2018 nfl football sneak peek at teams/predictions/news/notes/picks etc. !

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Handicapping Colts (7.5)
August 9, 2018

The Indianapolis Colts have missed the playoffs the last three seasons and it was ugly a year ago, as they won just four games. Will the return of Andrew Luck change the fortunes for Indianapolis in 2018? The Colts have a new head coach in Frank Reich and optimism that they can get back to their winning ways this season.

Oddsmakers believe the Colts will be better, as they set the win total for Indianapolis at 7.5. Let’s look at the schedule for the Colts to see if they will go over or under that number.

Indianapolis Colts 2018 Regular Season Win Total
Over 7.5 (-115)
Under 7.5 (-115)

Indianapolis Colts 2018 Schedule Analysis

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Colts have not won a season opener since 2013, but this would seem to be a game that Indianapolis can win. The Colts are listed as 3-point favorites at BetDSI.eu.

Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, at Washington Redskins

The Redskins have a new quarterback in Alex Smith, but this is a game in which the Colts can be competitive and have a chance to win. Could the Colts actually start 2-0 with Luck back?

Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, at Philadelphia Eagles

This will be a homecoming for Reich who returns to Philadelphia. It probably won’t be a happy homecoming, as the Eagles are loaded on both sides of the ball.

Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, vs. Houston Texans

The Colts actually swept the Texans last season, which is very surprising considering Luck didn’t play. This game looks to be a toss-up.

Week 5: Thursday, Oct. 4, at New England Patriots

This Thursday night game will have the Patriots as home favorites. It is the first time the Colts have visited New England since they were routed in the AFC Championship game following the 2014 regular season. The Colts have never beaten the Patriots with Luck at quarterback.

Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, at New York Jets

The Colts should have a decent chance to win this one, as they will be playing a weak New York team and the Colts will get extra time to prepare having played last Thursday.

Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 21, vs. Buffalo Bills

The Colts have a good chance to win this one, as they will be facing a Buffalo team that is expected to be one of the worst in the NFL this season. Look for T.Y. Hilton to torch his former teammate Vontae Davis in this one.

Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, at Oakland Raiders

The last time the Colts visited Oakland it was bad news for the Raiders, as Derek Carr broke his leg. The Raiders did end up winning that game and they should get the win in this one.

Week 9: Bye

Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

It was ugly last season for the Colts against the Jaguars, as they lost by a combined 47 points. It should be much different this time around with a healthy Andrew Luck leading the Colts.

Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, vs. Tennessee Titans

The Colts were swept by the Titans last season, but this year’s Indianapolis team should be much better. This one should be close, but the Colts get the home win.

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, vs. Miami Dolphins

The Colts will be facing former running back Frank Gore who is now with the Dolphins. The Colts should be home favorites in this one and they should get the win.

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, at Jacksonville Jaguars

The Colts have lost their last three in Jacksonville and that losing streak should hit four when this one is over.

Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Houston Texans

The schedule for the Colts late in the season is difficult and this one looks like a road loss.

Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, vs. Dallas Cowboys

If the Colts are going to have a winning season and have a chance to make the playoffs the last three games will be crucial. This one is winnable, as it comes at home against a Dallas team that could be looking for a new head coach.

Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, vs. New York Giants

The Giants are expected to be much better this season and this game won’t be easy, as New York has rookie running back Saquon Barkley and an improved defense.

Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, at Tennessee Titans

If the Colts are in playoff contention this game could decide whether or not they make it.

2018 Indianapolis Colts Regular Season Win Total Prediction

The schedule for the Colts is really favorable, as they have a lot of winnable home games. Indications are that Luck is looking like his former self, and if that is the case the Colts should win eight or nine games and go over their win total of 7.5 for the 2018 season.

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Thursday's Top Wager
August 9, 2018

NFL Preview - Cleveland Browns at New York Giants

Baker Mayfield will make his NFL debut when the Cleveland Browns hit the road this week to face off with the New York Giants in the preseason opener for both teams. Even though Cleveland went winless a season ago, the exhibition slate does not usually have results that jibe with regular season outcomes.

Mayfield is expected to get extensive action, and as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, he may be able to come in right away and find success. But an NFL debut for any rookie is tough and there is no guarantee he lights it up.

There will be more attention on this game than for most preseason openers because of the presence of Mayfield. He is not expected to begin the year as Cleveland’s starter so the preseason could be his only time to prove himself on the national stage for the foreseeable future.

The Browns are slight favorites in this game largely due to Mayfield in NFL gambling.

This NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns at New York Giants will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey at 7 p.m ET on Thursday, August 9th, 2018. The contest will be nationally televised on NFL Network.

We'll have NFL football odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NFL season.

Odds Analysis

The Browns are on the road but are the 1-point favorites to emerge victorious. They are getting about 67 percent of the action from bettors so clearly there is some support. Cleveland is the -117 favorite while the Giants are listed at -102 to come away with the win. The Browns are again getting the majority of the action on the moneyline.

The scoring total is 35 points, which is much less than what Mayfield is used to putting up. But this is a much tougher league and he could have some issues. The “over” is the more popular choice in NFL wagering.

Quarterback Watch

Browns starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor could start this game but is not expected to play too much if that happens. Mayfield is expected to be next in line and could see significant action. The way he performs is likely to help decide the outcome. Cleveland also has veteran signal-caller Drew Stanton on the roster, and if he plays a chunk that’s a big help for the Browns because Stanton knows what he is doing and could lead the team to some points.

Giants starter Eli Manning is a veteran and doesn’t need much work in the preseason. He could play sparingly or not at all. New York is likely to put young quarterbacks Davis Webb and Kyle Lauletta on the field. New York could have chosen a quarterback at No. 2 overall in the draft after Mayfield but instead went for star running back Saquon Barkley. He will aim to impress in his NFL debut as well.

Legal Trouble

Browns rookie receiver Antonio Callaway was recently cited for marijuana possession and driving on a suspended license. He had numerous off-the-field problems at the University of Florida and they have followed him to the NFL.

Callaway traveled with the team to New York and is already expected to be a key receiver after the trade of Corey Coleman. It is unclear if he will play in this game but Callaway is a talented player and will increase Cleveland’s chance to win if he does see the field. Keep a close eye on this situation.

Free NFL ATS Picks

Mayfield’s debut could be a bumpy one. He may try to do too much under the bright lights and have some trouble. The Giants are the pick to capture this victory at home. The “over” is the choice as some turnovers could lead to some short fields for the offenses in NFL wagering.

NFL ATS Pick: New York Giants 23, Cleveland Browns 17

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Thursday's Top Parlay
August 9, 2018

By Tom Wilkinson

NFL Hall of Fame Game Betting – Cowboys vs. 49ers

The Dallas Cowboys visit the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night in Week 1 NFL Preseason action on NFL Network. Starters for each team won’t play long, if at all, so this will be a battle of the backups.

Look for Cooper Rush and Mike White to get the bulk of the snaps at quarterback for Dallas, while CJ Beathard and Nick Mullens get a lot of work for the 49ers. Let’s look at Thursday’s game and NFL picks.

Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers
Date and Time: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 10 p.m. ET
Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
NFL Odds: 49ers -3.5, O/U 35
TV Coverage: NFL Network

The Cowboys may decide to give Dak Prescott a series before putting in Cooper Rush, or they may just decide to hold out Prescott and the starters altogether. Rush has looked good as the backup quarterback and he should play the first half. Mike White is the current third string quarterback and there is a good chance that the Cowboys keep three quarterbacks this season, which means White will get a lot of work in the preseason. Dallas does have a fourth string quarterback in Dalton Sturm, so it will be interesting to see if he gets playing time late in this game.

The focus in the backfield will be on Bo Scarbrough who is trying to get into the mix to be Ezekiel Elliott’s backup. Rod Smith currently has that role, but Scarbrough could make some noise. Darius Jackson and Scarbrough are currently in a battle to see who can challenge Smith.

Dallas has major issues at receiver and at tight end, as gone are Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, so the Cowboys need to find a go-to receiver and a tight end. Most of the top receivers won’t play in this game, but look for all of the tight end candidates to see action.

The 49ers may play their starters for a series, so it is possible that Jimmy Garoppolo gets a chance to lead the team to an early score. San Francisco has a new offensive tackle in Mike McGlinchey from Notre Dame and head coach Kyle Shanahan said that McGlinchey is going to begin the preseason as a starter.

The 49ers have a new lead running back in Jerick McKinnon, but he probably won’t see much action on Thursday. The job for the backup looks to be Matt Breida’s, but there is competition behind Breida.

Players to Watch

The Dallas receivers are going to get a lot of attention this preseason simply because someone has to catch the ball from Prescott. The problem right now for Dallas is that Allen Hurns has missed time due to injury and Deonte Thompson hasn’t practiced at all due to injury. Terrrance Williams is slowly working back from offseason surgery, so rookie Michael Gallup is getting the most attention. Keep an eye on Gallup on Thursday night, as he is capable of making a play that decides the game. Prescott could use extra work in the preseason with his new receivers, but it seems unlikely he will get much time with them on Thursday.

Key Stats

There are not many stats worth looking at in the preseason, but one I do pay attention to is coaches’ records. The Cowboys have traditionally been a rotten preseason team under Jason Garrett. Last year was the exception as they went 3-1, but in his seven years at the helm, Dallas is 12-17 in the preseason. The 49ers were 2-2 last preseason under Shanahan.

Cowboys vs. 49ers Picks

The Cowboys and 49ers do not have the best situations in terms of backup quarterbacks. Neither Rush nor Beathard inspire a ton of confidence and forget about the third and fourth stringers. If this was a regular season game I would probably look for a high scoring game, but I just can’t see that scenario developing with neither of these teams having great backup quarterbacks. I will go under the total on Thursday night.

Cowboys vs. 49ers Pick: Cowboys (+3.5) and Under the Total
Cowboys vs. 49ers Score Prediction: 49ers 17, Cowboys 14

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Thursday's Preseason Essentials
August 9, 2018
By Tony Mejia

Preseason NFL betting carries an awful reputation since it's easy to dismiss games that don't count in the standings. That's short-sighted.

Every team carries goals into their games and there are often instances where it's clear that one team will be the aggressor. There are games where it becomes clear going in whether teams are looking to test their offense or put very little on display.

The Hall of Fame game saw the favored Ravens barely hold on over the Bears in Canton, failing to cover despite being in position to win most of the second half. In Week 1, we won't see many starters, but there are plenty of angles worth considering. Here's what I'm looking at as 30 of the NFL's 32 teams take the field for the first time between today and Saturday:

Thursday, Aug. 9

Carolina at Buffalo (-3/34), 7 p.m. ET: The Bills have rotated Nathan Peterman and A.J. McCarron with the first-team offense, so No. 7 pick Josh Allen will play a significant role here with the third team likely deciding the outcome. McCarron and Peterman are looking to impress new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who also has to find receivers he can trust outside of Kelvin Benjamin. Buffalo traded for Corey Coleman this week and got him some practice time, but it remains to be seen if he has any role in this one. It definitely looks like Sean McDermott’s defense, coordinated by veteran Leslie Frazier, is far ahead of the Bills’ offense. Buffalo lost its first three preseason games under McDermott in his first season as head coach.

McDermott was Ron Rivera’s defensive coordinator until 2016, so he knows exactly how his former boss approaches the preseason opener since he’s been a part of more wins than losses in that role. With Norv Turner coming out of retirement to run the offense from the press box and Eric Washington elevated to defensive coordinator to replace current Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks, there is new leadership in place. Cam Newton, called out by former teammate Benjamin for his lack of accuracy, is expected to get at least a series before giving way to Garrett Gilbert, Taylor Henicke and rookie Kyle Allen. Carolina has had awful luck with injuries along its offensive line in camp, so guys who would’ve potentially had little shot at making the team will now be showing out with roster spots on the line.

Chicago at Cincinnati (-2/35.5), 7 p.m. ET: Matt Nagy debuted as head coach of the Bears in the 17-16 Hall of Fame game loss, but since the baseball cap stayed on second-year QB Mitch Trubisky, it’s this next Ohio-based contest, 200 miles southwest of Canton, that truly counts. Nagy hadn’t divulged how long he intended to play Trubisky entering Wednesday but has seen him do his best work of a turnover-filled camp this week, demonstrating an improved grasp on his offense and receivers. Chicago should have an edge on the Bengals considering most of their players have gotten their feet wet and backups Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray each threw for touchdowns, but the Ravens did push the ball down the field against a Bears defense that remains without unsigned top pick Roquan Smith.

While Nagy comes off his first preseason game running his own program, Marvin Lewis will coach in his 62nd, entering his 16th season at 30-31 in exhibitions. This season’s big wrinkles are the addition of defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who was highly coveted once the Lions passed on promoting him to head coach. He’s got a chance to put a special group together, so this will be an interesting opener for them and could set up some must-watch football against Trubisky and a young Bears first-team offense even though linebacker Vontaze Burfict won’t play. Offensively, snapping issues were a concern in the Bengals’ simulated game over the weekend since first-round pick Billy Price is struggling, so that’s something to be aware of if you’re thinking of backing host Cincinnati, who won’t play at home again until the meaningless fourth preseason game.

Tampa Bay at Miami (-1.5/34), 7 p.m. ET: Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill hopes to make his competitive return after tearing his ACL barely a year ago. With Jay Cutler not back, there’s no quarterback controversy despite the acquisition of Brock Osweiler and Bryce Petty, who are looking to push holdover David Fales for the No. 2 spot. Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston won’t play for the first three regular-season games but is expected to get work in behind Week 1 starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. Neither may play much given the team’s lack of depth on the offensive line with Ryan Griffin and rookie Austin Allen expected to finish up. It’s going to be a hot humid night, but thunderstorms should clear out of the area which means rain won’t be a factor.

Miami’s Ryan Tannehill hopes to make his competitive return after tearing his ACL barely a year ago. With Jay Cutler not back, there’s no quarterback controversy despite the acquisition of Brock Osweiler and Bryce Petty, who are looking to push holdover David Fales for the No. 2 spot. Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston won’t play for the first three regular-season games but is expected to get work in behind Week 1 starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. Neither may play much given the team’s lack of depth on the offensive line with Ryan Griffin and rookie Austin Allen expected to finish up. It’s going to be a hot humid night, but thunderstorms should clear out of the area which means rain won’t be a factor.

Cleveland (-1/35) at N.Y. Giants, 7 p.m. ET: Tyrod Taylor will start ahead of Baker Mayfield in the regular-season opener and in this visit to Met Life Stadium, but the No. 1 pick will get more snaps than probably every other QB on the roster as Todd Haley gets his first crack at turning around the Browns offense in his first year as a coordinator under Hue Jackson. With Josh Gordon still away and Coleman traded, this is an opportunity for rookie Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins to continue making plays. Veteran Drew Stanton’s experience is a luxury most teams lack in their third-stringer, which should be an advantage. The Browns were perfect last preseason.

Pat Shurmur begins his tenure as New York’s coach knowing he can’t flop quite as spectacularly as predecessor Ben McAdoo, who was replaced by Steve Spagnolo for the final month of action. Both are gone. James Bettcher will run the defense after doing it in Arizona over the last three years. Shurmur will lean on Mike Shula to help with the offense, but he’s calling plays. No determinations have been made about throwing Eli Manning, Odell Beckham, Jr. or top pick Saquon Barkley out there. Manning probably won’t play but has said he’d like more time than usual to get used to the new offense. Davis Webb, rookie Kyle Lauletta and Alex Tanney will see the bulk of the snaps.

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (-3/33), 7 p.m. ET: The Steelers and Eagles last got together in 2016 in the preseason and Mike Tomlin’s team lost at home 17-0, but don’t expect him to be any more invested than he typically is this time of year over that embarrassment or because his Pennsylvania neighbors finally won a Super Bowl. He doesn’t put much importance on exhibition games and went 3-14 from 2013-16 before a 3-1 finish last season. He’s only won five of 13 career preseason openers and won’t play Ben Roethlisberger or many of his other veterans, ruling out Antonio Brown and staying true to his philosophy regarding this time of year despite the speculation his seat is warming up. There’s been no rotation set, but rookie Mason Rudolph will join veteran backups Landry Jones and Josh Dobbs. Running back James Conner has been the most impressive back with Le’Veon Bell and could get lots of work.

The Eagles take the field as reigning champs for the first time but probably won’t have Carson Wentz back in the mix at all this preseason. Nick Foles will be prepped to start Week 1 but won’t participate here, which means Nate Sudfeld and Joe Callahan will get all the snaps. It would be surprising to see the team’s top receivers work, but their young players have gotten a lot of reps and welcomed in a crowd of over 40.000 to watch practice over the weekend, an experience likely to serve Philadelphia well here. Doug Pederson has won six of eight preseason games and is working with a new coordinator in Mike Groh since Frank Reich took the Colts’ head job.

New Orleans at Jacksonville (-2.5/34.5), 7 p.m. ET: Sean Payton has coached his team to losses in 10 of his last 12 exhibition games and isn’t expected to expose Drew Brees for even a drive here. While Tom Savage will likely start, Taysom Hill and rookie J.T. Barrett should get the bulk of the work and to decide this game. Neither guy should be able to hurt an NFL defense with their arm but can do significant damage with their legs. One rookie worth watching is wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith (UCF), who has been the talk of camp, which is saying something given the talent available on this roster.

After last year’s huge breakthrough where they fell a fourth-quarter collapse short of a Super Bowl berth, the Jaguars will deal with a target on their backs this season. Doug Marrone returns both of his coordinators and has been pleasantly surprised by a more comfortable Blake Bortles settling in early. At this time last season, it looked like his days as Jacksonville’s starting QB were numbered. Chad Henne was closing in and Bortles played poorly in an exhibition game where he was meant to erase all doubt. Although we should see Bortles start here, backups Cody Kessler and Tanner Lee, a rookie from Nebraska who started at Tulane, will play most of this one. The Jags are hoping for solid play out of unheralded guys who have shined thus far like rookie WR D.J. Chark and running back Brandon Wilds.

L.A. Rams at Baltimore (-3/36), 7:30 p.m. ET: Coaching boy wonder Sean McVay won his first two preseason games last year and then went on to post an 11-5 regular-season record, winning the NFC West. Since the Rams are so early into a preseason where McVay is implementing new wrinkles and installing a lot of offense that wasn’t in the playbook last season. QB Jared Goff played and most of the starters participated, but that isn’t expected to be the case in this first contest. Star DT Aaron Donald remains away from the team and the Rams got a lot of work against the Ravens in joint practices this week, so don’t expect much from them in this game. Sean Mannion, Brandon Allen and rookie Luis Perez, the Harlon Hill Trophy winner from D-II champion Texas A&M-Commerce, will look to show what they can do.

The Ravens escaped after turning away a Chicago two-point conversion in their Hall of Fame game win last Thursday, but Lamar Jackson didn’t exactly light it up after a sharp debut from Robert Griffin III. Since John Harbaugh is one of the NFL’s top coaches in the preseason (29-12, .707) and he’s throwing Joe Flacco in the mix for a drive or two, Baltimore has gone from a 1-point favorite to laying the full three at home. There are a few concerns since the offensive line looked to have protection issues against the Bears and struggled in the joint practices against the Rams, but you can understand why they’re favored here with Goff sitting out and most of their roster already owning a game under their belts.

Washington at New England (-3/37.5), 7:30 p.m. ET: It’s Alex Smith time in D.C., which may not excite most of you but has Skins Nation filled with butterflies. He’ll play at least a series to get his feet wet before Colt McCoy and Kevin Hogan take over. Washington hosts its next two contests, so the team can create some positive momentum with a solid showing if they’re prepared to hit the ground running. There’s healthy competition at running back and receiver, so this is a team to keep an eye on since Jay Gruden will want to get a look at all his toys and generate confidence for his group in an effort to flush last year’s disappointment. Being matched up against the defending champion Patriots, who Gruden beat 23-6 in his first preseason game as head coach back in ’14, could be enough motivation to keep young guys hungry and motivated on the road.

Bill Belichick has more uncertainty surrounding his team that any point in the past five-plus years. Former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will coach the Lions on Friday, so linebackers coach Brian Flores will begin his tenure as the Pats’ defensive playcaller under the same system his predecessor worked with. Because much pressure isn’t applied on the quarterback and the scheme is so vanilla this time of year, New England surrendered 31.5 points last preseason after allowing 19.5 points the year before. Tom Brady won’t play this one, which means we should see Brian Hoyer start and rookie Danny Etling under center for most of the evening. It’s not exactly a mystery that he’s no Jimmy Garoppolo or even Jacoby Brissett.

Tennessee at Green Bay (PK/34.5), 8 p.m. ET: New coach Mike Vrabel has been around the block with this football thing, crossing paths with coaching legends on all levels, so there’s no doubt he’s prepared for his first game in the head seat. Veteran defensive coordinator Dean Pees will join him in attempting to put together a stout defense, so they might be ahead of the offense although early word is new coordinator Matt LaFleur has done a nice job keeping them off-balance. That’s easier to do with Marcus Mariota than, say, rookie Luke Falk, who will likely get the bulk of the action after taking over for second-stringer Blaine Gabbert. LaFleur didn’t call plays in L.A. with the Rams as their OC last season and will want to get up to speed in games, but the next two will offer far more ideal circumstances to do so than this one should, especially on the road at Lambeau.

Cheeseheads likely won’t see Aaron Rodgers doing anything other than holding a clipboard since he hasn’t played in a preseason opener since 2015, but there will still be plenty to look at. There’s a new offense that Mike McCarthy and new coordinator Joe Philbin are putting in place, not to mention a first glance at the Mike Pettine-led defense since the former Browns head coach is back doing what he does best. Brett Hundley is hoping to hold off DeShone Kizer, while a young receiving corps that Rodgers chewed out publicly this week hopes to impress when the lights come on. McCarthy has won seven of nine exhibitions, seven of eight preseason games at Lambeau and hasn’t lost an opener since 2014. The Pack has been working out against the Titans all week, so players will be familiar with one another.

Houston at Kansas City (-2.5/34), 8:30 p.m. ET: We’re expecting to see Deshaun Watson. Having made a speedy recovery after tearing an ACL to spoil what was quickly becoming a special rookie season, the standout QB is expected to make a cameo for Bill O’Brien before giving way to backups Brandon Weeden, Joe Webb and Stephen Morris, each of whom have an NFL start under their belt. O’Brien has liked how his offensive line has improved and was pleased with how camp unfolded. It might be one big party if J.J. Watt is unleashed since the word is he’s ready to play if the Texans will let him. With Vrabel hired by Tennessee, Romeo Crennel will assume defensive coordinator duties once again, so the system will be similar. Houston was perfect in the ’16 preseason but went just 1-2 last year in an August sabotaged by Hurricane Harvey.

This is the biggest preseason Andy Reid has had in Kansas City, more important than even the first back in 2013, when he and then-49ers import Alex Smith got together in the hopes of growing together and building a winner. Smith’s time produced success, but Reid is looking for titles in handing the reins to second-year pro Patrick Mahomes, whose arm talent can get everyone a ring. He’s certain to give Reid his share of headaches too and started early by opening camp with a flurry of turnovers, but the 22-year-old has been given a license to test out the offense. That will continue tonight at muggy Arrowhead, but it remains to be seen how long he plays before giving way to Chad Henne, Matt McGloin and potentially, rookie Chase Litton. Reid has won nine of 20 openers and is 36-40 in exhibitions. There were at least 36 points scored in all of Kansas City’s preseason games last season.

Dallas at San Francisco (-3.5/35), 10 p.m. ET DAL-SF Jason Garrett has been put on notice that it’s playoffs or pink slip. Dez Bryant has been discarded. Giant clouds aren’t encircling Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys were back in Oxnard for training camp and have a talented group in place, talking Super Bowl despite failing to make the playoffs again last season. Dak Prescott may get int there for a series, but this matchup with San Francisco will feature Cooper Rush before giving way to rookies Mike White (WKU) and Dalton Sturm (UTSA), both products of Conference USA. We’ll get a good look at Dallas’ depth here since most starters won’t participate. Payton is 23-27 in preseason action and went winless in ’15 and ’16.

Having Jimmy Garoppolo in place for the first time after offering a preview of his capabilities has ramped up the intensity and expectations in Santa Clara. Kyle Shanahan has his quarterback and can make better use of all of his personnel as a result, so it’s no surprise he’s going to get an immediate look at what he’s got on the roster by playing his starters for at least a series. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them out there a full quarter. C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens, both of whom were in the program last year, will wrap up the action and it’s likely that we’ll see a strong effort since the 49ers won’t return home until the fourth and final preseason contest.

Indianapolis at Seattle (-2/35), 10 p.m. ET: Andrew Luck hasn’t taken a snap in a game since Jan. 1 of ’17, so all eyes will be on his return. New head coach Frank Reich’s debut takes a backseat as a result, but it’s not likely that we’ll see much of Indianapolis’ franchise quarterback dropping back to pass since LT Anthony Castonzo was lost to a hamstring issue that will make life more difficult for everyone else this month. Luck will get a quarter, backed by Jacoby Brissett, which means that the Colts will have a chance to test the Seahawks’ defense with their best before giving way to Phillip Walker and Brad Kaaya to split the second half. The Legion of Boom is no more, but Seattle is still going to be tough at home with a loud crowd expected, creating additional obstacles for Reich’s new offensive coordinator, Nick Sirianni, who has worked under Frank Reich and with the Chargers under Mike McCoy and Anthony Lynn. Reich is his mentor, so this will be the beginning of his big break.

The Seahawks have been as reliable a team worth backing this time of year as there’s been since 2012, riding Pete Carroll’s competitive streak and a homefield edge that has shown up despite the games not counting due to the atmosphere at Century Link Field. Seattle has had three perfect preseason runs in that span and will be aggressively carving out what is likely to be a new identity given the loss of leaders like Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas, who continues to hold out. Kam Chancellor is unable to perform, so defensive backs must step up and all eyes will be on rookie Shaquem Griffin and brother Shaquill, who stepped up some last year. There’s a new defensive coordinator in Ken Norton, Jr. who will look to help Carroll figure out new wrinkles. The offense will be new as well since Brian Schottenheimer and a new staff are replacing mainstays Darrell Bevell and Tom Cable. It remains to be seen if we’ll see Russell Wilson for even a series but there is a stable of talented running backs to rotate through, so look for a heavy emphasis on the ground game. Rookie Alex McGough out of Florida International (C-USA, Baby!) will likely be on the field at winning time, so keep that in mind if you’re laying the two-spot.

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NFL Betting: 2018 Preseason Quarterback Rotations


Arizona Cardinals: Sam Bradford, Josh Rosen, Mike Glennon, Chad Kanoff

Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Garrett Grayson, Kurt Benkert

Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco, Lamar Jackson, Robert Griffin III, Josh Woodrum

Buffalo Bills: A.J. McCarron, Josh Allen, Nathan Peterman

Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, Garrett Gilbert, Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Allen

Chicago Bears: Mitchell Trubisky, Chase Daniel, Tyler Bray

Cincinnati Bengals: Andy Dalton, Matt Barkley, Jeff Driskel, Logan Woodside

Cleveland Browns: Tyrod Taylor, Baker Mayfield, Drew Stanton, Brogan Roback

Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush, Mike White, Dalton Sturm

Denver Broncos: Case Keenum, Paxton Lynch, Chad Kelly

Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, Jake Rudock, Matt Cassel

Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers, Brett Hundley, Deshone Kizer, Tim Boyle

Houston Texans: Deshaun Watson, Brandon Weeden, Joe Webb, Stephen Morris

Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett, Brad Kaaya, Phillip Walker

Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles, Cody Kessler, Tanner Lee

Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne, Matt McGloin, Chase Litton

Los Angeles Chargers: Philip Rivers, Geno Smith, Cardale Jones, Nic Shimonek

Los Angeles Rams: Jared Goff, Sean Mannion, Brandon Allen, Luis Perez

Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, David Fales, Bryce Petty

Minnesota Vikings: Kirk Cousins, Trevor Siemian, Kyle Sloter, Peter Pujals

New England Patriots: Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer, Danny Etling

New Orlean Saints: Drew Brees, Tom Savage, Taysom Hill, JT Barett

New York Giants: Eli Manning, Davis Webb, Kyle Lauletta, Alex Tanney

New York Jets: Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold

Oakland Raiders: Derek Carr, Conner Cook, EJ Manuel

Philadelphia Eagles: Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, Nate Sudfield, Joe Callahan

Pittsburgh Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, Mason Rudolph, Joshua Dobbs

Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson, Austin Davis, Alex McGough

San Francisco 49ers: Jimmy Garoppolo, C.J. Beathard, Nick Mullens, Jack Heneghan

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Griffin, Austin Allen

Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota, Blaine Gabbert, Luke Falk

Washington Redskins: Alex Smith, Colt McCoy, Kevin Hogan

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, AUGUST 9
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NO at JAC 07:00 PM
NO +2.5
U 34.5

CLE at NYG 07:00 PM
CLE -1.0
U 35.0

PIT at PHI 07:00 PM
PIT +3.0
O 33.0

CHI at CIN 07:00 PM
CHI +1.0
O 36.0

CAR at BUF 07:00 PM
BUF -3.0
U 34.0

TB at MIA 07:00 PM
MIA -2.0
U 34.0

LAR at BAL 07:30 PM
BAL -3.0
U 36.0

WAS at NE 07:30 PM
WAS +2.5
O 37.5

TEN at GB 08:00 PM
TEN +0.0
U 34.5

HOU at KC 08:30 PM
KC -2.5
U 34.5

IND at SEA 10:00 PM
IND +1.5
O 36.5

DAL at SF 10:00 PM
SF -3.5
U 35.0

[StarDust Bum]

NFL COACHES VS SPREAD & TOTAL IN PRESEASON

Coach W L P O U P

Bill Belichick 42 42 1 57 36 0

Andy Reid 36 36 4 42 33 1

Jon Gruden 25 21 4 23 27 0

Pete Carroll 34 14 1 25 24 0

Marvin Lewis 32 28 1 29 32 0

Sean Payton 23 22 0 20 21 4

Mike McCarthy 24 22 2 26 22 0

John Harbaugh 27 13 0 18 21 1

Mike Tomlin 21 25 0 17 29 0

Ron Rivera 14 13 1 15 13 0

Jason Garrett 10 18 1 13 13 3

Doug Marrone 5 7 1 5 8 0

Mike Zimmer 12 5 0 6 10 1

Jay Gruden 10 6 0 4 12 0

Bill O'Brien 9 6 0 5 10 0

Hue Jackson 4 8 0 2 9 1

Todd Bowles 7 5 0 4 8 0

Dan Quinn 4 8 0 4 7 1

Adam Gase 4 4 0 5 2 1

Dirk Koetter 3 5 0 1 6 1

Doug Pederson 6 2 0 2 6 0

Pat Shurmur 3 5 0 5 2 1

Sean McDermott 1 3 0 1 3 0

Anthony Lynn 1 3 0 1 2 1

Sean McVay 2 2 0 1 2 1

Kyle Shanahan 3 1 0 3 1 0

Vance Joseph 3 0 1 2 2 0

Matt Nagy* 0 0 0 0 0 0

Steve Wilks* 0 0 0 0 0 0

Matt Patricia* 0 0 0 0 0 0

Mike Vrabel* 0 0 0 0 0 0

Frank Reich* 0 0 0 0 0 0

*First season as head coach

[StarDust Bum]

Mayfield and Barkley have strong debuts in preseason opener
August 9, 2018

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Baker Mayfield and Saquon Barkley lived up to early expectations as the top two picks in the NFL draft in their first action as the Cleveland Browns beat the New York Giants 20-10 on Thursday night.

Replacing starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor late in the first quarter, Mayfield hit 11 of 20 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns, and converted two fourth-down plays with his feet. The Heisman Trophy winner who was the No. 1 overall pick found tight end David Njoku on a 10-yard TD pass to cap a 14-play, 72-yard drive on his second series. He finished his debut with a completion on a 54-yard slant and run to fellow rookie Antonio Callaway.

Taylor, expected to be coach Hue Jackson's starter as Mayfield learns this season, hit all five of his passes in two series, including a 36-yard touchdown pass to Njoku, a New Jersey native.

Barkley, the No. 2 pick, electrified the fans at MetLife Stadium, taking a handoff from Eli Manning on the opening play from scrimmage and turning no apparent hole into a 39-yard run down the sideline in front of the Giants' bench. It set up a 42-yard field goal by Aldrick Rosas.

The Penn State running back finished with 43 yards on five carries.

COLTS 19, SEAHAWKS 17

SEATTLE (AP) - Andrew Luck returned to game action for the first time since the final week of the 2016 season, leading Indianapolis on a pair of field-goal drives in just over a quarter.

The reintroduction of Luck as the Colts' leader started with a 17-yard swing pass to Marlon Mack on the first play. It concluded early in the second quarter when his pass intended for T.Y. Hilton was broken up. In between, Luck was bear-hugged by Seattle All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner on a scramble run, sacked by Rasheem Green, and also showed flashes his surgically repaired right shoulder is ready to allow him to again be a premier quarterback.

Luck completed 6 of 9 passes for 64 yards, most of that coming on the opening drive when he hit 5 of 7. Luck completed passes to five receivers and threw from a clean pocket on most of his dropbacks, even with starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo not playing.

It had been nearly 600 days since Luck was last on the field, when he threw for 321 yards in a 24-20 win over Jacksonville on Jan. 1, 2017. For one night, Luck looked like his pre-surgery form.

Luck's counterpart from the 2012 draft, Russell Wilson, played one series for Seattle. Wilson was 4 of 5 for 43 yards and capped his only drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Nick Vannett. It was Wilson's first action playing in the offense of new coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, which will be heavily tilted toward the run.

STEELERS 31, EAGLES 14

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Landry Jones and Josh Dobbs each tossed touchdown passes and the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles rested several starters, including quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Nick Foles. Nate Sudfeld threw a pair of touchdown passes and two interceptions.

Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown sat for the Steelers and Le'Veon Bell still hasn't signed his franchise tender.

Jones completed all four of his passes for 83 yards, including a 71-yard TD pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster in the first quarter. Smith-Schuster made a leaping catch over Rasul Douglas at the 33 and ran untouched to the end zone.

Fitzgerald Toussaint had a 3-yard TD run and a 2-point conversion, while Dobbs threw a 29-yard TD pass to Damoun Patterson.

Sudfeld threw a perfect strike for a 63-yard TD to Shelton Gibson and fired a 15-yard TD pass to rookie Dallas Goedert. He finished 10 of 14 for 140 yards.

Wentz still hasn't been cleared for contact after having surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee last December. Foles, the Super Bowl MVP, has missed a few practices with muscle spasms in his neck and shoulder.

Mason Rudolph, a third-round pick competing with Jones and Dobbs for the backup job to Roethlisberger, was 7 of 12 for 101 yards.

PANTHERS 28, BILLS 23

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - Bills receiver Kelvin Benjamin's feud with former teammate Panthers quarterback Cam Newton continued before and during Carolina's preseason-opening win.

First, the two exchanged words on the field about 90 minutes before kickoff. Then they each played key roles in touchdowns drives in the first quarter.

Benjamin caught four passes for 59 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown reception from Nathan Peterman on Buffalo's first possession. Newton responded on the next possession, completing 4 of 5 attempts for 67 yards as part of an 85-yard drive capped by Christian McCaffrey's 2-yard run.

The bad blood between the two emerged last week when Benjamin criticized Newton's accuracy and questioned why the Panthers used a first-round pick to draft Benjamin in 2014. It was the latest time Benjamin has voiced his frustrations since forcing his trade to Buffalo in October.

Before the game, a video posted by The Charlotte Observer showed Benjamin chatting with Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis when Newton approached the two and attempted to shake Benjamin's hand. Newton waved away Davis, and then had a brief discussion with Benjamin before the receiver began walking away.

Newton followed and the two talked again. The discussion ended when Benjamin shrugged and turned to walk away, and Newton waved his hand at the receiver's back.

Newton finished 6 of 9 for 84 yards in two series.

BENGALS 30, BEARS 27

CINCINNATI (AP) - Andy Dalton made a solid debut in Cincinnati's revamped offense, throwing for a pair of touchdowns.

The Bengals were last in the league on offense last season, the worst finish in franchise history. They overhauled their leaky offensive line, and coordinator Bill Lazor injected more diversity into the playbook. It showed the first time out.

Dalton went 6 of 8 for 103 yards, completing four passes of at least 20 yards. He also had an interception that wasn't his fault - John Ross fell on his route and Kyle Fuller returned the pickoff 47 yards to the end zone.

The Bears (0-2) rested most of their starters during a 17-16 loss to the Ravens in the Hall of Fame game, including quarterback Mitchell Trubisky . His preseason debut didn't go very well.

Trubisky was in for two series that netted minus-1 yard on eight plays. The Bears' only first down on those series came on Carlos Dunlap's penalty for roughing the quarterback, a late hit on Trubisky. He missed on a deep sideline pass to Kevin White on his opening throw and finished 2 of 4 for 4 yards.

SAINTS 24, JAGUARS 20

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Blake Bortles completed 6 of 9 passes for 53 yards and scored on a short bootleg. Bortles was poised in the pocket and nearly perfect in one series of work, a significant improvement from the way his preseason started a year ago. Bortles had a five-interception performance during a training camp practice in 2017 and continued to struggle during joint practices with New England. He was benched two weeks into the preseason and had to earn the starting job.

A year later, his starting spot is as solid as just about anyone's on the team. It showed against the Saints.

Bortles led the Jaguars on a 15-play, 79-yard drive to open the game. He converted both third-down passes he faced and finished off the series by going untouched around the right side.

Saints star Drew Brees got the night off, allowing backup Tom Savage to play the first half. Savage completed 10 of 14 passes for 70 yards. Brees only played in one preseason game in 2017.

Mark Ingram, suspended the first four games of the regular season for violating NFL policy on performance enhancers, carried seven times for 23 yards and a touchdown. Ingram scored against Jacksonville's backups and after a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty kept the drive alive.

BUCCANEERS 26, DOLPHINS 24

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) - Buccaneers kicker Chandler Catanzaro made a 26-yard field goal with 23 seconds left to cap a 67-yard drive and give them the win.

Ryan Tannehill completed passes on the first four plays in his return from two serious injuries to his left knee, sparking a 40-yard drive that ended with a missed field goal in his only series.

Tannehill, seeing his first action since December 2016, was off-target on his final two throws and finished 4 for 6 for 32 yards.

Tampa Bay's Jameis Winston played the second quarter against Miami's second team and led a group of reserves to 10 points on drives of 32 and 40 yards. He went 11 for 13 for 102 yards in four series.

Winston is suspended for the first three games of the regular season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.

Dolphins receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson and defensive end Robert Quinn protested during the anthem. Stills and Wilson kneeled behind teammates lined up standing along the sideline. Quinn stood and raised his right fist. There were no apparent protests by the Buccaneers.

PATRIOTS 26, REDSKINS 17

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - Colt McCoy outplayed Brian Hoyer in a scrimmage of backup quarterbacks, while Tom Brady and Alex Smith stayed on the sidelines counting their money.

On the day the Patriots reportedly sweetened Brady's contract with $5 million in incentives, the reigning NFL MVP sat out the team's exhibition season opener. So did his Washington counterpart, Smith, who was traded to the nation's capital in the offseason and received a four-year, $94 million extension.

In their place, McCoy completed 13 of 18 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns as Washington opened 17-0 lead in the first half. Hoyer struggled against the Washington starters, but drove New England to a pair of second-half touchdowns, including Ralph Webb's 8-yard run for a score followed by the catch on a 2-point conversion that gave New England its first lead.

Washington was hit with a slew of injuries, including second-round draft pick Derrius Guice, who left with a knee injury after a 34-yard run (which was negated by a penalty) near the end of the first quarter. Also needing medical attention: TE Manasseh Gardner (knee), and WR Trey Quinn, who took a hard shot in the side from Patriots cornerback Ryan Lewis and took a few minutes to get up before heading to the medical tent.

RAVENS 33, RAMS 7

BALTIMORE (AP) - Joe Flacco threw a touchdown pass on his only series of the game and rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson ran for a score.

Baltimore led 17-0 after the first period and cruised to the finish against the Rams, who rested offensive stars Jared Goff and Todd Gurley.

After sitting out the Hall of Fame Game last week, Flacco went 5 for 7 for 71 yards during a 10-play drive. The 11-year veteran overcame a second-and-25 with a 30-yard pass to newcomer Michael Crabtree and finished with a 6-yard TD throw to Patrick Ricard.

Jackson entered the next time Baltimore got the ball and coolly directed a 73-yard march in which he completed a 36-yard pass to Chris Moore and broke two tackles running for a 9-yard touchdown.

The Ravens and Rams held joint practices Monday and Tuesday, and Los Angeles coach Sean McVay indicated the work against outside opposition would enable him to rest a few of his starters in the preseason opener. He did.

PACKERS 31, TITANS 17

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - Marcus Mariota looked sharp orchestrating yet another new offensive system for the Tennessee Titans. Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams needed just one series to show he was in midseason form.

Mariota was 2 of 3 for 42 yards with a 4-yard scoring pass to Darius Jennings on the opening drive of Mike Vrabel's first preseason game as Titans coach. Mariota also had one carry for 7 yards before leaving after the nine-play series.

It was a nice, if brief, start for Mariota. He's picking up a new scheme under his third head coach in four seasons.

Backup Brett Hundley did his best impression of Aaron Rodgers by hitting Adams in stride down the left sideline for a 48-yard completion.

TEXANS 17, CHIEFS 10

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Patrick Mahomes finished 5 of 7 for 33 yards on two drives for the Chiefs as the Texans sat many of their stars.

Houston's Deshaun Watson, coming back from a torn ACL, was used sparingly. He threw one pass - a 4-yard completion to wide receiver Bruce Ellington - during a five-play drive to midfield that featured four handoffs to running back Lamar Miller.

Mahomes at No. 10 and Watson at No. 12 were taken in the first round of the 2017 draft.

The Texans also sat DE J.J. Watt, who is returning from a broken leg suffered last October against the Chiefs, LB Jadeveon Clowney (knee), offseason addition S Tyrann Mathieu, CB Johnathan Joseph, and starting WRs DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller.

49ERS 24,COWBOYS 21

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - Dak Prescott made the most of his brief appearance in the preseason opener for Dallas by throwing a 30-yard touchdown pass to rookie Michael Gallup before the 49ers rallied with two late touchdowns.

Nick Mullens threw a 7-yard TD pass to Richie James Jr. with 18 seconds left to cap the comeback. Jeremy McNichols scored on a 1-yard run with 4:24 to go for San Francisco.

San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo didn't fare as well as Prescott in his first game action since signing a $137.5 million, five-year contract this offseason. Garoppolo completed 3 of 6 passes on his one drive.

More concerning for the 49ers was the fact that five players left with injuries in the first 16 minutes of the game, including defensive starters Malcolm Smith and Solomon Thomas.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday, August 10, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home
7:30 PM Atlanta Falcons New York Jets
10:30 PM Detroit Lions Oakland Raiders


****************************
NFL PRESEASON RECORD:

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

08/09/2018 10-14-0 41.66% -27.00
08/02/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

TOTALS...........11- 15........42.30%.....-27.50

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s 6-pack

— Cleveland Indians are 27-8 vs division rivals Royals-Tigers-White Sox; they’re 37-42 vs everyone else.

— Memo to NFL officials: don’t call taunting penalties!!!!

— Browns went 4-0 in preseason LY, then went 0-16 in games that count.

— Why do the Browns’ jerseys say “Cleveland” on them? They look like damn high school jerseys.

— For next four weeks, daytime TV consists on re-runs of NFL preseason games. This is good.

— There was a delay in the White Sox game Wednesday night because a moth flew into the ear of home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman, and it needed to be removed.

Tweet of the Day
“I’ve had some really good teammates. One guy? It would be (Nick) Markakis for me. First of all, I played with him the longest. He always said the right things when they needed to be said. He didn’t say much, but whenever he did, people listened. And he played the game the right way. We’re plumbers, we show up every day for work, good, bad and the ugly and we live with the results each day. And the way he approached this game, and still approaches the game, is something that not just myself, but a lot of people in this clubhouse, have modeled themselves after.”
Adam Jones

Friday’s quiz
Who coached Cleveland Browns last time they made the playoffs?

Thursday’s quiz
Nick Saban went 15-17 in two seasons coaching the Miami Dolphins.

Wednesday’s quiz
Kings County in New York is better known by another name, Brooklyn.

************************

Friday’s List of 13: NFL games with interesting subplots:

Week 1: Falcons @ Eagles: Philly beat Atlanta 15-10 in playoffs LY, went on to win their first Super Bowl title, with their backup QB playing- now Carson Wentz is back under center. Falcons lost Super Bowl two years ago. Matt Ryan is from Philly.

Week 2: Dolphins @ Jets: If I owned the Dolphins, would damn sure want to know how the hell we’re 1-6 in our last seven games against the Jets? Miami lost last three visits to the Swamp, by 38-20/34-13/20-6 scores. Will Sam Darnold be the Jets’ QB by then?

Giants @ Cowboys: Big Blue visited Dallas in Week 1 four of the last five years; they have to wait until Week 2 this year. This matchup must get consistently high TV ratings, but an NFC East squad won the Super Bowl last year, and it wasn’t either one of these teams.

Week 3: Titans @ Jaguars: Jacksonville made playoffs LY for first time in 10 years, but they got swept by the Titans, 37-16/15-10. Jaguars were +10 in turnovers last year, but were -5 vs Tennessee- they scored only two offensive TD’s in 26 drives against the Titans.

Patriots @ Lions: Matt Patricia is the Lions’ new coach; he’s come a long way from his days as a college student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), located in Troy, NY, just over the river from Armadillo World HQ. This matchup vs Brady/Belichick is the NBC Sunday night game.

Week 4: Chiefs @ Broncos: Kansas City is starting Patrick Mahomes at QB; he is basically a rookie- his only start was a 27-24 win here LY. Four of the Chiefs’ first six games this year are on road, at Chargers, Steelers, Broncos, Patriots. Tough start for a young QB.

Week 6: 49ers @ Packers: Same thing for the 49ers; four of their first six games are on the road, at Vikings, Chiefs, Chargers, Packers. Was 49ers’ strong finish LY a sign of future promise, or were they merely passing tired horses? By time this game is over, we may know.

Week 7: Chargers @ Browns: Cleveland is 1-31 the last two years; they beat Chargers 20-17 here in Week 16 of 2016 for the only win, then lost to them 19-10 (+14) in Carson LY. Chargers are on their way to London after this game, for a 6:30am PST game with the Titans in Week 8.

Week 8: Saints @ Vikings: I’m guessing New Orleans has this game circled on their calendar, after their defensive meltdown at the end of last year’s 29-24 playoff loss on this field.

Week 9: Raiders @ 49ers: “I could fly to LA for a haircut faster than I could drive to Santa Clara” Mark Davis is moving his team to Las Vegas because he didn’t want to share this stadium with the 49ers. Well, he has to drive to Santa Clara for this Thursday night game.

Week 12: Six NFC teams are playing on Thanksgiving: Bears-Lions, Redskins-Cowboys and Falcons-Saints. Smart to have divisional games on Thursdays, with less prep time.

Jaguars @ Bills: Last year’s unlikely playoff game: Jaguars 10, Bills 3. Buffalo made playoffs for first time in 19 years, then sent their QB packing. Interesting decision; was it smart? Visiting Buffalo on Thanksgiving weekend means cold weather will probably be a factor.

Week 13: 49ers @ Seahawks: Richard Sherman’s return to Seattle is a Sunday night game.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s 6-pack

— Cleveland Indians are 27-8 vs division rivals Royals-Tigers-White Sox; they’re 37-42 vs everyone else.

— Memo to NFL officials: don’t call taunting penalties!!!!

— Browns went 4-0 in preseason LY, then went 0-16 in games that count.

— Why do the Browns’ jerseys say “Cleveland” on them? They look like damn high school jerseys.

— For next four weeks, daytime TV consists on re-runs of NFL preseason games. This is good.

— There was a delay in the White Sox game Wednesday night because a moth flew into the ear of home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman, and it needed to be removed.

Tweet of the Day
“I’ve had some really good teammates. One guy? It would be (Nick) Markakis for me. First of all, I played with him the longest. He always said the right things when they needed to be said. He didn’t say much, but whenever he did, people listened. And he played the game the right way. We’re plumbers, we show up every day for work, good, bad and the ugly and we live with the results each day. And the way he approached this game, and still approaches the game, is something that not just myself, but a lot of people in this clubhouse, have modeled themselves after.”
Adam Jones

Friday’s quiz
Who coached Cleveland Browns last time they made the playoffs?

Thursday’s quiz
Nick Saban went 15-17 in two seasons coaching the Miami Dolphins.

Wednesday’s quiz
Kings County in New York is better known by another name, Brooklyn.

************************

Friday’s List of 13: NFL games with interesting subplots:

Week 1: Falcons @ Eagles: Philly beat Atlanta 15-10 in playoffs LY, went on to win their first Super Bowl title, with their backup QB playing- now Carson Wentz is back under center. Falcons lost Super Bowl two years ago. Matt Ryan is from Philly.

Week 2: Dolphins @ Jets: If I owned the Dolphins, would damn sure want to know how the hell we’re 1-6 in our last seven games against the Jets? Miami lost last three visits to the Swamp, by 38-20/34-13/20-6 scores. Will Sam Darnold be the Jets’ QB by then?

Giants @ Cowboys: Big Blue visited Dallas in Week 1 four of the last five years; they have to wait until Week 2 this year. This matchup must get consistently high TV ratings, but an NFC East squad won the Super Bowl last year, and it wasn’t either one of these teams.

Week 3: Titans @ Jaguars: Jacksonville made playoffs LY for first time in 10 years, but they got swept by the Titans, 37-16/15-10. Jaguars were +10 in turnovers last year, but were -5 vs Tennessee- they scored only two offensive TD’s in 26 drives against the Titans.

Patriots @ Lions: Matt Patricia is the Lions’ new coach; he’s come a long way from his days as a college student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), located in Troy, NY, just over the river from Armadillo World HQ. This matchup vs Brady/Belichick is the NBC Sunday night game.

Week 4: Chiefs @ Broncos: Kansas City is starting Patrick Mahomes at QB; he is basically a rookie- his only start was a 27-24 win here LY. Four of the Chiefs’ first six games this year are on road, at Chargers, Steelers, Broncos, Patriots. Tough start for a young QB.

Week 6: 49ers @ Packers: Same thing for the 49ers; four of their first six games are on the road, at Vikings, Chiefs, Chargers, Packers. Was 49ers’ strong finish LY a sign of future promise, or were they merely passing tired horses? By time this game is over, we may know.

Week 7: Chargers @ Browns: Cleveland is 1-31 the last two years; they beat Chargers 20-17 here in Week 16 of 2016 for the only win, then lost to them 19-10 (+14) in Carson LY. Chargers are on their way to London after this game, for a 6:30am PST game with the Titans in Week 8.

Week 8: Saints @ Vikings: I’m guessing New Orleans has this game circled on their calendar, after their defensive meltdown at the end of last year’s 29-24 playoff loss on this field.

Week 9: Raiders @ 49ers: “I could fly to LA for a haircut faster than I could drive to Santa Clara” Mark Davis is moving his team to Las Vegas because he didn’t want to share this stadium with the 49ers. Well, he has to drive to Santa Clara for this Thursday night game.

Week 12: Six NFC teams are playing on Thanksgiving: Bears-Lions, Redskins-Cowboys and Falcons-Saints. Smart to have divisional games on Thursdays, with less prep time.

Jaguars @ Bills: Last year’s unlikely playoff game: Jaguars 10, Bills 3. Buffalo made playoffs for first time in 19 years, then sent their QB packing. Interesting decision; was it smart? Visiting Buffalo on Thanksgiving weekend means cold weather will probably be a factor.

Week 13: 49ers @ Seahawks: Richard Sherman’s return to Seattle is a Sunday night game.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Preseason Notes
August 9, 2018

Atlanta at N.Y. Jets (NFL Network, 7:30 p.m. ET)

The Atlanta Falcons will be searching for the final piece of the offensive line charged with protecting Matt Ryan when they open their preseason schedule.

Meanwhile, many expect the three-man quarterback competition of the New York Jets to last the entire summer. It's been reported that head coach Todd Bowles is in no hurry to make his decision on whether it will be Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater or Sam Darnold under center as the starter in the team's regular-season opener.

The coach said he has an idea of how the Jets will use their quarterbacks in the preseason opener against Atlanta on Friday, but wants to discuss it with his staff before revealing the plan. In fact, there's no guarantee that McCown will even play against the Falcons.

Falcons

Head Coach: Dan Quinn
Quarterback Rotation: Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Garrett Grayson, Kurt Benkert (Rookie – Virginia)

Jets

Head Coach: Todd Bowles
Quarterback Rotation: Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold (Rookie - USC)

Preseason Coaching Stats

Dan Quinn, Atlanta: 5-7 SU, 4-8 ATS, 5-7 O/U
Todd Bowles, New York: 6-6 SU, 7-5 ATS, 4-8 O/U

For updated injury reports on the Falcons, we suggest following D. Orlando Ledbetter and Vaughn McClure via Twitter.

For updated injury reports on the Jets, we suggest following Rich Cimini and Manish Mehta via Twitter.

Preseason Results - Last Two Years

Atlanta

2017 (0-4 SU, 0-4 ATS, 1-3 O/U)

Atlanta (-1, 36) 20 at Miami 23
Atlanta (+3, 39) 13 at Pittsburgh 17
Atlanta (-3.5, 42.5) 14 vs. Arizona 24
Atlanta (-3, 37) 7 vs. Jacksonville 13

2016 (3-1 SU, 2-2 ATS, 1-3 O/U)

Atlanta (-3, 37) 23 vs. Washingtonm 17
Atlanta (-1, 38.5) 24 at Cleveland 13
Atlanta (PK, 41.5) 6 at Miami 17
Atlanta (-3.5, 37.5) 17 vs. Jacksonville 15


New York Jets

2017 (2-2 SU, 3-1 ATS, 1-3 O/U)

New York (+2.5, 37) 7 vs. Tennessee 3
New York (-4.5, 37) 6 at Detroit 16
New York (+4.5, 36) 31 at N.Y. Giants 32
New York (-1.5, 36) 16 vs. Philadelphia 10

2016 (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS, 1-3 O/U)

New York (-3, 36.5) 17 vs. Jacksonville 13
New York (-3, 38.5) 18 at Washington 22
New York (PK, 42.5) 20 vs. N.Y. Giants 21
New York (-3.5, 37) 6 at Philadelphia 14

******************

Detroit at Oakland (NFL Network, 10:30 p.m. ET)

The Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions have practiced together a couple times this week before for their preseason opener Friday at the Oakland Coliseum. The practice was conducted in a controlled environment after Raiders coach Jon Gruden met with first-year Detroit coach Matt Patricia in the offseason.

Patricia declined to say how much quarterback Matthew Stafford and the rest of the Lions starters will play on Friday. Although he won't be on the field very long, Stafford is relishing playing in a game after mostly practicing against Detroit's defense before the two workouts with Oakland.

Gruden will be making his return to the Coliseum sidelines for the first time in 17 years. He's produced solid numbers in the preseason during his previous stops in Oakland and Tampa Bay. Quarterback Derek Carr and the rest of Oakland's starters will only play a series or two, with the majority of playing time being doled out to the rookies and fringe players on the roster according to reports.

Lions

Head Coach: Matt Patricia
Quarterback Rotation: Matthew Stafford, Matt Cassel, Jake Rudock

Raiders

Head Coach: John Gruden
Quarterback Rotation: Derek Carr, EJ Manuel, Connor Cook

Preseason Coaching Stats

Matt Patricia, Detroit: First Year
John Gruden, Oakland: 30-16 SU, 25-19-2 ATS, 22-24 O/U

For updated injury reports on the Lions, we suggest following Dave Birkett and Justin Rogers via Twitter.

For updated injury reports on the Raiders, we suggest following Vic Tafur and Jerry McDonald via Twitter.

Preseason Results - Last Two Years

Detroit

2017 (2-2 SU, 3-1 ATS, 2-2 O/U)

Detroit (PK, 35.5) 24 at Indianapolis 10
Detroit (-4.5, 37) 16 vs. N.Y. Jets 6
Detroit (+3.5, 43.5) 28 vs. New England 30
Detroit (+3.5, 35.5) 17 at Buffalo 27

2016 (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS, 2-2 O/U)

Detroit (-3, 35.5) 30 at Pittsburgh 17
Detroit (PK, 41.5) 14 vs. Cincinnati 30
Detroit (-2.5, 42.5) 9 at Baltimore 30
Detroit (-3, 37.5) 31 vs. Buffalo 0

Oakland

2017 (0-4 SU, 0-4 ATS, 2-2 O/U)

Oakland (-3.5, 40) 10 at Arizona 20
Oakland (-3, 41.5) 21 vs. L.A. Rams 24
Oakland (-3, 42) 20 at Dallas 24
Oakland (+2.5, 41) 13 vs. Seattle 17

2016 (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS, 3-1 O/U)

Oakland (-2.5, 37.5) 31 at Arizona 10
Oakland (-3, 42.5) 12 at Green Bay 20
Oakland (-3, 40.5) 14 vs. Tennessee 27
Oakland (-1.5, 38) 21 vs. Seattle 23

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Handicapping Broncos (7.5)
August 10, 2018

The Denver Broncos have a new quarterback in Case Keenum and a lot of optimism heading into the 2018 season. The Broncos are coming off a 5-11 season, their worst since 2010.

The Broncos have not had back-to-back losing seasons since 1971-72. Oddsmakers are not so sure that Denver will have a winning season in 2018, as they set the win total for the Broncos at 7.5.

Let’s look at the schedule for Denver for this season to see if they will go over or under that number.

2018 Denver Broncos Regular Season Win Total
Over 7.5 (+110)
Under 7.5 (-140)

2018 Denver Broncos Schedule Analysis

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9 vs. Seattle Seahawks[/B]

The Seahawks are nowhere near as good as they have been in past seasons and they have not visited Denver since 2010. The Broncos are listed as 2.5-point home favorites at BetDSI.

Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16 vs. Oakland Raiders

The Raiders have a new head coach in Jon Gruden and a lot of optimism heading into this season. The Broncos will be playing at home and they could start out 2-0 under Keenum.

Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23 at Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have a lot of new offensive weapons for Joe Flacco, so this will not be an easy road game for the Broncos.

Week 4: Monday, Oct. 1 vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have a new starting quarterback in Patrick Mahomes and he will get a rude awakening against a Denver defense that features Von Miller.

Week 5: Sunday. Oct. 7 at New York Jets

The Jets are a team that doesn’t have a quality starting quarterback so the Denver defense should dominate this contest.

Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14 vs. Los Angeles Rams

The Broncos will be facing former teammate Aqib Talib and a very talented Los Angeles team. This game looks like a toss-up.

Week 7: Thursday, Oct. 18 at Arizona Cardinals

The Broncos will be traveling to Arizona on short rest and facing an immobile quarterback in Sam Bradford. The Broncos have not played in Arizona since 2010.

Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28 at Kansas City Chiefs

The Broncos had trouble at Arrowhead last season, but that was with Trevor Siemian at quarterback. They should have more success with Keenum.

Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4 vs. Houston Texans

The Texans have not won in Denver since 2012, but the Texans have an exciting young quarterback in Deshaun Watson and a defensive start in J.J. Watt.

Week 10: Bye

Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18 at Los Angeles Chargers

The Broncos couldn’t do anything last year against the Chargers in Los Angeles, as they were shut out. It was the first time the Broncos had been shut out since 1992. Denver should have more success this time around.

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have a potent offense that will give the Broncos a stiff test. This could turn into a high scoring game, as Pittsburgh’s defense is nothing special. Denver has won three of the last four meetings.

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2 at Cincinnati Bengals

The Broncos are capable of winning this one on the road as they proved two years ago when they won at Cincinnati.

Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9 at San Francisco 49ers

The Broncos will get a tough test on the road against Jimmy Garoppolo and a very good San Francisco offense. This will be the first meeting between the Broncos and 49ers in California since 2002. The teams played in London in 2010.

Week 15: Saturday, Dec. 15 vs. Cleveland Browns

The Broncos should not have any trouble winning this one against a Cleveland team that is 1-31 the last two years.

Week 16: Monday, Dec. 24 at Oakland Raiders

The Broncos will face a difficult road test on Monday night against the Raiders. This game could have playoff implications, as both teams are expected to be contenders this season.

Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30 vs. Los Angeles Chargers

This could be a defensive struggle to end the regular season, as both teams feature strong defenses. It could also be a huge game for both teams as they look to make the playoffs.

2018 Denver Broncos Regular Season Win Total Prediction

The Broncos should be improved this season with Keenum at quarterback, but their schedule is difficult and Vance Joseph has yet to show he is a good head coach. We’ll go under the total with the Broncos in 2018.

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Friday's Top Wager
August 10, 2018

By Kyle Markus

NFL Preview - Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets

Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, looked solid in his preseason debut on Thursday. Now the next quarterback taken in the draft will get his shot. Jets rookie Sam Darnold is going to make his professional debut in Friday’s preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Darnold has talent but rookie quarterbacks are hit-and-miss early in their career because there is such a learning curve heading into the professional level. The Falcons made the Super Bowl two years ago and have enough talent to make another legitimate run, but it is such a veteran team that they will be the underdogs in this matchup.

Atlanta star quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones could play sparingly in this one and in general coach Dan Quinn doesn’t seem to put much priority on winning exhibition games. The Jets hope to get a good outing from their rookie signal-caller, which could result in a cover in NFL gambling.

This NFL football game will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey at 7 p.m ET on Friday, August 10th, 2018. The contest will be nationally televised on NFL Network.

We'll have NFL football odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NFL season.

Odds Analysis

The Jets are currently being listed as 3.5-point favorites. There is heavy money coming in on New York to cover even as the spread has moved up a couple of points prior to the game. The Jets are listed as the -180 favorites on the moneyline while the Falcons are the +155 underdogs.

The scoring total is listed at 35.5 points, as preseason games generally have less scoring than regular season contests. The “over” is the more popular play in NFL wagering.

Quarterback Watch

The Jets’ starter is Josh McCown and he could see a little time in this one, but New York doesn’t figure to keep him in long because McCown doesn’t really need the work. Teddy Bridgewater may be the second one in the game as he seems to currently be ahead of Darnold on the depth chart.

Bridgewater had a promising start to his career with the Minnesota Vikings but suffered a major knee injury which cost him two seasons. Bridgewater is aiming to show he is a viable starting quarterback again and will certainly look to put his best foot forward.

Darnold is likely to get a good deal of action as the Jets get him experience and add film to evaluate his progress. Darnold was the third overall pick in this year’s draft after an impressive career at USC.

Darnold threw for 7,229 yards in his two seasons as the Trojans starter, finishing with 57 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. Darnold does not seem likely to surpass both Bridgewater and McCown in the preseason to become the starter but a good first game could make that more of a conversation.

Key Stat

Zero. That’s the number of games the Falcons won last preseason, which may be a big reason why the team has been pinned as the underdog in this one. Atlanta has a veteran, experienced group on offense that has been together for a few years, so there isn’t much of a need to find a rhythm in the preseason.

If this was a regular season game the spread would be much different, but take advantage of the preseason situation.

Free NFL ATS Picks

All three New York quarterbacks want to play well to give the coaches reason to think they can be the starter this season. The Falcons lack the same motivation and also play on the road. The Jets are the pick to both win this game and cover the spread in NFL gambling. Take the “over” on the scoring total.

NFL ATS Pick: New York Jets 22, Atlanta Falcons 17

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 10
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ATL at NYJ 07:30 PM
ATL +3.5
U 35.5

DET at OAK 10:30 PM
OAK -3.0
O 37.0