The NFL Preseason - To Bet or Not To Bet



A look at betting on the NFL preseason, with tips and advice from football expert Howard Schwartz.

Betting tips for NFL preseason wagering

Betting on the NFL is one thing. Placing a wager on one of their preseason games is an entirely different situation. Thanks to a change by the league in 2021, we now have a reduced, three game mini-season taking place to determine who makes the team and who does not.

NFL  preseason betting adviceIt's much easier to pick an NFL winner during the season. All of us believe we can pick a winner consistently, but unfortunately, on game day, everyone watches those pregame NFL shows and their "picks" before kickoff.

The amount of data needed for two teams playing in the NFL preseason is staggering, especially with 90 men trying out for 53 roster positions. Who will be starting under center? How long will the first-team players stay on the field? Who is injured or back from off-season surgery? These are among the questions that need to be answered before placing a single bet on an NFL preseason game. 

NFL preseason betting tips

We look at the following before making a pick:

1. New draft picks
2. Free agents
3. Trades between teams
4. Players coming back from injuries
5. Veterans and rookies entering a contract year
6. Players lost to free agency and/or retired
7. Get to know your Head Coach!

After all of this, you have to ask yourself, does the coach care about a preseason win? Too often, the only one who cares about winning a preseason game are the bettors and the sportsbooks. Betting on a coach that is looking to win, or against one that uses the preseason only as an evaluation of talent tool is often the biggest key to winning an NFL preseason bet.

Once you know the head coach and his tendencies and understand if that coach wants to win or asses his team, you're ready to make an educated wager.

Check back next week, we're looking at three NFL preseason games.

Tennessee at Baltimore on Thursday night, August 11th. The return of Derrick Henry? Maybe a snap or three. BetOnline has the Ravens listed as five point favorites, with a total of 34.

Kansas City at Chicago on Saturday, August 13th at 1PM. The Chiefs are the #3 favorite to go to the Superbowl and yet are three point dogs at MyBookie.ag in their preseason opener to the Bears.

Miami at Tampa Bay on Sunday night August 14th at 7:30 PM. Todd Bowles first game as the Bucs' head coach. They are currently just one point favorites at BookMaker and many of the sharper online sportsbooks, while American books, like FanDuel, have them as a dog.

Howard Schwartz has been providing betting insights for over a decade on Facebook. Check out his social media group and new website, pfww.vegas for more betting tips and NFL wagering advice.


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