Football Betting: A look at Storylines Following Release of NFL Preseason Schedule
Fans Won't Need to Wait Long to See the Top Pick in The 2022 Draft, In Action
Jaguars and Raiders to Kick Off the NFL’s Preseason Schedule
It won’t be long until the NFL season is upon us. Another indication that it is almost football season came with the release of the NFL’s preseason schedule.
A showdown between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders in the annual Hall of Fame Game on August 4 in Canton, Ohio is the first of 49 preseason games. The other 30 teams will play three preseason contests which is one fewer than what used to be scheduled. That was one of the concessions when the NFL went from 16 to 17 regular-season games.
One thing that hasn’t changed is that the top picks in the NFL draft will be front and center during the preseason games with No. 1 overall pick, Travon Walker set to play for Jacksonville in Canton.
A reminder to not take preseason results too seriously comes with the fact that the Cleveland Browns were one of seven undefeated teams in the preseason in 2021 while the Green Bay Packers finished 0-3 in the preseason a year ago. The Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals went from combining for a 1-5 preseason record to playing in the Super Bowl.
The 2022 regular season schedule starts with a September 8 matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams. The Bills (+650) currently have the best betting odds to win the Super Bowl while the Rams are the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Top Pick Will be Headliner in Hall of Fame Game
It isn’t often that the Jacksonville Jaguars get featured even in the preseason, however, with the last two No. 1 overall draft picks on the roster, Jacksonville could end up having a higher profile than normal moving forward.
The Jaguars will face the Las Vegas Raiders in the first preseason game on August 4. The Hall of Fame Game could also mark the debut of superstar receiver Davante Adams with the Raiders. It will be quite the way to get the NFL preseason schedule underway.
As for the Jaguars, the disastrous Urban Meyer coaching experiment didn’t even last a season. Doug Pederson is now calling the shots and the hope is his reputation as a quarterback whisperer will aid in the development of 2021 top pick Trevor Lawrence. There will be plenty of eyes on this year’s top pick, Travon Walker, who is expected to be a key part of a rebuilt defense for the Jaguars. Walker (+600) has the third-best odds to be the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Thursday Night Doubleheader Highlights First Full Week of Preseason Tilts
While it is only preseason, it is hard not to get fired up about matchups between the New England Patriots and New York Giants or a showdown between the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens. Those games will kick off the first full week of NFL preseason action.
The Patriots and Giants are many different teams from the ones that met in two Super Bowls. It will be fun seeing second-year quarterback Mac Jones back in action for New England. The Giants are sticking with quarterback Daniel Jones for at least one more season. The game should include the pro debuts of top-10 draft picks Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal.
The Titans and Ravens both traded away key receivers to pick up first-round picks in April’s draft. A.J. Brown is now with the Philadelphia Eagles while Marquise Brown is reunited with quarterback Kyler Murray as the two former Oklahoma stars hope to lead the Arizona Cardinals to a Super Bowl title. There is still plenty of remaining talent on both the Titans and Ravens.
Will Star Quarterbacks See Action in the Broncos-Bills Showdown?
One of the questions that come up every preseason is how much action will veteran stars see. A game showcasing new Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills would certainly sell plenty of tickets.
Those who turn out for the most intriguing game in Week 2 of the NFL preseason schedule can only hope both quarterbacks will at least be on the field for a series or two.
Allen’s emergence at quarterback is a reason why the Bills are being touted as a Super Bowl contender. It is harder to know what to expect from the Broncos even with Wilson solving the team’s quarterback issues.
Super Bowl Rematch on Tap in Preseason
The final week of the preseason includes a matchup of the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, who met in the most recent Super Bowl. Once again, it remains to be seen how many of the key NFL players for both teams will get into the game. Teams tend to error on the side of caution when it comes to playing their top performances during the final game of the NFL preseason.
Even if Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald were to sit out the game for the Rams and the dynamic pitch-catch tandem of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase don’t dress for the game, this is still a matchup worth checking out.
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