What Bettors Need to Know: Saturday's NFL Preseason Action
By Covers.com
New York Giants at New York Jets (-1, 36.5)
The Giants haven’t even taken the field versus their Big Apple rivals and already they’re sick of hearing about the Jets – namely QB Tim Tebow. That doesn’t mean the G-Men aren't taking the Jets second-stringer seriously. In fact, the Giants practiced against the Wildcat offense this week, using third-string QB Ryan Perrilloux as a Tebow clone.
The other New York team is planning to play their starters the entire first half Saturday. Jets head coach Rex Ryan leaked his rotation while also addressing the lack of bodies at receiver for Week 2 of the preseason. Wideouts Santonio Holmes and Jeremy Kerley will not play and Jordan White is doubtful with knee issues.
Kansas City Chiefs at St. Louis Rams (+1, 36.5)
New Rams coach Jeff Fisher is keeping it simple in the preseason and told the media his gameplan for Week 2 is the same as Week 1. Fisher says his starters will go a little deeper into the game than they did in a 38-3 beating by the Indianapolis Colts in the preseason opener.
Another new head coach, Romeo Crennel, was pleased with his team’s performance in the exhibition opener, especially the effort from running backs Peyton Hillis and Jamaal Charles, who is returning from a knee injury. Expect backups Brady Quinn and Ricky Stanzi to get the bulk of the action as the Chiefs are trying to hammer down a true No. 2 QB.
Washington Redskins at Chicago Bears (-1, 37)
Football fans in D.C. had to like what they saw from rookie QB Robert Griffen III during his limited action in Week 1 of the preseason. Much of that success can fall on head coach Mike Shanahan, who is rumored to have tinkered with the offense to mimic Griffen’s playbook at Baylor. Another rookie, RB Alfred Morris, could also get the start Saturday with so many injuries in the Redskins’ backfield.
The Bears looked terrible in their preseason debut, getting licked 31-3 by the Denver Broncos. Starting QB Jay Cutler sat out that Week 1 preseason tilt and is expected to get the nod in Week 2. Cutler was preoccupied after his girlfriend Kristin Cavallari recently gave birth to the couple’s first child and was told he was sitting during warm-ups last Thursday.
San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans (-3, 36.5)
The Niners are expected to open up the playbook on offense Saturday. San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh has been impressed with the quick connection between QB Alex Smith and his new targets. The 49ers are expected to debut WR Mario Manningham and RB Frank Gore after the two sat out last week’s tune-up versus the Minnesota Vikings.
The Texans unleashed hell against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 of the preseason, collecting eight sacks for 64 yards lost. Houston will turn its attention to offense versus the Niners in Week 2, with star WR Andre Johnson expected to suit up after sitting out the exhibition opener.
Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos (-1, 37.5)
The Seahawks have whittled their QB choices down to two, with rumors spreading that veteran pivot Tarvaris Jackson is on the trade block. That means that Russell Wilson and Matt Flynn are duking it out for the top job under center. Those two will have a brand new toy to play with Saturday when veteran WR Terrell Owens makes his Seattle debut.
The Broncos looked really good in their first run-through of the preseason. Denver demolished the Bears and got a good look at QB Peyton Manning, who is expected to play the entire first half Saturday. Bettors should expect the rest of the starters to put in those minutes as well with the Broncos hoping to get Manning comfortable with his new team.
Dallas Cowboys at San Diego Chargers (-3, 37)
The Cowboys' offseason woes continued this week when Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten suffered a spleen injury and could be lost for the first part of the regular season. Dallas has been bitten hard by the injury bug this offseason. That hasn’t scared head coach Jason Garrett from playing Tony Romo more in Week 2. The QB is expected to play more than his 11 snaps from Week 1’s 3-0 win over the Oakland Raiders.
San Diego suffered a scare in Week 1 of the exhibition schedule after running back Ryan Matthews left the game with a broken collarbone. The Bolts will lean on RB Ronnie Brown to fill that hole while Matthews recovers. He rushed for just eight yards on three carries in the win over the Green Bay Packers last Thursday.
NFL Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
New York Giants at New York Jets
Bragging rights in the Big Apple will be at stake when the New York Giants and New York Jets hold their annual preseason skirmish. Jets scored a pair of field goals in a 17-6 loss at Cincinnati in their opener as Sanchez, Tebow, McElroy managed just 57 total passing yards and got sacked five times. The defending Super Bowl champs built a 24-7 first-half lead at Jaguars in their first warm-up session but ended losing the affair 32-31 with their trio of QB's notching 4 TD's on 132 passing yards. Flyboys handed G-Men a 17-3 loss in last years warm-up meeting marking Jets' 9th win the past 12 preseason encounters (7-4-1 ATS). Expect champs to return the favor this season, their defense will be motivated after giving up a ton last week making it tough on Jets who are working with a depleted receiving corps. Thinking total, the clubs have a 9-3 'Under' stretch going in these August matchups. Jets the designated home team are 1.0 point favorite with the total set at 36.5. Betting on the NFL in August is a completely different exercise than betting on the same sport a month later.
Saturday Betting Notes
By Antony Dinero
VegasInsider.com
N.Y. GIANTS at N.Y. JETS
After hearing about him all summer, the reigning champion Giants are certainly interested in making a statement against Tim Tebow. Consider it the unfortunate curse of being the most popular backup quarterback in NFL history, but the already important preseason encounter between the teams that share MetLife Stadium takes on added significance, polarizing the city due to the likelihood that the Jets chances hinge on this month's GQ cover boy. According to the New York Daily News, Tebow went 2-for-10, got picked off and took four sacks in Thursday's final scrimmage of training camp.
Santonio Holmes won't play for the Jets, nursing a rib injury. That means starter Mark Sanchez and backups Tebow, Greg McElroy and Matt Simms will be working short-handed as far as options, since rookie Jordan White and newcomer Chaz Schilens are definitely out. Another top rookie, Stephen Hill, hurt his right ring finger earlier in the week, while Jeremy Kerley has just recently returned to practice after a hamstring issue. So, yes, there's a fairly good chance Antonio Cromartie's two-way experiment sees the light of the day against the Giants.
The Giants are without Hakeem Nicks (foot), who returned to practice this week but isn't ready for game action. There's a lot of competition behind Nicks and Victor Cruz, so Eli Manning and David Carr will have the luxury of playing with eager targets Jerrel Jernigan, Rueben Randle, Domenik Hixon and Isaiah Stanback, trying to carve out roles and separate themselves.
Despite the advantage at the receiver spot, the Giants have similar attrition on the defensive front. DT Marvin Austin's back issues aren't going away, which makes it likely that he'll be out the entire preseason. DT Chris Canty is already out until at least Week 1 with his knee issue and DT Shaun Rogers has been lost for 2012. Suddenly, a position of strength is no longer deep, as new signees are just getting up to speed. That's a big factor for NYG to start the season, but obviously even more critical against the ground-oriented attack the Jets employ.
Both Rex Ryan and Tom Coughlin have been over-friendly in their preseason careers. Coughlin racked up another in last week's shootout in Jacksonville to get to 42 overs in 66 games, while Ryan's Jets were held down by Cincinnati, making him 8-4-1 in the totals game.
KANSAS CITY at ST. LOUIS
Following last season's injury-riddled and highly irregular preseason that ultimately cost Todd Haley his job, the Chiefs have remained healthy and were among the most impressive teams in Week 1. Matt Cassel shined in his first outing under new coordinator Brian Daboll. This showdown in St. Louis is expected to be a big opportunity for Ricky Stanzi to win the backup QB job over Brady Quinn.
Kansas City's top receiver, Dwayne Bowe, finally signed a contract and reported to camp, though he's not expected to play here.
St. Louis was a 38-3 loser in Indianapolis and put together the most listless performance of the preseason. Jeff Fisher is counting on a more aggressive approach and plans on seeing more from starter Sam Bradford and the first-string offense, hoping to take advantage of Kansas City's top corner, Brandon Flowers.
Last year's annual in-state rivalry preseason game went the Rams way, 14-10, at Arrowhead.
WASHINGTON at CHICAGO
The Bears will see QB Jay Cutler, RB Matt Forte and DE Julius Peppers start after sitting out last week against Denver. Look for them all to get at least a quarter, while a porous offensive line that badly needs reps is expected to play the entire first half.
Any time Rex Grossman faces the Bears, it's news. He's accepted backing up Robert Griffin III but will have a little something extra for his former team, especially with the Chicago crowd likely to be as ruthless as they were when he wore their uniform. RG3 was impressive in his debut and will play into the second quarter against a defense missing Brian Urlacher, among others.
Last year's top two rushers, Tim Hightower and Roy Helu, remain out for Washington. As a result, likely opening day starter Evan Royster will see early action before giving way to Alfred Morris, a rookie out of Florida Atlantic who has made a strong impression on the coaching staff. He'll get some time with the starters. No active coach has won more preseason games than Mike Shanahan, who racked up his 48th victory in 77 outings last week. He's also an impressive 43-32-2 against the number.
SAN FRANCISCO at HOUSTON
Arian Foster fumbled in his only carry last week, so even though all eyes will continue to be on Matt Schaub as he returns from last year's season-ending injury, look for Houston's All-Pro running back to get an increased workload. Andre Johnson will also be out there, as head coach Gary Kubiak is interested in seeing his best players perform into the second quarter.
Jim Harbaugh is still playing with new toys, but Frank Gore will finally get a few carries after sitting out last week. Kendall Hunter and Brandon Jacobs will still likely get the bulk of the action. Mario Manningham will also be unveiled for the first time, as he Randy Moss and a new-look receiving corps will work with Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick and Josh Johnson, slated to play ahead of Scott Tolzien.
Harbaugh is 3-2 SU and ATS in his brief preseason career, while Gary Kubiak has really done a nice job with the Texans (14-11 SU, 14-9 ATS).
SEATTLE at DENVER
Peyton Manning barely got touched in last week's opener in Chicago, so the plan is for him to continue keeping his uniform clean as he debuts in front of friendly faces at Mile High. It remains to be seen how cautious the Broncos plan on being with him, but it's worth pointing out that he'll be playing behind an offensive line missing right guard Chris Kuper, who fractured his forearm in practice this week.
The story from Seattle's standpoint is Terrell Owens making his debut with the team. It sounds like he'll be catching passes from starter Matt Flynn and exciting rookie Russell Wilson, who was electric in helping net last week's win and cover. Speedster Doug Baldwin will also be back after a bout with a hamstring injury, so the Seahawks will get a better look at what their offense can do. That said, top receiving threat Sidney Rice (shoulder) will again be held out. While it looks like Flynn is a virtual lock to start the season under center, Wilson can make things interesting if he shines again.
Denver's defense won't be at full strength due to cornerback Tracy Porter (abdominal) and safety Quinton Carter (knee) missing from the secondary. Linebackers Danny Trevathan (ankle) and Keith Brooking (hamstring) also missed time, so the depth that is typically a strength won't be in play.
The Seahawks will be debuting their futuristic-looking new road uniforms, a metallic blue with lime green trim that could do long-term damage to your retina if you stare directly at it.
DALLAS at SAN DIEGO
After an ominous debut where the Tony Romo-led first-string offense failed to score in Oakland and lost Jason Witten to a lacerated spleen, the Cowboys hope for a lot more scoring in San Diego. That's the only reason Romo is being exposed for at least a quarter, since Jason Garrett has already said he'd like to see him for a longer turn than he took against the Raiders on Monday night. Kyle Orton will follow, also looking for sharper play. It won't help either that Miles Austin remains out.
Despite an array of offensive line issues and Ryan Mathews having broken his collarbone in the preseason opener, Philip Rivers is slated to get in a substantial workload. Following up will likely be Charlie Whitehurst in his first action of the preseason, while rookie Jarrett Lee is set to mop up. Ronnie Brown is starting at running back.
Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware has been declared out with a hamstring tweak, so two first-team linebackers will be missing with Anthony Spencer (hamstring) still out. First-round pick Morris Claiborne will start. Dallas is hoping he'll be its shutdown corner, so it will be interesting to see if any of the guys vying to be San Diego's No. 1 receiver can get off on the rookie.
NFL Pre Season Betting Preview
Oddsbustersports.com
Giants +1 & under 36.5... The Jets managed just a 173 total yards last week vs the Bengals with one of the worst QB lineup's in the NFL in Sanchez, Tebow & McElroy. Enough said...
Chiefs -1... The Rams defense allowed 116 yards rushing & 314 yards passing last week proving their defense has many questions and holes in it. How do you not give an initial lean to the Chiefs here...
Bears/Skins under 37... The Bears have a serious RB situation, and it's not a good one IMO. Booker, Bell & Allen got most of the carries last week as the Bears surely look like they are ready to approach both Bush (only 3 carries) & Forte (0 carries) with much caution. Cutler & Forte are both expected to play in this game but I don't expect to see them out there for anything past 1qtr tops and maybe only 1 or 2 series at best. Brandon Marshall is still learning with his new team so in a game that doesn't mean much I wouldn't be shocked to see the Bears throw up another score of less than 10 tonight. RG3 looked well in limited time last week 4 for 6 = 70yards & a TD, but again, it's that limited time factor that gets me here as his QB followers of Kirk Cousins & Rex Grossman are prime pieces to the possibility of ugly football (11 for 33 last week)...
Texans/49ers over 36.5... 49er QB's outside off Alex Smith went 17 for 26 last week (65%) & Texan QB's outside of Matt Schaub went 14 for 21 (67%). That said both teams rushed for 434 yards on 81 carries (5.36ypc) & 2TD's last week. Not only do these 2 teams have excellent structure and solid coaching they also have lot's of talent at both RB & QB to go along with 2 of the better O-Line's in all of football. I will most likely be on the over here as a play...
Broncos/Seahawks... Wilson & Flynn looked good last week (23 for 39 combined), but i'm surely not getting excited about production that came against a very unknown Titan defense IMO. I expect a better defensive effort from the Bronco's here than what the Titans gave the Seahawks last week. However my question marks are still a mile long on the Broncos offense both with & without Peyton in the mix. The Broncos forced 3TO's last week vs the Bears and only had 3pt's on the scoreboard to show from it. I'm just not sold on their 31 point output last week (Yet). I'm surely staying away from this game...
Chargers -3... The Cowboys had just 54 yards on 20 carries last week (2.7ypc) against a Raider defense that just allowed 127 yards (30 carries) on the ground to a pathetic Arizona rushing offense. That's not giving much hope of a Dallas rushing offense attack to run wild anytime soon. And now that Charlie Whitehurst is scheduled to play tonight after sitting out last week I think the Chargers chances of winning this week are much greater than that of last week vs GB. Whitehurst is a 30 year veteran that has a strong arm most have most likely forgotten about. Why this may be important is because the Chargers have an assortment of WR's that many GM's would kill for IMO (Well at least I would). Malcom Floyd, Robert Meachum, Vincent Brown, Eddie Royal & Roscoe Parrish are great compliments to their leader Antonio Gates. I fully expect Vincent Brown to have a breakout year in San Diego and he was excellent last week catching 4 balls for 81 yards and a TD. The fire power is there for the Chargers unlike what most people think via the Vincent Jackson departure and post LT days and now the Ryan Mathews injury. The Mathews injury is surely a blow but i'm telling you this Charger passing attack is going to blowup this season with young fast legs that all want to get paid!!!