Key Things to Focus On in Preseason
The NFL kicks off on Thursday night in Canton, Ohio as part of the annual Hall of Fame weekend. The Houston Texans will take on the Chicago Bears at 8:00 pm EST. Starting next week, there’ll be a full slate of NFL games in each of the next four weeks in preparation for the start of the season. Here’s a bettor’s guide to wagering on the NFL preseason games.
Key Things to Focus On in Preseason
Check the lineups: Several of the NFL’s top stars will see very little action in the preseason, particularly veterans who can get their reps in practice. Veterans like QB Aaron Rodgers of the Jets, QB Matthew Stafford of the Rams, and RB Derrick Henry could sit out all or most of the preseason. Don’t expect to see many of the starters in the first preseason game, most playing no more than a quarter at best this early in preseason.
Look for QB Battles: Quarterback battles may not be what most teams want ideally, but they’re great for betting in the preseason. Teams like the Steelers with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields battling for the top spot and the Patriots with veteran Jacoby Brissett battling rookie Drake Maye in a full-fledged competition are welcome to preseason bettors with both quarterbacks anxious to prove their worth throughout the preseason.
New Offensive and New Defensive systems: Teams that feature a new head coach or coordinator on either side of the ball may be more apt to play it conservatively in the preseason the team tries to get comfortable in a new system. Those teams tend to look worse before they get comfortable in the new system by the start of the season.
Wait to place your wagers: I would suggest this at all times but definitely in the preseason as coaches may be reluctant to explain roster adjustments up until game time. It is good to know that Josh Allen is scheduled to play two quarters on a Friday night in preseason vs. the coach announcing hours before
NFL Coaches Preseason Records (SU Records from 2007 until Present)
Arizona Cardinals Jonathan Gannon: 2-1
Atlanta Falcons Raheem Morris: 5-7
Baltimore John Harbaugh: 44-14
Buffalo Bills Sean McDermott: 14-7
Carolina Dave Canales: 0-0*
Chicago Bears Matt Eberflus: 4-2
Cincinnati Bengals Zac Taylor: 3-9
Cleveland Browns Kevin Stefanski: 5-4
Dallas Cowboys Mike McCarthy 30-30; 3-7 w/Dallas
Denver Broncos Sean Payton: 30-33
Detroit Lions Dan Campbell 3-6
Green Bay Packers Matt LaFleur 5-8
Houston Texans DeMeco Ryans 2-1
Indianapolis Colts Shane Steichen 2-1
Jacksonville Jaguars Doug Pederson 11-12
Kansas City Chiefs Andy Reid 46-47
LA Chargers Jim Harbaugh 10-6
LA Rams Sean McVay 7-14
Las Vegas Raiders Antonio Pierce 0-0*
Miami Dolphins Mike McDaniel 3-3
Minnesota Vikings Kevin O’Connell 0-6
New England Patriots Jerod Mayo 0-0*
New Orleans Saints Dennis Allen 7-11
NY Giants Brian Daboll 3-3
NY Jets Robert Saleh 7-2
Philadelphia Eagles Nick Sirianni 1-6
Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin 40-24
Seattle Seahawks Mike MacDonald 0-0*
SF 49ers Kyle Shanahan 11-10
Tampa Bay Bucs Todd Bowles 9-13
Tennessee Titans Brian Callahan 0-0*
Washington Commanders Dan Quinn 6-15
*-first year coach
Standouts among coaches include the excellent preseason records of AFC North head coaches Mike Tomlin and Jon Harbaugh. However, fellow AFC North head coach Zac Taylor doesn’t value the preseason as much with a record of just 3-9 in his career. The Rams’ Sean McVay and the Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell love offense but don’t necessarily love the preseason with records of 7-14 and 0-6. Keep an eye on week one of the preseason tenures for all the first-year head coaches, five in all. They may want to establish an identity early and aim for wins right out of the gate.
