Preseason Preview Week 2
By Brobury Sports
Tennessee (+5) at Pittsburgh – Thursday 9/10
Tennessee is expected to take a step back after going 13-3 in the regular season last year. Quarterback Kerry Collins was a big reason for their success, but he’s had problems with turnovers over his career against aggressive defenses like Pittsburgh. Look for a conservative game plan from Coach Jeff Fisher.
The defending champion Steelers get the luxury of starting the NFL season on Thursday night. Pittsburgh lost little from their team of a year ago and they have an easy schedule overall. Five points is a good amount to give against a quality team like Tennessee but Pittsburgh certainly has the ability to cover.
Philadelphia (+1) at Carolina – Sunday 9/13
Mike Vick has joined the Eagles to the horror of all dog owners in the Philadelphia metro area. Vick is not fully reinstated by the league yet and will be the backup when eligible, but Donovan McNabb has the offensive weapons to take Philly all the way.
Carolina had a great regular season last year before being upset at home by Arizona in the playoffs. That loss and the subsequent holdout of Julius Peppers had the fans down on the team. Peppers is back but is quarterback Jake Delhomme still scarred from his five interception playoff performance? The Eagles could get the upset here.
Washington (+6) at NY Giants – Sunday 9/13
NFC East fans are getting an early treat as these hated rivals meet in New York. This is a big year for quarterback Jason Campbell and Coach Jim Zorn, who will both be gone from the team with a poor season. The Redskins defense is top-notch on paper, but this is the toughest division in football.
New York Giants quarterback, Eli Manning just signed his new mammoth contract, but how will he hold up to the pressure without a true number one receiver? There aren’t a lot of holes on the rest of the team and the ‘G-Men’ are 5-1 straight-up and ATS in the last six meetings between the teams.
Chicago (+3) at Green Bay – Sunday 9/13
Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler has energized a franchise who’ve had to depend on their running game and defense to make up for a lack of passing game. Cutler is sure to pay dividends shortly, but opening up at Lambeau Field on a Sunday night is a tough order.
Green Bay lost seven games last year by four points or less and a lot of the blame has to go to quarterback Aaron Rodgers despite his solid overall stats. The Pack have to be happy that Brett Favre decided not to join rival Minnesota but they need a good start at home if they want to be division contenders.
Buffalo (+10) at New England – Monday 9/14
Buffalo wide receiver, Terrell Owens has made plenty of headlines after signing as a free agent. Ultimately though, their success will depend on how quarterback Trent Edwards adapts to the no-huddle offense cause their underrated defense could vault them to second in the AFC East behind New England.
Patriots’ quarterback, Tom Brady seems completely over last year’s knee injury. That means the New England offense will be one of the best in the league and the ‘D’ will determine if they’re worthy of being Super Bowl favorites. This will be a great atmosphere in New England for Monday Night Football, but this is still a big spread for a first game.
Other Week 1 Odds
Sunday
Miami (+4) at Atlanta – 1 pm EST
Denver (+3) at Cincinnati – 1 pm EST
Minnesota (-3) at Cleveland – 1 pm EST
Jacksonville (+7) at Indianapolis – 1 pm EST
Detroit at New Orleans – 1 pm EST
Dallas (-3) at Tampa Bay – 1 pm EST
Kansas City (+9) at Baltimore – 1 pm EST
NY Jets (+4) at Houston – 1 pm EST
San Francisco (+6.5) at Arizona – 4:15 pm EST
St. Louis (+7) at Seattle – 4:15 pm EST
San Diego (-7) at Oakland – Monday 10:15 pm ET