramount, all signs do indeed point to the UNDER as the savvy move in this contest.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* SCORPION on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Seattle is coming off a loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 1 of the preseason, while the Chiefs steamrolled the Arizona Cardinals. With a Week 3 full "dress rehearsal" at San Diego next week, we're expecting Seattle to simply go through the motions and work on a few things today. Last week Seahawk fans saw their team manage just 181 total yards of offense and remember, Seattle's 24-20 loss at Arrowhead in 2014 would drop the team to 6-4 at the time. The Chiefs clearly have something to build off after their impressive 34-19 victory in Week 1 in Arizona though and with coach Andy Reid on the hot seat this season, we look for the bench boss to continue to dial up the intensity throughout the preseason. All signs do indeed point to the CHIEFS as the savvy move in this contest.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* SITUATIONAL DESTRUCTION on the Cleveland Browns.

The Bills will be starting Tyrod Taylor under center to start this game, he's expected to see at least a quarter of playing time, but likely quite a bit more; Taylor will then make way for EJ Manuel, who is expected to see up to a full half of work in this contest. Buffalo suffered more injuries to its already depleted RB core after LeSean McCoy went down with an issue earlier in the week though, also missing are Fred Jackson, Bobbie Dixon, Bryce Brown and Karlos Williams. Also note that WR's Percy Harvin and Sammy Watkins are also both out with injury. Suffice it to say, all signs point to the visitors going through the motions today as they look to escape Cleveland without any more major setbacks. The home side on the other hand will be eager for a better performance after falling 20-17 to the Redskins in its opener. One bright spot last week for the Browns was the play of beleaguered QB Johnny Manziel who was 7 for 11 passing for 42 yards to go along with a rushing TD; starter Josh McCown was 5 for 5 for 33 yards and a TD. This is a great situational play, the Browns need to punch one into the win column for something positive to lean on before heading into the Week 3 "dress rehearsal," while the Bills will already be planning for that contest. Play on CLEVELAND.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* SHOOT-OUT on the OVER between the Detroit Lions and the Washington Redskins.

Both teams come in off victories in Week 1 of the NFLX season, but each would see the total fall below the posted number. Detroit hammered the Jets 23-3, while Washington won 20-17 over the Browns. We're expecting a hard-fought battle between these two hungry teams in Week 2 and believe their overall determination will translate into production on the field. For the Lions, QB Matt Stafford looked sharp in his opening drive, taking his team down the field for a major score. We won't see much of Stafford in this one either, but we will see a lot of rookie RB Ameer Abdullah, who had 67 yards on seven carries, including a 45-yarder. Washington's Kirk Cousins would outplay Robert Griffin III, completing 12 of his 14 passes for 154 yards; note that both pivots will see time in this one. Whoever is under center will be looking for WR Rashad Ross, who had five catches for 65 yards last week. With each team putting added emphasis on the offensive side of the ball, we definitely look for this wide open affair to eclipse the posted number as the game comes down the stretch; play on the OVER.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Kansas City Chiefs.

We think the focused and determined visiting side can catch the home team a bit disinterested and complacent here and while we would not be surprised with an outright victory, we will in the end recommend grabbing as many points as you can. Arizona got off to a huge start last year, but would falter down the stretch due to injury, while after a massive campaign in 2013, the Chiefs took a step backwards last season. The Chiefs offense struggled at the WR position, but the addition of Jeremy Maclin to the passing game is expected to pay big dividends for QB Alex Smith. On the other side of the field, Arizona's No. 1 receiver Michael Floyd has suffered an unfortunate injury in training camp and will be forced to miss some time. QB Logan Thomas is expected to see the bulk of repetitions for the Cardinals, while the running game is reportedly struggling in training camps, which prompted the team to extend an offer to former Jets RB Chris Johnson. We like the Chiefs' game-plan here and think their back-ups and wannabe's have a clear upper-hand on the home side's; play on KANSAS CITY.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After a successful showing in a victory over Pittsburgh in the Hall of Fame Game last Sunday, we think the home side now comes in a bit complacent in this Week 1 scrimmage against a Buccaneers team which will feature a ton of different players duking it out for a position on the team once the regular season comes around. The Vikes are going to give Teddy Bridgewater a few more snaps, but he'll be gone before the end of the first quarter. Adrian Peterson won't be suiting up at all for the home side, so expect to see a heavy dose of Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon. The main story line for the Bucs will be the debut of rookie QB Jameis Winston, who is expected to see a good amount of time on the field. RB Charles Sims will also have added incentive here as he looks to cement his place as a firm No. 2 option behind wrecking ball Doug Martin. Tampa Bay did most of its work in the offseason on the defensive side of the ball, this unit will have plenty of position battles going on throughout the preseason, a factor which invariably leads to production on the field. While we clearly wouldn't be shocked with an outright victory, we do feel that the conditions are definitely right for a very tight game and we'll therefore recommend grabbing as many points as you can.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Houston Texans.

Oh how the mighty have fallen, the 49ers are now considered a team in transition, while the Texans are viewed as an under-the-radar team. San Francisco finished 30th in passing last year and struggled defensively, ranking 25th in passing TD's allowed. The team went out and added Torrey Smith and Reggie Bush, but it's obviously going to take some time for all the new pieces to gel. Houston was just 2-14 in 2013, but then went 9-7 in 2014 and narrowly missed the playoffs. The Texans were one of the best defensively, recording 34 takeaways last year, the most in the league. Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts III are expected to fill the void left by WR Andre Johnson. Houston though has some key position battles going on which we feel will be the difference, the fight between Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer will be interesting for QB and the team will also be looking to fill the void left in the backfield due to the Arian Foster injury. The QB battle in HOUSTON turns out to be the difference here.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* ART OF WAR on the New York Giants.

Back-ups and wannabe's will be battling it out in this one on Friday night and while we wouldn't be surprised to see an outright victory, we feel that the savvy move is to grab as many points as you can with the visitors. Both Marvin Lewis and Tom Coughlin will once again be on the hot seat this season, another mediocre campaign for either will likely be the final nail in the coffin. New York comes to town with a bunch of injuries, but it doesn't matter obviously, the starters were not going to see much or any time in this one. The Giants have a ton of depth at the WR position this season and we can expect the visitors to test these youngsters from start to finish today. The Bengals did not make any major moves in the off-season, but its rookie class offers some excitement, keep your eyes on TE's CJ Uzomah and Tyler Kroft. With New York reportedly looking to test its young receiving corps, all signs do indeed point to the visitors as the sharp move in this contest. Play on the GIANTS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* ART OF THE GAME on the OVER between the New York Jets and the Detroit Lions.

AAA Sports will have their full analysis for this selection posted shortly. No later than 6 hours before game time.

This is a 10* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings.

What you see is what you get each year from Pittsburgh, which builds through the draft, doesn’t sign a lot of free agents and basically comes at you. How much Ben Roethlisberger has left is a question asked every September given the number of hits he takes. The biggest change will be at defensive coordinator, where legend Dick Lebeau is gone – which may mean the LBs will be freer to attack the pocket.

The Vikes have Adrian Peterson back and things seem to have calmed down a bit in Minnesota. But then again, Mike Wallace has been on board for only a few months. Vikes are looking for a huge Year 2 improvement from Teddy Bridgewater and if they get it they can make things sticky in the North.

Of course, in the preseason, the starters see little to no time whatsoever until the third week, which is considered a "dress rehearsal" for the real thing. So with each team's stars either not even suiting up, or seeing just a few snaps, it will then be left up to the backups and wannabe's.

Pittsburgh was 0-4 SU/ATS in the preseason in 2013/14, while the total went 1-3. Last year the Steelers would go 1-3 SU/ATS, with the total once again going 1-3.

Minnesota was 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in the preseason in 2014/15 and saw the total go 1-3.

It's hard to imagine either team looking to open up the playbook today, all signs would point to much more of a "chess match," where running and protecting the ball, managing the clock and limiting mistakes and field position ultimately determine the winner.

Play on the UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* ATS BLOWOUT on the Oakland Raiders.

Week 4 of the preseason is considered to be the “trickiest” one of all to handicap, however there’s no question which team will be more motivated here; all signs point to a comfortable cover for the home side. It’s safe to say that coach Pete Carrol is happy with what he’s seen out of the ‘Hawks first team offense over the last two games, two weeks ago Russell Wilson and company racked up 260 yards and 24 points in the first half vs. the Chargers, before then gaining 250 yards while scoring 31 points vs. Chicago last week. Starters for the visitors will see very little time (if any) today, meaning that we have a clear opportunity to take advantage of as the Raiders are still working out some serious issues with their first units on both sides of the ball. There is a legitimate QB battle going on in Oakland for the No. 1 spot as Matt Schaub and Derek Carr will be looking to impress in an effort to seal the deal. I don’t think we need to overanalyze this one, I expect the defending champs to simply go through the motions today and look for the hungry and determined home side to ride its talent to at least the cover; play on the RAIDERS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* MOTIVATIONAL MISMATCH on the Buffalo Bills.

This games means a lot more to the Bills than it does to the visiting Lions who will simply go through the motions and consider themselves victors if they can leave Buffalo without any injuries. Bills’ starting QB EJ Manuel and his first unit are expected to see more than usual playing time for the fourth week of the preseason as the coaching staff is less than impressed so far with the chemistry: “Yes, absolutely, I'm looking to play those guys," head coach Marrone said this week. "I think, obviously, we're much further ahead on (the defensive side) of the ball than we are (on offense)." We can expect the first string offense to see extended time today: "If we want to be a great offense, we have to be able to do it against their starters, not their bench," RB C.J. Spiller echoed. "I wouldn't say discouraged. We're disappointed. If we want to be a great offense, we have to be able to do it against their starters, not their bench.” We’ll see a lot of Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore today under center for the visitors as the Lions try to figure out their No. 1 backup. Week 4 is always tricky, but this is a great spot to exploit I feel, Buffalo needs something positive to come into the regular season after such a dismal start, I look for the home side to find a way to cover the spread at the end of the night; play on the BILLS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Arizona Cardinals.

Two teams with big expectations for the 2014 NFL campaign go head to head in Week 3 of the preseason, for a number of different reasons I feel that the conditions are right for a lower-scoring, “chess match” style of contest and will ultimatley expect this total to sneak below the posted number once the final whistle sounds. The Cardinals are coming off a last-second loss to the Vikings last week, Arizona was actually leading with just 1:07 left to play before the team allowed Vikes’ rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater to drive the length of the field for the winning score. QB Carson Palmer will face his old team here, he would drive the Cardinals 93 yards on the team’s opening drive which was capped off by a 1-yard TD rumble. Cincinnati comes town still looking for its first preseason victory, it would stumble 25-17 vs. the Jets last week. QB Andy Dalton was 8 for 8 for 144 yards and a major score; the defense looked a bit better and will certainly be playing with a chip on its shoulder here. A great situational play in my opinion as both teams are coming off tough losses, I fully expect an emphasis to be put on the defensive side of the ball as all signs do indeed point to the UNDER as the sharp wager in this one.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* BLOCKBUSTER on the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers have yet to score a single point in the preseason after two games, but suffice it to say, I fully expect that to change this weekend. San Fran suffered a 34-0 beatdown at the hands of the Broncos last week, RB Frank Gore saw his first action and rushed for 12 yards on two carries. The leading passer was McCleod Bethel-Thompson, who was 6 of 8 for 79 yards. "It's the preseason, but it all means something," said San Francisco left tackle Joe Staley afterwards. "Scoring points is the name of the game and we haven't done it. It will be a real test this week to see how we rebound from this." After a decent start to the 2014 campaign, San Diego took a step back in losing 41-14 in Seattle last week, QB Philip Rivers played just a single series, was just 2 of 4 for 20 yards, while his backup Kellen Clemens finished 14 of 21 for 149 yards and two major scores. Week 3 means that both teams will be playing their starters for the majority of the contest, for the most part it’s just been the backups and wannabe’s for San Francisco thus far, but with the first team units getting an extended chance, I look for the winless home side to find a way to get the job done at the end of the night; play on the 49’ERS!

AAA Sports

This is a 10* WEEK 3 NFLX TOTAL OF THE YEAR on the OVER between the Houston Texans and the Denver Broncos.

Two teams with big aspirations for the 2014/15 NFL season go head to head in the all important Week 3 of the preseason, when the smoke does finally clear at the end of this one I look for this total to sneak above the posted number. These teams held joint sessions mid week, something that definitely benefited the Texans last week as they’d bounce back after a rough opener in Arizona to hammer the Falcons 32-7 at NRG Stadium; Houston also had joint sessions with Atlanta. Starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was 9 of 12 for 97 yards and a TD, while RB Jonathan Grimes had 42 yards off nine carries. It was an all around performance for Houston which would go on to score TDs on offense, on defense and special teams. The Broncos are 2-0 to start the preseason, after beating Seattle in Week 1 they’d go on to obliterate the 49ers 34-0 at Levi’s Stadium last weekend. QB Peyton Manning was 12 of 14 for 102 yards and a TD; over the first two contests Manning is 22 of 27 for 180 yards. Backup Brock Osweiller also dominated in going 10 of 13 for 105 yards, including a 33-yard TD pass; also note that third-string Zac Dysert was extremely effecient in going 8 for 11 for 63 yards, including a 16-yard TD strike. I think a classic shootout is a brewin’ between these two offensive minded clubs, look for this total to go OVER the number as the game comes down the stretch.

AAA Sports

 This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts.

What should once again be a couple of the league’s most prolific starting QB’s this year square off in Week 3 of the 2014 NFL preseason, but for a number of different reasons, I feel that all signs point to this contest sneaking below the posted number once the final whistle sounds. Saints’ pivot Drew Brees has yet to see a snap in the preseason, he makes his debut today though and suffice it to say, I think it’ll take a while for the veteran to get back into “NFL game shape”; don’t get me wrong, Brees is as sharp as they come, he’s one of the elite and I expect him to have a big game, however this will be his first “real” contest and I feel his timing and chemistry will be “off” for a little bit. New Orleans hasn’t needed its star QB to date, it’s played to a couple of higher-scoring affairs including last week’s 31-24 win over the Titans in the Superdome. Backup QB McCown was 12 of 20 for 117 yards, while RB Mark Ingram carried five times for 19 yards, while also adding a 23-yard TD reception in the victory. However, New Orleans comes to town facing a defense which was embarrased last week and which will be playing with a chip on its shoulder. On the other side of the field, Indianapolis comes into Week 3 at 0-2 despite QB Andrew Luck looking dominant in last week’s crushing 27-26 setback to the Giants, going 12 of 18 for 89 yards and one TD, leading the first team offense to three scoring drives on the night. There is no question that the Indianapolis defense will be looking to atone for that brain-fart, as New York would put up 27 unanswered points in the final 10 1/2 minutes to erase the 26-0 deficit. Putting points on the board is not an issue for either side, a big emphasis for the remainder of the preseason will be on the defensive side of the ball, all signs point to the UNDER as the sharp wager in this one.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* BLOCKBUSTER on the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas comes into this contest 0-2, while the Fish have split a pair of road contests to open the 2014 NFL preseason; while the outright win is obviously not out of the question, I think the Cowboys can keep this one close enough to at the very least sneak away with the ATS cover. Miami lost in Atlanta in Week 1, but rebounded for a 20-14 victory over Tampa Bay last week, backup QB Matt Moore would finish 13 of 19 for 158 yards and a TD. Starting QB Ryan Tannehill was 9 of 14 for 110 yards. Dallas lost its second in a row in last week’s 37-30 shootout in Baltimore. Starting QB Tony Romo played just two series, going 4 of 5 for 70 yards, including tossing a 31 yard TD pass to Dez Bryant, who would finish with three catches for 59 yards. Also note that RB DeMarco Murray had 34 yards on eight carries. These teams have some recent history of playing in the preseason, they met in the Hall Of Fame Game last year and the ‘Boys would pull off the 24-20 win. DALLAS can put some points on the board as evidenced by last week’s output, all signs point to the cover.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the OVER between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Buffalo Bills.

While they will always claim an 0-2 start means nothing in the preseason, for most teams, getting a victory in Week 3 becomes pretty important if their winless at this point, the Bucs come to Buffalo having dropped their first two, including a 20-14 setback to the Fish last weekend. Tampa starting QB Josh McCown was 5 of 7 for 46 yards and a major score; note that third-string QB Mike Kafka would post a TD pass late. This of course will be the fourth game for the Bills who would play in the Hall Of Fame Game, last week they lost a tough one in Pittsburgh which would hit a FG as time expired to lift the Steelers to a 19-16 victory. Starting QB EJ Manuel was 17 for 27 for 148 yards and one INT; Anthony Dixon was a bright spot, rushing 10 times for 26 yards and the team’s lone TD. A great situational play: with both teams struggling over the first two games and with the offensive starters getting the majority of playing time today vs. a couple of suspect defensive units, I look for these clubs to open up the playbook and expect this total to sneak OVER the posted number as the game comes down the stretch.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks.

Chicago is 2-0 in the preseason, but will have to play its last two games on the road and a date in the Pacific Northwest vs. the defending champions will be a difficult task in Week 3; when the smoke does finally clear at the end of this one, I look for this total to sneak below the posted number. Chicago would beat the Jaguars 20-19 last week, the Bears would need a 5-yard TD run with 50 seconds left to secure the 1 point victory. Chicago starting QB Jay Cutler was 7 for 9 for 75 yards. After losing their opener in Denver, the Seahawks would crush the Chargers 41-14 last week, starting QB Russell Wilson was 11 of 13 for 121 yards and added another 31 on the ground. This is a great situational play in my opinion, despite a couple of Top 10 QB’s facing off here, these teams live and die with their defensive units, I think we’ll see a classic chess match style of game where field position will ultimately decide the outcome, all signs point to the UNDER as the sharp wager in this one.

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This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Detroit Lions.

The starting QB position has not been decided in Jacksonville, we’ll see a bunch of both rookie Blake Bortles and veteran Chad Henne this week; I think this is a detriment for the Jaguars offense and look for the Lions first team defense to take advantage. When the smoke does finally clear at the end of this one, I expect this total to sneak below the posted number. Last week Jacksonville fell 20-19 in Chicago, Bortles finished 11 of 17 for 160 yards. I think it’s significant to note, that as well as Bortles played in that game, the defense was even better, the Bears would score two very late TD’s against the Jags second unit, backups and wannabe’s. Henne was 12 for 17 for 130 yards. Detroit can empathize, it’s also coming off a late-game setback in Oakland as the Raiders would score a TD with just six seconds left, the Lions ultimately falling 27-26. Starting QB Matt Stafford was 9 of 10 for 88 yards and two TD’s. I think this is a golden opportunity for Detroit’s defensive unit, Jacksonville’s first team offense isn’t set this week, chemistry will be lacking, all signs point to the UNDER as the sharp wager in this one.

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This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots.

A couple of the league’s most exciting and prolific starting QB’s go head to head in Week 3, however I feel this particular contest sets up as more of a “chess match” and look for this total to ulimtately sneak below the posted number. Patriots’ QB Tom Brady was an effecient 8 for 10 for 81 yards, a TD and an INT which led to a defensive TD in last week’s 42-35 shootout victory over the Eagles. Backup Jimmy Garoppolo was 6 of 12 for 72 yards and two major scores. The Panthers Cam Newton wasn’t quite as effective in his first start last week, he was 4 of 9 for 65 yards, his team would go on to beat the Chiefs 28-16 though. The scuttlebutt out of the Patriots camp this year was that its defense was supposedly on par with the offense, and so far that’s definitely not been the case in the preseason, but Week 3 means that the starters will see most of the action today, I think the unit finally shows up in front of the home town crowed. On the other side of the field, the Panthers have been one of the best defenses the last couple of years, the first unit will have a chip on its shoulder this week. When these teams played last year in the regular season, Carolina would prevail 24-20, I think we’ll see a similar combined score this time around as well, play on the UNDER.

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This is a 10* NFLX TOTAL OF THE YEAR on the OVER between the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins.

Both teams played to a couple of lower scoring UNDERS in Week 1 of the NFLX preseason, but I think the conditions are right for a higher-scoring shootout when these two hopeful teams clash on Monday night. Last week Cleveland opened with veteran QB Brian Hoyer, but everyone’s attention was on the Browns once Johnny Manziel hit the field. Both were decent, and each will once again get a chance this week and with that opening contest out of the way, I think they’ll play much better this time around. Hoyer was 6 of 14 for 92 yards, while Manziel was 7 of 11 for 63 yards, plus an additional 27 rushing yards in the 13-12 setback at Detroit. Washington had no problem whatsoever putting points on the board vs. what was supposed to be a vastly improved Pats defense, winning 23-6. The Redskins outgained New England 387-270, which included a 177-63 advantage on the ground. The starting offense looked great (for the minimal amount of time it was on the field), Robert Griffin III opened the game with a methodical 11-play drive which would ultimately end in a field goal. Colt McCoy was actually the best performer with a 150.9 passer rating. When you throw in the capable Kirk Cousins to the rotation, this trio should once again have a big day vs. the Browns second unit. A great situational play: Cleveland will be focusing on improving offensively, both Manziel and Hoyer are fighting for the starting job. Washington continues to progress here I think, each of these pivots is in line for a very productive night; all signs point to the OVER as the sharp wager in this contest.

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This is an 8* BLOCKBUSTER on the San Francisco 49ers.

There is a legitimate QB battle going on in San Francisco and I believe that will turn out to be the difference at the end of the day in this one. No, the QB battle is not for the No. 1 spot, starter Colin Kaepernick will see just a few snaps before making way for Blaine Gabbert and Josh Johnson. Game 1 of the preseason meant something to the Denver Broncos as they’d ultimatley hold on for the win over the Seattle Seahawks; I think this game sets up as a classic mental letdown spot for the visiting team though. The 49ers on the other hand are coming off a listless 23-3 setback at Baltimore and with that awkward game out of the way, the home side can get down to business and start making some head way on both sides of the ball in front of the home town crowd. It’s pointless getting into individual player matchups in the preseason, as starters for both sides see little to no time whatsoever, backups and wannabes will be going head to head here; that said, I think the best way to handicap the preseason is on a “situational” basis, and in my opinion this is a fantastic spot for the 49ers; look for the home side to pull away down the stretch for the comfortable ATS cover, play on SAN FRANCISCO.

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This is an 8* BLOCKBUSTER on the Houston Texans.

Houston is coming off a 32-0 loss in Arizona in its first game of the preseason, while Atlanta would hold on for a 16-10 win at home over Miami. The Texans come in eager to put some points on the board and to play a lot more aggressively on the defensive side of the ball and I think that when the smoke clears at the end of this one, that these teams will both be at 1-1. Texans’ starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick looked pretty ordinary in his first start for his new team, completing only six passes with two INT’s. So should we read a lot into Houston’s performance? Obviously not, Game 1 of the preseason is absolutely meaningless, and with that awkward contest behind them, the Texans can look to make a marked improvement in Week 2. And don’t look now, reinforcements are supposed to be back in the line-up today (at least for a while before making way for the backups and wannabe’s), as RB Arian Foster, WR Andre Johnson and LB Brian Cushing all returned to practice this week. Like the Texans, the Falcons were major disappointment in 2013, the defensive line was a major culprit in giving up 44 sacks of QB Matt Ryan; suffice it to say, I think Atlanta has its hands full this week vs. JJ Watt and Clowney. And should we read anything into Atlanta’s 16-10 victory over Miami? While the Falcons certainly looked better than Houston did last week, I’ll caution in reading anything into it at all (remember, the Chargers looked great in their opener, only to then get annihilated in Seattle in their Week 2 matchup). Houston has something to prove to here, I think the Falcons go through the motions and in the end, the home side pulls away down the stretch for the comfortable ATS cover; play on HOUSTON.

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This is an 8* BLOCKBUSTER on the Seattle Seahawks.

I think this is a great situational play, I expect the Seahawks’ backups to come to play today and look for the second and third units to ride the wave of emotion in front of the 12th Man and to ultimately find a way to get the job done at the end of the night. I played the UNDER in Seattle/Denver last week, another great situational play. With that difficult and distracting matchup out of the way, the defending champs can put their full focus on the field today, I think we’ll see a much more explosive unit on both sides of the ball. It was a tough/weird game all around, as the contest was delayed for 45 minutes at one point because of lightning. ‘Hawks backup QB Terrelle Pryor was quite good in the pressure packed situation I thought, finishing with 137 yards; of course starter Russell Wilson shone in his limited time, going 4 of 6 for 37 yards and led his team to a major score on its second possession. The Chargers dominated an inept Dallas team 27-7 in their preseason opener, the Cowboys defense was no where to be found and San Diego would rack up a staggering 395 yards of total offense. All three QB’s saw time and performed well, but suffice it to say, I think this team runs into a brick wall early today and throws in the white towel after getting punched in the face by this hungry ‘Hawks second defensive unit. This is a tough spot for anyone to play in, I think the Chargers check out of this one early and the home side romps to a decisive victory; play on SEATTLE.

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This is a 10* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants.

I write this analysis on Friday morning, the day after the first full day of 2014 preseason NFL action and we saw a bit of everything; low-scoring, sloppy affairs, but also high-scoring shootouts. There are many ways to handicap a professional sporting contest, different methodoligies and approaches and I like to think that I utilize many of them and remain flexible at all times. That said, I have found that when handicapping the NFL preseason, that the most effective method is to look at contests from a situational angle; ie: motivation, scheduling, recent performance and overall team goals. It’s hard to say how good the Giants are after their Hall Of Fame Game win over the Bills, but what we can say for sure is that they won. The offense wasn’t spectacular and the defense was good enough. I think it’s also safe to say that New York will be a little sharper this week as it prepares to take on a Steelers team which comes into the 2014/15 campaign with big expectations. Let’s start off by saying the obvious: starters for both teams will see limited, to no time whatsoever in this game, in fact over 100 different players will see extensive time today. There is no doubt that Pittsburgh has the potential to put some points on the board this year with the likes of LeGarrette Blount, Le’Veon Bell, Heath Miller, Dri Archer, Markus Wheaton and Antonio Brown; however, with starting QB Ben Roethlisberger seeing only a couple of snaps (if that), and with many of these other listed players also sitting, Pittsburgh can concentrate on trying to fill in some holes on both sides of the ball today. The same goes for New York’s first team, Eli Manning and company will see just a few series before exiting for the backups and wannabes. A big note here, with Giants’ RB David Wilson’s career now over due to a neck injury, the home side will definitely be focusing on filling that role, it will be trying multiple backs today, including Andre Williams and Rashad Jennings. Giants’ backup QB Ryan Nassib looked shaky at times last week, he’ll face a Steelers’ second team defense hungry to make the roster. Pittsburgh backup QB Bruce Gradkowski will also have his hands full vs. a Giants unit that is looking to make a statement in front of the home town crowd. I’m expecting another “chess match” style of game today, field position will ultimately decide the winner and when all is said I done, I look for this total to sneak UNDER the posted number.

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This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the OVER between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Many have Tampa winning its division, I personally think that’s a bit of a stretch. After a couple of miserable campaigns, both of these teams will be looking to push the tempo on the offensive side of the ball during the preseason and as such, I expect this total to eclipse the number as the game comes down the stretch. Jacksonville is coming off a 4-12 season, which included a four game win skein in a five game stretch during the second half of 2013. Jacksonville would use its first round pick (the third overall), to secure rookie QB Blake Bortles; the Jags also brought in RB Toby Gerhart to bolster the ground attack. There is now a legitimate QB battle in Jacksonville, as veteran Chad Henne will be pushed by Bortles throughout the preseason; this is definitely significant as each pivot will be giving his full concentration to every snap. Also note that with Justin Blackmon gone, rookie playmaker Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson will also have something to prove over the next month. The Bucs will go with veteran free agent QB Josh McCown, who will surely benefit in throwing to Vincent Jackson and rookie Mike Evans, two extremely talented (and tall!) receivers. With both teams looking to make a statement and with more focus put on the offensive side of the ball by each, all signs point to a higher-scoring affair; play on the OVER.

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This is a 10* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos.

I am a situational handicapper which will always look to take advantage of lop-sided numbers and trends. I also take into account motivation, revenge and recent history. Handicapping the preseason can be tricky of course, as starters for the most part only see a few snaps before making way for the back-ups and wannabes. Despite this being a meaningless game, there will obviously be a lot of emotions going on with the players on the field today as last season’s Super Bowl contestants square off once again just a few months later. However, it’s already been reported that starters for both team’s will see extremely limited, to no time at all in this contest. Seattle knows it will be in a dog-fight for the first ten minutes, but then Denver will take the foot off the gas after the first string exits. I’m not reading into the hype that the Bronco’s are trying to send a message and guess what? Neither will the Seahawks, they have absolutely nothing to prove and will be eager to test out their new talent on both sides of the ball. Peyton Manning won’t play long and from then on we’ll see a heavy dose of Brock Osweiller, who will be handing off to a squadron of RB’s who are fighting for the second and third spots. This isn’t the Super Bowl. This isn’t Week 1. This is the first game of the preseason, and as such, I’m expecting a sloppy contest which i dominated by defense and the run attack and in my opinion all signs point to a lower-scoring, “chess” match style affair; play on the UNDER.

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This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins.

Washington hired Jay Gruden as head coach after four seasons under Mike Shanahan; Gruden of course comes over after being the offensive coordinator for the last three years for the Bengals. While he was likely to only see a few snaps anyways, note that Redskins new acquistion DeSean Jackson hurt his knee earlier in the week and will likely be held out here. Also note that 2013 top receiver Pierre Garcon will also be sidelined with hamstring issues for Washington. The Patriots sport some pretty big names and all eyes will be on their new man, Darrelle Revis, arguably the best defender in the league; Revis has been dominant in practice and drills, repeatedly picking off Tom Brady in workouts. Also note that Vince Wilfork is back following a ruptured Achilles last season. The scuttle-butt out of New England is that the defense is on par with the offense for the first time in a half decade with the potential to be a Top 5 D. Note that Brady will be without the services of TE Rob Grokowski and backup TE Michael Hoomanawanui. The Redskins will also be looking to make a statement in the preseason on the defensive side of the ball after being one of the worst in that department in 2013, and as such would draft Stanford all-American linebacker Trent Murhpy with their first selection. Starters will see only a couple of snaps, with back-ups and wannabe’s fighting furiously for the coaches the rest of the way. With each side putting an added emphasis on improving defensively in the preseason, all signs point to this first one sneaking below the posted number; play on the UNDER.

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This is a 10* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills.

So here we go, the start of the 2014/15 NFL preseason, the first game on the schedule is always the Hall of Fame Game. Last year the Cowboys would beat the Dolphins 24-20, the total sailing well above the posted number. For a number of different reasons, I think this years game will be a much tighter, lower-scoring affair and look for the total to stay below the number. The New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills square off today, a couple of teams that certainly have more questions than answers on both sides of the ball. New York’s offensive line was a mess last year and QB Eli Manning struggled with consistency. The Giants’ running game was atrocious as well, the unit put up the franchise’s worst numbers since the mid 1940’s. We can expect New York to try and establish the run throughout the preseason as it looks to iron out the kinks; whether it’s David Wilson, Michael Cox, Rashad Jennings, Peyton Hillis or rookie Andre Williams getting the ball, they’re going to have their hands full running behind this suspect line. One area that New York did make significant strides in the offseason in was in the defensive backfield with the additions of veteran CB’s Walter Thurmond and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The Bills can empathize, consistency has not been the teams strong point the last few seasons and it will once again suffer in that department this year. Buffalo hired Jim Schwartz as its new defensive coordinator and he’ll shift the team from an attacking 3-4 to a wide nine 4-3 front. The offense will be a work in progress as well under second-year QB EJ Manuel. While the starters could see a few snaps tonight, expect them to quickly take a back seat to the backups and wannabe’s and on a hot and humid and potentially rainy night, I think all signs point to the UNDER as the sharp wager this year.

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