Opening NFL Preseason Week 1 Odds
Let the Games Begin
The first full week of NFL preseason games is upon us. All 32 NFL teams will be in action this week, as coaches get a look at players in game conditions. The coaches have a lot of influence on the outcome of preseason games. Some coaches treat the preseason as another practice. Other coaches take the games a bit more seriously and want to win. Part of that is reflected in the opening NFL preseason Week 1 odds. The sportsbook also knows which coaches do well in the preseason.
Teams with a decent collection of quarterbacks also tend to do well in the preseason. A seven-year veteran can pick apart a third-string defense made up of players who probably won’t make the team. You can’t bet the NFL preseason the same as your regular season NFL betting, but if you pick and choose your spots, you can come out ahead.
Houston Texans at New England Patriots 
Date & Time:
Spread: Houston -2
Total: 38.5
The NFL preseason schedule opens with the Houston Texans visiting the New England Patriots. The Texans are favored by 2 on the assumption that new coach DeMeco Ryans will try to build a winning culture in Houston. Bill Belichick hasn’t done bad in the preseason, going 32-24-4 against the spread. The Texans have a decent quarterback rotation with rookie CJ Stroud, Davis Mills and Case Keenum.
Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks 
Date & Time:
Spread: Seattle -4.5
Total: 35
The Minnesota Vikings went 0-3 ATS last preseason under coach Kevin O’Connell and this line suggests things won’t be much better. Pete Carroll is 26-19-1 ATS in the preseason. Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall should get most of the snaps for the Vikings, who will be taking a good look at running backs. Drew Lock and Holton Ahlers should see the majority of action behind center for the Seahawks.
New York Giants at Detroit Lions 
Date & Time:
Spread: New York -3
Total: 36.5
The opening NFL preseason Week 1 odds have the Giants as 3-point road favorites. Brian Daboll was 0-3 ATS in his first season last year, while Dan Campbell doesn’t think much of the preseason and is 1-4-1 ATS in his two years. Tyrod Taylor should get some snaps for the Giants as the team’s No. 2 quarterback. Tommy DeVito is listed as the team’s No. 3 quarterback. For Detroit, Nate Sudfeld, who has thrown 37 passes in four NFL seasons is the No. 2 quarterback. Rookies Hendon Hooker and Adrian Martinez are No. 3 and No. 4.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
Date & Time:
Spread: Even
Total: 39
This game as even, as Mike Tomlin is 31-29-1 ATS in the preseason and Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles is 8-10. The Steelers have a bit more experience at quarterback, with Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph the No. 2 and No. 3 quarterbacks. Rookie Tanner Morgan is the team’s No. 4 quarterback. He has looked good in limited reps during training camp. Tampa Bay will try to get a look at Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask and John Wolford. Mayfield appears to have the upper hand over Trask for the starting quarterback job.
Green Bay Packers at Cincinnati Bengals 
Date & Time:
Spread: Green Bay -5
Total: 35
Green Bay enters this one as 5-point road favorites, which you seldom saw in the preseason until this week. There is probably some expectation that Love will see a bit more time than a typical starter. Green Bay cut quarterback Danny Etling and will roll with USFL star Alex McGough as the third-string quarterback. He should get plenty of playing time in the game. The Bengals will likely go with Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning the majority of the game. Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur is just 3-7 ATS in preseason, while Cincinnati’s Zack Taylor is 5-5.
Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins 
Date & Time:
Spread: Atlanta -2.5
Total: 36
The opening NFL preseason Week 1 odds have yet another road favorite, as the Falcons are 2.5-point favorites at Miami. The Falcons are just 2-4 ATS in the preseason under coach Arthur Smith. The Dolphins are 2-1 under coach Mike McDaniel. The Falcons will likely play all of their quarterbacks some this game, but Miami probably won’t be in any hurry to play Tua Tagovailoa much, if at all.
Washington Commanders at Cleveland Browns 
Date & Time:
Spread: Cleveland -3
Total: 38.5
Cleveland is favored by a field goal in this game, as coach Kevin Stefanski is 4-2-1 against the spread in the preseason. Washington’s Ron Rivera is 20-21-1 in the preseason. Assuming Deshaun Watson plays little, the remaining quarterbacks don’t put much fear into opposing defenses. Washington’s Jacoby Brissett isn’t bad, but the other Washington quarterbacks have a combined three starts between them. The under could be worth a look in this game.
Denver Broncos at Arizona Cardinals 
Date & Time:
Spread: Denver -5.5
Total: 37.5
No surprise to see the Broncos favored by a big number here, as Sean Payton looks to get them back on track. He’s 27-27-1 in the preseason, while Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon is making his debut. Colt McCoy and Clayton Tune are battling for the Arizona starting quarterback job, with Jeff Driskel the third-string quarterback. It’s Russell Wilson’s job in Denver, but he’s unlikely to play much, if at all, leaving Jarrett Stidham, Jarrett Guarantano and Ben DiNucci. Gannon’s a bit of an unknown in how he’ll approach the preseason. But it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Arizona play tough.
Tennessee Titans at Chicago Bears 
Date & Time:
Spread: Chicago -3.5
Total: 37
Chicago coach Matt Eberflus was 3-0 last preseason and the Bears are 3.5-point favorites in this spot. Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel is 5-7-2 in the preseason. The Titans will probably try to get a good look at Will Levis in this game. Malik Willis is the third-string quarterback. The Bears should primarily play PJ Walker, Nathan Peterman and Tyson Bagent at quarterback.
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills 
Date & Time:
Spread: Indianapolis -5.5
Total: 39.5
The point spread in this game is a pretty good indication we’re not going to see much of Josh Allen, as the Colts are favored by 5.5 points. Buffalo’s Sean McDermott has been a solid preseason coach, going 12-5-1 ATS, but not many are expecting Buffalo to win this game. Shane Steichen is making his debut for the Colts. The backup quarterbacks aren’t bad for either team, so we could see some scoring in this game. The over is worth a good look.
New York Jets at Carolina Panthers 
Date & Time:
Spread: Carolina -3.5
Total: 37
The Panthers are going to start Bryce Young in this game. But how long he’ll play is still up in the air. Aaron Rodgers is unlikely to see any time in the first two preseason games. He’ll play in the third game only if the coaching staff feels the first team needs some work. That means a combination of Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle and Chris Streveler in this one. Andy Dalton is Carolina’s backup and he probably doesn’t need much time on the field to get ready, so don’t be surprised to see a lot of Matt Corral. Both coaches have done well in the preseason. New York’s Robert Saleh is 5-2 ATS, while Carolina’s Frank Reich is 8-4.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Dallas Cowboys 
Date & Time:
Spread: Jacksonville -4
Total: 38
Jacksonville is favored by 4 on the road despite Doug Pederson’s 8-12 ATS record in the preseason. Dallas‘ Mike McCarthy is 29-28-2. Dallas’ quarterback rotation of Cooper Rush and Will Grier isn’t that bad, assuming Dak Prescott isn’t going to play. For the Jaguars, expect to see a lot of former Canadian Football League star Nathan Rourke.
Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens 
Date & Time:
Spread: Baltimore -6
Total: 36
Baltimore’s John Harbaugh has been one of the best coaches in NFL history against the point spread in the preseason. His teams have gone 38-16-1 ATS, but if you back Baltimore this week, you’ll be laying some serious points. Philadelphia’s Nick Sirianni is 1-4-1 ATS in the preseason. The Eagles will likely give Marcus Mariota some playing time, along with Tanner McKee and Ian Book. The Ravens have a decent group of quarterbacks. The number is high if you want to play the Ravens, but based on the coaching trends, it’s really the only way you can go in this one.
Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams 
Date & Time:
Spread: Rams -3
Total: 34
The Rams are favored by 3 points in a battle of Los Angeles teams. Rams coach Sean McVay is 9-9 ATS in the preseason, while Chargers coach Brandon Staley is 2-4 ATS. The teams are pretty well set at the quarterback position for the regular season. But both teams could be in trouble if their starter gets hurt. None of the backups has done much in the NFL. That’s the primary reason the total is so low on this game. But it’s almost impossible to pull the trigger on the over when you look at the QB rotations.
Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans Saints 
Date & Time:
Spread: New Orleans -3
Total: 37.5
The Kansas City Chiefs may lead the NFL power rankings for the regular season. But in the preseason they’re nothing special. Coach Andy Reid was terrible against the point spread in the preseason for a number of years, but has slowly gotten his winning percentage back up. His teams are 33-37-1 ATS in the preseason. New Orleans coach Dennis Allen is just 5-10 ATS in the preseason. Patrick Mahomes is unlikely to play here, but Blaine Gabbert should see some time, along with several other quarterbacks. Derek Carr or Jameis Winston is unlikely to play much in this game, so Jake Haener could see a fair amount of time on the field.
San Francisco 49ers at Las Vegas Raiders 
Date & Time:
Spread: San Francisco -4
Total: 36
The San Francisco 49ers have a better quarterback rotation than Las Vegas, but Raiders coach Josh McDaniels may want to win this game a little more. He’s 7-5 ATS in preseason, while San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan is 9-8-1 ATS. The 49ers have four NFL caliber quarterbacks on the roster. The Raiders only have two who are proven. That’s a key reason why San Francisco is favored on the road in this game.
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