NFL Pre-season Betting Info

[TheGame]

Thursday's NFL Notes
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com

Road teams went 11-5 in the first week of the preseason and underdogs went 10-6 both straight up and against the spread. Ten of the 16 games were decided by eight or more points.
The ‘over’ went 11-5 and VegasInsider.com expert Tony Stoffo isn’t surprised by the early total results.

He explained, "Just like I wrote in my Preseason Report, the lack of hitting in camp has the defenses way behind the offenses right now. For example, just take a look at the Ravens, a traditional low-scoring team in previous years and their first game turns into a 44-16 final against Tampa Bay last Thursday. Under these same conditions a year ago the Ravens watched a combined 48, 39, 65, and 48 points put up on the scoreboard in their four preseason games."

Ooddsmakers had one total listed above 40 points in Week 1, and it went ‘over’ (Eagles-Patriots) the total.

In Week 2, there are 12 games with an opening number of at least 40 and the other four numbers aren’t lower than 38 points. To put things in perspective and show you how the preseason is changing in terms of totals, there were only two totals listed above 40 in Week 2 during the 2011 and 2012 preseason campaigns.

Stoffo believes the ‘over’ run will continue in Week 2 but could simmer down in the second-half of the preseason.

He said, "Things should be the same again this week as the coaches need to see their younger players, which will turn into a ton of blown defensive coverage and some big scoring plays. Then, things should return to the norm in next week’s dress-rehearsal games where the starters play into the second half. I’m not sure we’ll see another 11-5 lean to the ‘over’ but I do expect to see plenty of points again this weekend."

Detroit at Cleveland

Week 1 Notes

Detroit – The Lions defeated the Jets 26-17 as four-point favorites
Cleveland – The Browns defeated the Rams 27-19 as 3 ½-point favorites

Expected QB Rotation

Detroit - Matthew Stafford, Shaun Hill, Kellen Moore
Cleveland - Brandon Weeden, Jason Campbell, Brian Hoyer

Week 2 Preseason Records (2010-2012)

Detroit (3-0)
Cleveland (1-2)

Coaching Notes (Overall Preseason Record)

Rob Chudzinkski (1-0)
Last week’s game versus St. Louis was his Chudzinkski’s first as a head coach.

Jim Schwartz (13-4)
The Lions have gone 5-3 on the road in the preseason under Schwartz

Handicapping Notes

The Lions have seen the 'over' go 5-1-1 in their last six preseason games. Philadelphia is on a 4-1 'over' run in preseason games.

Atlanta at Baltimore

Week 1 Notes

Atlanta – The Falcons lost to the Bengals 34-10 as two-point home favorites
Baltimore – The Ravens defeated the Buccaneers 44-16 as three-point road underdogs

Expected QB Rotation

Atlanta - Matt Ryan, Dominique Davis, Sean Renfree (Rookie - Duke), Seth Doege (Rookie - Texas Tech)
Baltimore - Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor, Caleb Hanie

Week 2 Preseason Records (2010-2012)

Atlanta (0-3)
Baltimore (2-1)

Coaching Notes (Overall Preseason Record)

Mike Smith (7-14)
Smith went 2-2 in each of his first three seasons but he’s gone 1-7 the last two years and 0-1 so far this season.

John Harbaugh (14-7)
The Ravens have gone 5-1 in their last six preseason games at home.

Handicapping Notes

The Ravens have seen the 'over' go 4-1 in their last five preseason games

Carolina at Philadelphia

Week 1 Notes

Carolina – The Panthers defeated the Bears 24-17 as three-point home favorites
Philadelphia – The Eagles lost to the Patriots 31-22 as three-point home favorites

Expected QB Rotation

Carolina - Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Jimmy Clausen, Colby Cameron (Rookie - Louisiana Tech)
Philadelphia - Michael Vick, Nick Foles, Matt Barkley (Rookie - USC)

Week 2 Preseason Records (2010-2012)

Carolina (1-2)
Philadelphia (1-2)

Coaching Notes (Overall Preseason Record)

Ron Rivera (4-5)
The Panthers have averaged 14 PPG in four preseason road games under Rivera, which has produced a 2-2 record. The ‘under’ has gone 3-1.

Chip Kelly (0-1)
Last week’s game versus New England was Kelly’s first as a head coach.

Handicapping Notes

Carolina is 1-10 straight up and 3-8 against the spread in its last 11 preseason road games.

San Diego at Chicago

Week 1 Notes

San Diego – The Chargers lost to the Seahawks 31-10 as three-point home underdogs
Chicago – The Bears lost to the Panthers 24-17 as three-point road underdogs

Expected QB Rotation

San Diego - Philip Rivers, Charlie Whitehurst, Brad Sorensen (Rookie - Southern Utah), Mike Hermann (Rookie- RPI)
Chicago - Jay Cutler, Josh McCown, Matt Blanchard

Week 2 Preseason Records (2010-2012)

San Diego (2-1)
Chicago (1-2)

Coaching Notes (Overall Preseason Record)

Mike McCoy (0-1)
Mark Trestman (0-1)
Both coaches made their NFL preseason debuts in Week 1.

Handicapping Notes

The Chargers are 4-0 both SU and ATS in their last four preseason road games.

[TheGame]

Blaine Gabbert will start Saturday's preseason game against the Jets.
Gabbert started the opener, completing just 5-of-10 passes for 19 yards and a pick, and most expected Chad Henne to get the nod in the second game. Coach Gus Bradley says Gabbert needs the reps after starting just ten games last season.

[TheGame]

NFL Preseason Primer: Friday Game Betting Breakdown
By Bryan Power
Covers.com

Minnesota at Buffalo (-3.5, 43)

Forced to throw rookie QB EJ Manuel to the wolves in their preseason opener, the Bills could not have asked for a better result last Sunday than what they got in a 44-20 road win over the Colts. Thanks to Kevin Kolb slipping on a mat (can't make it up!) and injuring himself, Manuel played the entire first half vs. Indianapolis & had a stellar debut, completing 16 of 21 passes for 107 yards and one touchdown. Kolb is slated to start Friday, the Bills announced Thursday. Behind Manuel, another rookie, Jeff Tuel also played well completing 19 of 23 passes for 200+ yards and two scores. It remains to be seen how Buffalo can adjust to the short week (Sunday to Friday), but this is 1st year head coach Doug Marrone's home debut.

Minnesota is a clear candidate to regress in 2013 from where I sit. We saw little of Christian Ponder in the team's 27-13 loss last week to Houston as he was in for all of one series and threw an INT. The Vikings are 7-3 SU all-time vs. the Bills in the preseason.

Tampa Bay at New England (-3, 40.5)

These two teams experienced very different results in their respective preseason openers. The Bucs got blown out at home by the Super Bowl Champion Ravens 44-16 while the Patriots went into Philadelphia and rolled the Eagles 31-22. Despite missing his six top pass catchers from a year ago, Tom Brady did not miss a beat as the Patriots QB completed seven of eight passes for 65 yards and a TD. On the team's first drive, Brady handed the ball off six straight times and the offense went 80 yards for a touchdown. Running back LeGarrette Blount ran for 101 yards (on only 11 carries!) in his Patriots debut. Backup quarterback Ryan Mallett got injured, leaving Tim Tebow to stink up the joint down the stretch.

In Tampa Bay, all eyes are still on QB Josh Freeman, who has been very inconsistent in his three seasons in the NFL. He was in for two possessions in the opener. Rookie Mike Glennon threw for 169 yards, but the bulk of that came on two completions.

Oakland at New Orleans (-6.5, 42)

The first thing that jumps out at me here is that this a pretty high line for a preseason game. But we all know how effective the Saints typically are at home. Last week, they beat another bad AFC West team, the Chiefs, 17-13. In head coach Sean Payton's return to the sidelines, the game plan was pretty vanilla on offense for New Orleans. On defense, things did not look good early for a unit that allowed an NFL record 7,042 yards last season. But against the Kansas City backups, they allowed just 135 total yards. Rob Ryan is the new defensive coordinator here.

Oakland also won its preseason opener, at home, in low-scoring fashion. They beat Dallas 19-17. Three projected starters along the defensive line sat out the game for the Raiders and they failed to put any kind of pressure on the Cowboys quarterbacks. On offense, free agent acquisition Matt Flynn didn't do much other than fumble. Terelle Pryor saw significant time and while he looked good at certain points, he also threw an interception in the end zone.

San Francisco at Kansas City (-1.5, 40)

Spirits should be high here as Alex Smith meets his former team. Neither team looked very good last week. San Francisco turned the ball over four times in its 10-6 loss to Denver last Thursday. QB Colin Kaepernick did complete all four of his passes and was in for only one drive, which resulted in a field goal. From there, the Niners did almost nothing. New kicker Phil Dawson was two of three on attempts. Reports are that last year's 1st round draft choice WR AJ Jenkins is treading on thin ice and may be in danger of not making the team.

Smith completed seven of eight pass attempts in leading the starters to a touchdown on the opening drive, but from there Kansas City did little, if anything. The special teams was promising with two big returns, one on a kickoff, the other on a punt. Starting running back Jamal Charles is out after straining his foot in practice. He is expected to be fine.

[TheGame]

Friday Preseason Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com

Thursday's betting recap: All four home teams were victorious, but the Bears and Ravens were unable to cash as home favorites. The 'over' finished 2-2 last night, while the highest total (44) easily went 'under' in the Eagles/Panthers contest (14-9). Cleveland is the only team that has covered both of its preseason games with a 24-6 home triumph over Detroit as 1 ½-point favorites.

Vikings at Bills

Week 1 Results:

Vikings lose to Texans, 27-13 as one-point home favorites
Bills beat Colts, 44-20 as 4 ½-point road underdogs

Expected Quarterback Rotations:

Minnesota: C. Ponder, M. Cassell, M. Bethel-Thompson
Buffalo: K. Kolb, E.J. Manuel, J. Tuel

Preseason Coaching Records:

Leslie Frazier (MIN): 3-6 SU, 3-6 ATS
1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS on road

Doug Marrone (BUF): 1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS
First home preseason game

Buccaneers at Patriots

Week 1 Results:

Buccaneers lost to Ravens, 44-16 as three-point home favorites
Patriots beat Eagles, 31-22 as 3 ½-point road underdogs

Expected Quarterback Rotations:

Tampa Bay: J. Freeman, M. Glennon, A. Weber
New England: T. Brady, R. Mallett, T. Tebow

Preseason Coaching Records:

Greg Schiano (TB): 2-3 SU, 2-3 ATS
1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS on road

Bill Belichick (NE): 9-8 SU, 7-9-1 ATS (Last 5 seasons)
4-4 SU, 3-5 ATS at home

Raiders at Saints

Week 1 Results:

Raiders beat Cowboys, 19-17 as 1 ½-point home underdogs
Saints beat Chiefs, 17-13 as three-point home favorites

Expected Quarterback Rotations:

Oakland: M. Flynn, T. Pryor, T. Wilson, M.McGloin
New Orleans: D. Brees, L. McCown, R. Griffin

Preseason Coaching Records:

Dennis Allen (OAK): 2-3 SU, 3-2 ATS
0-2 SU, 1-1 on road

Sean Payton (NOR): 10-7 SU, 11-6 ATS (Last 5 seasons)
5-4 SU, 5-4 ATS at home

49ers at Chiefs

Week 1 Results:

49ers lost to Broncos, 10-6 as three-point home favorites
Chiefs lost to Saints, 17-13 as three-point road underdogs

Expected Quarterback Rotations:

San Francisco: C. Kaepernick, C. McCoy, S. Tolzien
Kansas City: A. Smith, C. Daniel, R. Stanzi

Preseason Coaching Records:

Jim Harbaugh (SF): 5-4 SU, 5-4 ATS
2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS on road

Andy Reid (KC): 10-7 SU, 7-9-1 ATS (Last 5 seasons)
Chiefs: 2-11 SU, 1-10-2 (Last 13 preseason games)

[TheGame]

According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network, the Patriots are expected to use all three quarterbacks tonight — Brady, Ryan Mallett and Tim Tebow — against the Buccaneers.

[TheGame]

Stevie Johnson (hamstring) is inactive for Friday's preseason game.
Johnson returned to a limited practice Wednesday, but remains day-to-day with a strained hamstring. He expects to be available for the Bills' third preseason game.

[TheGame]

NFL Preseason Primer: Saturday Game Betting Breakdown
By Bryan Power
Covers.com

Dallas at Arizona (-3, 41)

This will be the Cowboys' third game of the preseason. After pulling off an outright win in the Hall of Fame Game, they lost last week in Oakland, 19-17, on a short week. After sitting out the HOF Game, QB Tony Romo played two series against the Raiders, one of them resulting in a field goal. However that drive also started at the Oakland 16. Romo was actually better on the second drive, which resulted in a blocked field goal. Dallas' special teams were not good overall in the loss.

One of the big storylines in Cardinals camp right now is the play of rookie Tyrann Mathieu. The "Honey Badger" will get his 1st start Saturday afternoon after impressing teammates and coaches alike in practice. Arizona won its preseason opener, shutting out Green Bay 17-0. As you can probably guess, the defense was quite impressive as it forced a fumble, had one interception and three sacks. The kicking game was not good as the team was just 1-for-4 on field goal attempts.


Tennessee at Cincinnati (-2.5, 41)

The Titans lost last week at home to the Redskins, 22-21. That said, they did lead 14-7 at the end of the first quarter and rushed for 92 yards, 58 of them coming on a Chris Johnson touchdown. QB Jake Locker looked okay, completing 7 of 11 passes for 58 yards, but was sacked twice and the first team offense went three and out on the opening drive. He played most of the first half last week and should do so again here.

Locally, this game will be blacked out as it did not sell out. That's too bad because the Bengals look like they could be a very good team in 2013. They won the preseason opener 34-10 at Atlanta. I really like rookie running back Giovanni Bernard, who will split time with incumbent Benjarvus Green-Ellis. Josh Johnson and John Skelton gave the team strong QB play last week behind starter Andy Dalton.


Jacksonville at NY Jets (-2.5, 38.5)

The prognostications for both of these teams is rather bleak in 2013. The big story here is that for a second straight week, the Jets will go with Mark Sanchez as the starter after head coach Rex Ryan called Geno Smith's performance in 11 on 11 drills Wednesday "brutal". Sanchez was his usual self last week, throwing a pick-six and a touchdown pass. Smith went 6-of-7 for 47 yards, but did not lead any scoring drives in the team's 26-17 loss at Detroit.

Jacksonville was clobbered 27-3 last week at home by Miami in new head coach Gus Bradley's debut. Blaine Gabbert looked as awful as ever, completing only five passes for 19 yards, though his teammates offered little assistance, dropping two passes. Chad Henne completed 8 of 11 passes for 87 yards and looked better. Receiver Justin Blackmon was taken to the locker room following an on the field outburst.


Miami at Houston (-3, 41)

This will be the third preseason game for the Dolphins, who lost the Hall of Fame Game, but came back and clobbered the Jaguars last week. After taking just 10 snaps in the opener, QB Ryan Tannehill was more effective against Jacksonville, completing five of nine passes and one touchdown. Last week was Miami's first ever preseason win in six tries under head coach Joe Philbin. The depth chart is expected to be the exact same as last week.

Houston won its preseason opener last week on the road, beating Minnesota 27-13. Rookie receiver DeAndre Hopkins made an exciting touchdown grab and has the coaching staff excited that they finally may have found the compliment to Andre Johnson. A number of Texans starters did not play last week, including RB Arian Foster, DE JJ Watt, LB Brian Cushing, S Ed Reed and Johnson. Cushing will play here for sure. There is a battle for the backup QB job between TJ Yates and Case Keenum. Keenum will play second string Saturday.


Green Bay at St. Louis (-4.5, 40)

After being shutout at home in their opener, 17-0 by the Cardinals, the Packers will be looking to bounce back this week. A number of players (17 in all!) did not dress last week due to injury. QB Aaron Rodgers played one series and led his team down to the goal line where they could not punch it in. Backup Graham Harrell saw most of the work last week.

St. Louis was openly mocked by Browns color commentator Bernie Kosar last week, but actually had a chance to tie the game late. Still though, their starters were outscored 17-0. A couple key coaching trends here as Packers coach Mike McCarthy is 20-9 Over in all preseason games while Rams coach Jeff Fisher is 3-0 ATS all-time in the preseason with at least eight days rest.


Denver at Seattle (-4.5, 41)

I'm tempted to call this a "Super Bowl Preview" as right now if you made me pick, these would be my predicted AFC and NFC Champs. Both teams won last week on the road against a division foe of the other. Seattle pulled away from San Diego late, winning 31-10, while Denver won an ugly 10-6 game at San Francisco.

I would not expect Peyton Manning or Russell Wilson to play much here. Manning played just one series last week. The Broncos were fortunate to win the game as they finished with a +4 edge in turnovers.

[TheGame]

Saturday Preseason Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com

Friday's Betting Recap: Home favorites finished 3-1 SU/ATS with the lone loser being Kansas City. The Chiefs lost to the 49ers, 15-13 as 2 ½-point 'chalk,' as San Francisco scored a late touchdown to grab the outright win. The 'over' went 2-2 last night, as the highest total on the board (43) stayed 'under' in the Vikings/Bills contest (20-16). Home teams own a 7-1 SU and 5-3 ATS record in Week 2 of the preseason, while totals have been split down the middle at 4-4.

Cowboys at Cardinals

Week 1 Results:
Cowboys lost to Raiders, 19-17 as 1 ½-point road favorites
Cardinals beat Packers, 17-0 as two-point road underdogs

Expected Quarterback Rotations:
Dallas: T. Romo, K. Orton, N. Stephens, A. Tanney
Arizona: C. Palmer, D. Stanton, R. Lindley, C. Terbush

Preseason Coaching Records:
Jason Garrett (DAL): 6-4 SU, 4-6 ATS
Garrett is 2-3 SU, 2-3 ATS on road

Bruce Arians (ARZ): 1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS
First home preseason game

Titans at Bengals

Week 1 Results:
Titans lost to Redskins, 22-21 as three-point home favorites
Bengals beat Falcons, 34-10 as 1 ½-point road underdogs

Expected Quarterback Rotations:
Tennessee: J. Locker, R. Fitzpatrick, R. Smith
Cincinnati: A. Dalton, J. Johnson, J. Skelton

Preseason Coaching Records:
Mike Munchak (TEN): 3-2 SU, 3-2 ATS
Munchak is 1-1 SU, 2-0 ATS on road

Marvin Lewis (CIN): 21-21 SU, 21-20-1 ATS
Bengals have split their last 10 games against the spread as a preseason favorite since 2009.

Jaguars at Jets

Week 1 Results:
Jaguars lost to Dolphins, 27-3 as one-point home underdogs
Jets lost to Lions, 25-17 as four-point road underdogs

Expected Quarterback Rotations:
Jacksonville: B. Gabbert, C. Henne, M. Kafka, M. Scott
NY Jets: M. Sanchez, G. Smith, G. McElroy

Preseason Coaching Records:
Gus Bradley (JAX): 0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS
Jaguars are 2-7 ATS the last nine preseason games

Rex Ryan (NYJ): 6-11 SU, 7-10 ATS
Jets have lost six straight preseason games both SU and ATS.

Dolphins at Texans

Week 1 Results:
Dolphins beat Jaguars, 27-3 as one-point road favorites
Texans beat Vikings, 27-13 as one-point road underdogs

Expected Quarterback Rotations:
Miami: R. Tannehill, M. Moore
Houston: M. Schaub, T. Yates, C. Keenum

Preseason Coaching Records:
Joe Philbin (MIA): 1-5 SU, 1-5 ATS
Dolphins have cashed the 'under' in six of their last nine preseason games

Gary Kubiak (HOU): 17-12 SU, 17-10-2 ATS
Texans own a 7-2 SU/ATS record the last nine preseason games

Packers at Rams

Week 1 Results:
Packers lost to Cardinals, 17-0 as two-point home favorites
Rams lost to Browns, 27-19 as 3 ½-point road underdogs

Expected Quarterback Rotations:
Green Bay: A. Rodgers, G. Harrell, V. Young, B. Coleman
St. Louis: S. Bradford, K. Clemens, A. Davis

Preseason Coaching Records:
Mike McCarthy (GB): 14-15 SU, 13-14-2 ATS
Packers have hit 'under' in four of last five preseason games

Jeff Fisher (STL): 2-3 SU, 3-2 ATS
Rams are 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS the last five home preseason games

Broncos at Seahawks

Week 1 Results:
Broncos beat 49ers, 10-6 as three-point road underdogs
Seahawks beat Chargers, 31-10 as three-point home favorites

Expected Quarterback Rotations:
Denver: P. Manning, B. Osweiler, Z. Dysert
Seattle: R. Wilson, B. Quinn, T. Jackson

Preseason Coaching Records:
John Fox (DEN): 5-4 SU, 5-4 ATS
Broncos are 4-0 to the 'under' the last four away preseason games

Pete Carroll (SEA): 8-5 SU, 8-4-1 ATS
Seahawks have won and covered their last five preseason games

[TheGame]

NFL Preseason Primer: Sunday Game Betting Breakdown
By Bryan Power
Covers.com

A look from the bettor's perspective of Sunday's NFL preseason game.

Indianapolis at NY Giants (-1.5, 40.5)

The Colts are a team a lot of people are calling for to "regress" this season and they definitely got off to an auspicious start to the preseason, losing last week at home to Buffalo 44-20. The poor performance caused owner Jim Irsay to take to Twitter to "rip" the team. Their starters didn't play much, with QB Andrew Luck in for only two series. Reportedly, the first team offense will be in for a significantly longer amount of time here. Special teams coverage was a major issue last week, most notably allowing a 107-yd kick return for a TD.

The Giants won a pretty ugly game last week, 18-13 in Pittsburgh. The highlight was a 57-yard TD pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz. Head coach Tom Coughlin is 7-3 ATS as a home favorite as the coach of the Giants in the preseason.

[TheGame]

Betting Notebook - Colts at Giants
Vegasinsider.com

Preseason Trends

The ‘over’ went 12-5 in the first two weeks of the preseason but the trend has tempered a little bit this weekend with the ‘over’ going 7-6-1 in the first 14 games.

The theme in Week 2 has been about the home team, who have produced a 12-2 straight up record. and 10-4 against the spread mark. The 49ers’ 15-13 victory over the Chiefs on Friday and the Packers’ 19-7 win at St. Louis on Saturday were the two wins from road teams.

Seven of the 14 games played this week have been decided by five points or less.

Indianapolis at New York Giants

Week 1 Notes

Indianapolis (0-1) - The Colts lost to the Bills 44-20 as 4 ½-point home favorites
New York (1-0) – The Giants beat the Steelers 18-13 as 2 ½-point road underdogs

Expected QB Rotation

Indianapolis – Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck, Chandler Harnish
New York – Eli Manning, David Carr, Ryan Nassib (Rookie-Syracuse)

Week 2 Preseason Records (2010-2012)

Indianapolis (0-3)
New York (2-1)

Coaching Notes (Overall Preseason Record)

Chuck Pagano (2-3)
Pagano is 0-2 in his first two road games in the preseason

Tom Coughlin (19-18 with Giants)
Coughlin has never produced a preseason record better than 2-2 since 2006.

Off the Wire

Indianapolis

After last week’s 24-point loss at home to the Bills, owner Jim Irsay tweeted his feelings on Twitter. He wrote, “Many starters played briefly or were nursing little injuries,but it was a crap performance,my apologies/My commanders got n earful from me!”

QB Andrew Luck only played two series (10 plays) last week and is expected to see 25-30 snaps on Sunday. Veteran Matt Hasselbeck will follow while Northern Illinois product Chandler Harnish will finish off the game.

Former New York Giants running back, Ahmad Bradshaw (foot), will not be in the lineup for Indianapolis on Sunday. Backups Vick Ballard, Donald Brown and Delone Carter are expected to carry the ground game.

TE Coby Fleener (doubtful) is also expected to miss action for the Colts.

The Colts went 2-2 in preseason action last year but where just 5-25 from 2005 to 2011.

New York

Head coach Tom Coughlin plans to give quarterback Eli Manning about 20 plays and follow with backup David Carr and rookie Ryan Nassib. Veteran Curtis Painter, a former Colt, will not play until next week when Carr sits.

Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, who missed the preseason opener, is expected back on the field and first-round draft pick and tackle Justin Pugh will play after missing the preseason opener with a concussion.

Defensive end Justin Tuck, who missed the Steelers game with a tight back, is expected to play. Safety Antrel Rolle sprained his right ankle in practice and will be replaced by Ryan Mundy.

Handicapping Notes

New York hasn’t won back-to-back preseason games in the last three years
The Giants have seen the ‘under’ go 7-2 in their last nine preseason games
The Colts have seen the ‘over’ go 4-1 under Pagano

Line Analysis

The Giants opened as 2½-point favorites at most Las Vegas betting shops but that number has dropped to 1½ or 1 as of Sunday morning.
The total is hovering between 40 and 41 in Las Vegas and the offshore outfits.

[TheGame]

NFL Preseason Primer: Monday Game Betting Breakdown
By Bryan Power
Covers.com

A look from the bettor's perspective of Monday's NFL preseason game.

Pittsburgh at Washington (-1, 38)

Week 2 of the NFL preseason concludes Monday night in the Nation's capital where the RG3-less Redskins host the Pittsburgh Steelers. Obviously, the big story with Washington right now is Griffin's status. The Shanahans aren't even going to let him sniff the field here. And why should they? In fellow second-year QB Kirk Cousins, they have a more than capable backup, one that completed six of seven passes for 52 yards and a touchdown in last week's 22-21 at Tennessee.

The Steelers have some work to do after an ugly performance last week against the Giants. They lost at home 18-13, thanks to a lot of mistakes. They committed seven penalties, had a punt blocked and fumbled a handoff in the end zone, resulting in a safety. The offensive line didn't do a very good job of protecting Ben Roethlisberger while he was in there, and when Big Ben left, the offense didn't do much from there.

[TheGame]

Betting Notes - Steelers at Redskins
Vegasinsider.com

Preseason Trends

Even though the Colts beat the Giants 20-12 on the road last night, the home team has still produced a 12-3 straight up and 10-5 against the spread record in Week 2 of the preseason.

Total players have seen a stalemate (7-7-1) in Week 2 after watching the ‘over’ connect at a 70 percent (12-5-1) clip through the Hall of Fame Game and first week.

Tight games have been very common this week with seven of the 15 contests decided by five points or less.

Pittsburgh at Washington (ESPN, 8:00 p.m.) – Click here for Winners

Week 1 Notes

Pittsburgh (0-1) – The Steelers lost to the Giants 18-13 last Saturday as 2 ½-point home favorites. Pittsburgh never led in the game and its only touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a fumble recovery in the endzone.

Washington (1-0) - The Redskins beat the Titans 22-21 last Thursday as three-point road underdogs. Washington trailed 21-14 late in the game before backup quarterback Pat White rallied the ‘Skins for the game-winning score and two-point conversion.

Expected QB Rotation

Pittsburgh - Ben Roethlisberger, Bruce Gradkowski, John Parker Wilson, Landry Jones (R - Oklahoma)

Washington - Kirk Cousins, Rex Grossman, Pat White

Week 2 Preseason Records (2010-2012)

Pittsburgh – 2-1
Washington – 1-2

Coaching Notes (Overall Preseason Record)

Mike Tomlin (19-7)
Since starting in 2007, Tomlin has never had a record below 3-1 in the preseason. He’s 0-1 this season and has never lost back-to-back games during his tenure in Pittsburgh.

Mike Shanahan (50-23, 9-4 w/Washington)
Three of Shanahan’s four preseason losses with the Redskins have come on the road.

Off the Wire

Pittsburgh

The Steelers first-team offense and defense will get a longer look against the Redskins according to reports after both units only played two possessions in Week 1.
Rookie running back Le'Veon Bell was held out of Week 1 of the preseason but is expected to make his debut tonight. Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer will help carry the load.
Tight end Heath Miller (knee) will miss Monday’s game and possibly the rest of the preseason.

Washington

Kirk Cousins is expected to play for a half before Rex Grossman and Pat White split the final two quarters.
Tight end Fred Davis will receive more extensive playing time tonight.
Wideouts Pierre Garcon (shoulder) and Donte Stallworth (hamstring) are both ‘doubtful’ for tonight.

Handicapping Notes

The Steelers are 4-2 in their last six preseason games on the road
The ‘over’ is 5-1 in Pittsburgh’s last six preseason games on the road
Washington is 5-1 at home in the preseason under Shanahan
In 2011, the Redskins beat the Steelers 16-7 in Week 1 of the preseason

Line Analysis

Pittsburgh opened as a one-point road favorite last Monday and the line has shifted to home team. Most betting shops have Washington installed as a 2 ½-point favorite.
The total opened at 38 and is hovering between 39 and 39 ½ points at multiple outfits.

Expert’s Take – Tony Stoffo

Pittsburgh Preseason Analysis – In Part I of my Preseason Profit Report, I talked about how the new CBA preseason rules would affect the physical teams in the league, and the Steelers definitely fit into this mold. The change in style was apparent in last year’s preseason as the usually lower-scoring Pittsburgh games – showed a complete turnaround as the Steelers played three high-scoring games and ended the preseason seeing the ‘over’ go 3-1. With the oddsmakers still leaning towards the old trends for the Steelers will give us some solid value plays on the over this preseason.

Washington Preseason Analysis - Mike Shanahan has always taken these preseason games seriously, and a strong trend has developed since his return with the Redskins, and that is that Washington is a perfect 3-0 in their dress rehearsal game since Shanahan has returned dominating their opponent in all three of these games. Washington’s dress rehearsal game this year is against the Bills on Aug. 24.

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NFL Preseason Week 3 Point Spreads – Key Players, Matchups To Watch
By: Mike Wilkening
Sportingnews.com

The third full week of the NFL preseason slate is regarded as the closest thing to regular-season play in the summer -- a series of dress rehearsals, if you will.

But are these games indicators of what to expect from clubs once the games of consequence begin?

That’s a matter for handicappers to sort out among themselves. While starters generally play more in the next-to-last preseason game than in other exhibition contests, the games are still warmups, and rosters are still at their bloated 90-player limits. Backups and end-of-the-depth-chart players will still have a hand in the outcome of some games.

As with other preseason weeks, it’s probably best to study the tape of the first-team offenses and defenses more than the score sheet.

Here’s a brief rundown on the third week of the preseason slate:

Game of the week: Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers, Thursday.

As preseason games go, this could be quite interesting. The Seahawks have not lost an exhibition game since Sept. 2, 2010; in their last six preseason contests, they have averaged 32.2 points. The Packers’ first-string offense looked sharp against St. Louis, with rookie running back Eddie Lacy especially impressive.

Player to study: Bills quarterback Kevin Kolb vs. Redskins, Saturday.

Kolb has a chance to secure the starting job to begin the season with E.J. Manuel out for the rest of the exhibition slate after minor knee surgery. Given Manuel’s value to the franchise, there’s no need to rush him back, and a strong performance from Kolb with the first-team offense on Saturday night would be a reassuring sight for the Bills' organization as the regular-season opener vs. New England looms.

Offense to study: Detroit Lions (vs. New England Patriots, Thursday).

Without wide receiver Calvin Johnson (knee), the Lions’ offense underwhelmed in last week’s loss at Cleveland. Johnson should be able to play in Thursday’s matchup vs. New England, and a little more spark from the Lions should be expected. If the Lions’ offense can’t consistently stress defenses, it could be a long season in Detroit.

Defense to study: New Orleans Saints (at Houston, Sunday).

The Saints sacked Raiders quarterbacks seven times on Friday night, with poor Matt Flynn taken down five times. The Texans’ first-string offense will pose a tougher test for New Orleans. Moreover, the various pressure looks Rob Ryan’s defense could show will be a constructive experience for the Texans’ offense. Both teams should get a lot out of this game.

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Best Over/Under Bets of NFL Preseason Week 3
By Covers.com

If you’re tackling totals this NFL preseason this week, take a look at which teams lean towards the over or the under during Week 3 of the exhibition schedule.

Records as of 1995.

Best NFL preseason Week 3 over bets

Denver Broncos (10-7 SU, 12-5 O/U in Week 3)

The Broncos are 1-1 O/U thus far in the 2013 preseason after being defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 40-10 in Week 2. In the two combined games, Denver has managed just 20 points with quarterback Brock Osweiler getting the bulk of snaps on offense. The Broncos host the St. Louis Rams in their Week 3 game and it will be the first home game of the preseason. Both home games went over the total in their 2012 preseason.

Indianapolis Colts (7-9 SU, 11-5 O/U in Week 3)

The Colts were one of the top under plays in the 2012 regular season (6-10 O/U) but have trended over the total in Week 3 of the preseason since '95. Indy was throttled in its preseason opener 44-20 drawing the ire of team owner Jim Irsay. They bounced back in fine fashion, defeating the New York Giants 20-12 in Week 2 behind a pair of TD tosses by Andrew Luck.The Colts have played over the total in three consecutive Week 3 preseason games. Indy will host the Cleveland Browns in Week 3.

Best NFL preseason Week 3 under bets

New York Giants (2-15 SU, 4-13 O/U in Week 3)

The G-Men are already 0-2 O/U to start the 2013 preseason, with their Week 2 matchup against the Colts playing under the 41 point total Sunday night. The Giants have played under the total in three straight Week 3 preseason games.

New York Jets (13-4 SU, 4-13 O/U in Week 3)

The Jets are coming off a massive Week 2 37-13 blowout of the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars. The big offensive production pushed their O/U record to 2-0 in their two preseason games. Mark Sanchez played the majority of the game and the rushing attack - spearheaded by Bilal Powell - looked effective against the Jags.

The Jets and Giants meetup in Week 3.

The two clubs traditionally square off in the preseason and have played under the total in eight of the last 10 and two straight heading into their 2013 matchup.

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Kirk Cousins (sprained foot) has yet to resume practicing, and expects to miss Saturday's preseason game against the Bills.
Rex Grossman and Pat White will carry the mail against Buffalo.