Sports Picks & Predictions

I'm playing on Indy/Detroit OVER the total. This is one of the lowest totals on the Week 3 preseason board. I believe it'll prove to be too low. The Lions offense did very little in the first half last week. They'll be looking to get something going here. We already saw them come to life in the second half. The Lions knos their fans rarely get a chance to cheer and should play hard the entire way, regardless of who's in. The Colts should also play hard the entire way and there should be another healthy dose of Ehlinger and Eason. Looking at the final game of preseason from 2019 and we find that 11 of 16 games finished with 32 or more points. I expect this one to do the same. 

I'm playing on Jacksonville/NO OVER the total. While Sunday's games were both relatively low-scoring, I'm expecting to see plenty of points on Monday night. The Saints are looking to improve after Week 1. As you're likely aware, they've got a QB battle going between Winston and Hill to see who replaces Brees. Payton had this to say about his two QB's. "Both of these guys are working their tail off, they're both well-respected by their teammates, they're really, really good leaders. And that's a good thing." Neither was great in the opener and both QBs will be hungry and anxious to move the ball effectively tonight. Trevor Semian is expected to wrap things up and he'll surely be better than Nathan Book, who didn't play well when given the opportunity behind Hill and Winston in Week 1. On the other side, Trevor Lawrence hasn't yet been announced the starter. Tonight, he's got a chance to show the world that the job belongs to him. Needless to say, he's no stranger to playing in front of a National TV audience. Minshew is a decent backup, who will also be highly motivated to perform well. I see it all adding up to a high-scoring affair. 

I'm playing on SF/LA OVER the total. This is a low O/U number. I believe it'll prove to be too low. With this preseason being different (3 weeks instead of 4) than past preseasons, its important to pay attention to how coaches are handling each of the games. While two of the three weekday games were low-scoring, yesterday, eight of the 10 games finished with 33 or more points. The lowest scoring game (Colts/Vikings) had one of the highest O/U lines. The games with closing O/U lines of 35 or less saw the OVER go 2-0-1. Neither of these teams had much success on offense in their opener and that should lead to them being motivated to find the end zone more regularly this evening. The 49ers have some battles for roster spots on offense, including at QB. As for the Chargers, Herbert is expected to make his debut. Note that he won't have to deal with Nick Bosa. I say both teams have success on offense in this one, the final combined score finishing above the low number. 

I'm playing on Atlanta/Miami OVER the total. After scoring a mere three points in their opener, the Falcons are going to be determined for a much better offensive showing in this one. Atlanta coach Arthur Smith acknowledged the following: "We did a very poor job of executing. We had way too many penalties and it put us in a lot of bad, get-back-on-track situations and clearly never got in a rhythm after that." Ryan may, or may not, see a small amount of time. However, with these teams meeting in the regular season, there's little sense in risking injury to their star QB. That said, I don't expect him to hold back as Smith will be looking for both rookie quarterback Feleipe Franks and veteran A.J. McCarron to successfully move the ball. Tua and the Dolphins moved the ball very well against the Bears, the final score (20-13 loss) is a bit misleading. They outgained the Bears 215-79 in the first half. Other than one costly mistake in the red zone, Tua looked sharp. I say both offenses move the ball in this one and that both teams will be determined to convert their red zone opportunities. Look for that to lead to the final score proving higher than many will be expecting. 

I'm playing on Miami/Chicago UNDER the total. There's some excitement surrounding this game, as Justin Fields will see action for the Bears. At some point, during the season, he's likely going to take over the starting job from Andy Dalton. It's just a matter of when. Reports are that he's been great in practice. The Bears are going to want to keep their prized rookie safe though and their offensive line is already dealing with some serious injury issues. I'm expecting a fairly conservative gameplan, as a result. Three of the Dolphins' four preseason games, including both on the road, under coach Flores, have finished with 30 or fewer points. Look for this one to also prove lower-scoring than many will be expecting. 

I'm playing on Dallas/Pittsburgh UNDER the total. While its great to have football back, don't expect too much excitement from the Hall Of Fame Game. Dak Prescott is not expected to play. Neither are guys like Amari Cooper, DeMarcus Lawrence or kicker Greg Zuerlein. With Dallas already dealing with someinjury issues, McCarthy has stressed that health is a priority. Don't expect to see much of Big Ben and the other established Pittsburgh starters, either. As Tomlin noted: "We just want to see more of the other guys. Some of these guys we know a lot about and some of those guys we know a lot about might not play in the Hall of Fame game. And so we’ve got to get to know some others, we’ve got to prepare some others ..." There was no H.O.F. game last year. However, four of the previous five finished with 33 or fewer points. That includes a 14-3 final score the last time that Tomlin's Steelers were here. This one should also prove to be relatively low-scoring. 

I'm playing on GB/Oakland UNDER the total. These teams also met in Week 3 of last year's preseason. The O/U line was 40. Yet the score at halftime was 3-3 and the final score was just 13-6. This year, they meet in Winnipeg; I'm expecting another relatively low-scoring affair. These teams will meet, for real, at Lambeau on Oct. 20th. That being the case, neither is likely going to want to give much away. While the Canadian fans may not approve, look for plenty of conservative running calls, helping to chew up the clock and keeping this one below the number. 

I'm playing on Dallas/LA OVER the total. This O/U line has fallen from its opener and I believe we're now getting excellent value. This is the first preseason game in Hawaii since 1976 and the added excitement figures to lead to some extra offense. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett commented: "I just think everybody is excited about it. Hawaii is a magical place. There is a great football tradition there, a lot of great players have come from there. One of our great players years ago, Mark Tuinei, is from Hawaii and so many others. But once you get around the logistical part it’s going to be fun to go over there and play a football game." Neither team was effective on offense in its opener which should lead to some extra emphasis on finding the end zone here. While the Rams' top offensive starters won't be going, the rest of the team is still going to want to score. Dallas first-teamers absolutely want to put the ball in the end zone when they're in there. Also, we saw all three of yesterday's games produce double-digits in scoring in the fourth quarter, averaging 15 points. So, just because we're late into the game doesn't mean the scoring will dry up. Look for this one to prove higher-scoring than most will be expecting.

I'm playing on Buffalo/Carolina OVER the total. These teams met last August. The O/U line was in the 30s yet they combined for 51 points. I look for this one to also prove higher-scoring than many will be expecting. Both teams scored plenty of points in Week 1. Buffalo scored 24, Carolina 23. Now, Newton and most of the other offensive starters will be seeing action. Buffalo's Josh Allen, who often gets compared to Newtwon, has been sharp in joint practices. Matt Barkley was strong in the Bills preseason opening win. Including last season's game between these teams, Carolina has seen the OVER go 6-2-1 the past 2+ seasons in preseason action. Expect those stats to improve here. 

I'm playing on Philadelphia/Jacksonville OVER the total. This is the lowest total on the Week 2 board. I believe that it'll prove to be too low. The Jags are already dealing with some significant injury issues, like last year. Thats going to lead to a cautious approach with their starters. That doesn't necessarily translate into a low score though. Even if its backups vs. backups, both teams are still going to be looking to improve on poor Week 1 offensive performances. Last season, the Eagles also struggled a bit offensively in their Week 1 preseason game. Yet, their Week 2 game saw 57 points scored, second most for that week. Look for the OVER to improve to 5-1 the last six in the preseason, when the Jags were off a road loss of 14 or more points. 

I'm playing on LA/Oakland UNDER the total. When these teams met last August, they combined for 34 points, only 13 in the first half. That one stayed below the total and I believe that this O/U line will also prove to be too high. With Gruden boasting a strong record in Week 1 of the preseason, the Raiders are favored in this one. Thats noteworthy as the UNDER is 3-1 the past four times that the Raiders were favored in the preseason. Last year, in Week 1, the Rams managed only seven points while the Raiders scored just 16 in a 16-10 win. Expect more of the same here.

I'm playing on Philadelphia/Tennessee UNDER the total. No reason to expect either team to show much in this one. Both teams were 9-7 last season, neither has much to prove. True, the Titans have a new offensive coordinator. However, he's got no reason to open up his bag of tricks for this one. Despite both teams expected to be rather vanilla with their play-calling, we're working with a relatively high O/U number, among the highest of all this evening's games. I feel thats providing plenty of value in what I expect to be a relatively low-scoring affair. 

I'm playing Denver/Atlanta UNDER the total. The #1 goal for both these teams is staying healthy. We won't see the likes of Ryan or Flacco. Julio Jones won't play any preseason games, either. However, we will see some starters along the offensive line and I expect both teams to lean heavily on the run. That'll keep the clock moving and will help lead to a low-scoring affair. Denver coach Nick Fangio commented: "Even though they've got the box loaded, let's see if we can run the ball up the middle." Three of the past four and five of the past seven HOF games have produced fewer than 34 combined points. Look for this one to do the seame. 

I'm playing on GB/KC UNDER the total (10* TOTAL OF MONTH). Led by a pair of veteran coaches, these teams have nothing to prove. The #1 concern here is going to be avoiding injury. Reid's Chiefs allowed just six points in Week 4 of last preseason while McCarthy's Packers allowed just 10. Both games finished with less than 37 combined points. Expect this one to do the same.

I'm playing on Houston/LA to finish OVER the total (8* BEST BET). This O/U number has come down from its opener, providing us with excellent line value. Expect both offenses to get going, the final combined socre finishing above the low number. 

I'm playing on GB/Oakland OVER the tota (8* SHOOTOUT)l. This O/U is generously low. While its true that GB will be resting Rodgers and some other offensive starters, the reason for such a low number, the Packers were still able to score plenty of points without Rodgers behing center in their first two games. Indeed, the Pack have scored 82 points through two preseason games while allowing 51 (Thats an average of 66.6 per game!) and Rodgers was only in for one of those drives. The Raiders are going to be motivated to put some points on the board and win their home (preseason) finale. Look for the final combined score to finish above this low number. 

I'm playing on Baltimore/Indy UNDER the total (8* O/U SPECIAL). With this number rising since it came out, I was waiting to release this play. I don't think we'll make it all the way to 44 though, so am jumping in now. Harbaugh's Ravens allowed just nine points in their third preason game last season, two of those coming via safety. On the other side of the ball, the Ravens managed a mere 209 total yards, 12 first downs and 13 points. Look for this one to also prove lower-scoring than many will be expecting. 

I'm playing on Oakland/LA to finish OVER the total (8* SPECIAL). Everyone knows that these teams will play again early in the regular season. Most expect that to lead to some extra "vanilla" play-calling and that sentiment, in turn, has provided us with an extra low O/U line (lowest on the Week 2 board) to work with. I believe it'll prove to be too low. While he's not thrilled about having to play them twice, Gruden has said that he's treating the game just like any other preseason one. "It’s a preseason game and we have a lot of really tough evaluations to get through before we start thinking about what play we’re going to call. We’re going to really continue to use this as an evaluation period. You’re going to see a lot of players playing a long period of time that are going to get a chance to show us they belong here. That’s how we’re looking at this game." While Grudent wasn't there, keep in mind that the Raiders played the Cowboys in both the preaseason and regular season last year. The preseason game still produced 44 points. Likewise, in 2016, they combined with the Titans for 41, despite the fact that they'd see them again in the regular season. With the Raiders returning to their old stomping grounds, look for this one to also prove higher-scoring than most will be expecting.

I'm playing on Cleveland and NY to finish UNDER the total (8* BLUE CHIP TOTAL). Sure, everyone will be talking about the offenses with new faces like Mayfield and Barkley around. However, for a Week 1 preseason game with the likes of Odell Beckham on the sidelines, I expect this number to prove to be too high. Under Hue Jackson, the Browns' opening preseason game has finished at less than 35 points each season, those opening games averaging 31 points. More of the same here. 

I'm playing on Cincinnati/Washington to finish UNDER the total (8* O/U BEST BET). I believe that getting a line above the key number of 44 is providing us with excellent value here. Nine of the 13 Week 3 games played thus far have finished with 44 or fewer combined points. Last year's Week 3 games saw the Bengals allow just three first half points while the Skins kept the Bills to nine in the first half and 16 overall. Look for this one to also prove lower-scoring than many will be expecting. 

I'm playing on KC/Seattle to finish UNDER the total (8* SUPER TOTAL). Last year, these teams also met in the preseason. That game was quite low-scoring. Seattle scored a TD on the final play to win 17-16. While that was a Week 1 game, both teams were also involved in relatively low-scoring games in Week 3 last season, both defenses playing well. The Seahawks limited Dallas to 17 points. KC was even better. The Chiefs held the Bears scoreless through three quarters, eventually winning 23-7. Both defenses allowed less than 14 points last week. All things considered, this number looks generously high. 

I'm playing on Seattle/Minnesota to finish UNDER the total (10* BLUE CHIP). These teams also met in Week 2 of the preseason last year. The game came on the very same day, August 18th. Both teams were coming off a road win in their preseason opener, but that didn't translate to much offense. In fact, the game was scoreless after the first quarter and the Seahawks didn't score a single point until the fourth quarter. The final score was 18-11, zero total points scored by Seattle in three of four quarters, the Vikes going scoreless in two of their own. While we're getting a higher O/U line to work with than we were last season, providing additional line value, I'm expecting another relatively low-scoring affair. 

I'm playing on NE/JAX to finish UNDER the total (10* BLUE CHIP). These teams, who have been holding joint practices, last officially met on Sept 27, 2015. That regular season game produced 68 combined points. I expect tonight's preseason opener to produce half that many, or less. The Pats have little to prove for a Week 1 preseason game against the Jags. With Brady unlikely to play, note that backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo has been plagued by interception problems in camp and that he was an ugly 14 of 36 (0 TDs) in a recent intrasquad scrimmage. Expect both teams to emphasize avoiding injury, the final combined score staying beneath the generously high number. 

I'm playing on Houston and SF to finish UNDER the total. These teams got a chance to get familiar with each other in Friday's joint-practice. The two coaches, O-Brien and Kelly, have known each other for more than 20 years. Each respects and likes the other. If meeting in the regular season or playoffs, that friendship wouldn't mean too much - other than that they might know each others tendencies a little and that it might potentially add some further intensity to the game. However, for a Week 1 preseason game, when both teams' #1 goal is to avoid injury, I believe we're going to see both teams playing a little more conservatively than we normally might. 

While Kelly obviously wasn't around yet, it should be noted that these teams also met in Week 1 of last year's preseason. They combined for 33 points in that one, Houston running the ball 45 times. I look for this one to also prove lower-scoring than most will be expecting. 

I’m playing on the Over in Arizona Cardinals at Oakland Raiders as my 10* NFLX Total of the Month.

Week 3 of the preseason is the closest the NFL exhibition slate gets to the real deal, with starters playing extended minutes and coaches wanting to establish some flow and rhythm before Week 1. That also means fine tuning some key aspects of the game. For Arizona, that's protecting QB Carson Palmer better especially after he was lost to injury late last season. The Cardinals’ first teams have had little trouble moving the ball in the first two preseason games, so with them playing extended minutes and Bruce Arians wanting to boost his pass protection, we could see a lot of passing from Arizona Sunday. They haven’t really opened up the playbook much in the first two games, so expect some deeper tosses to WR Larry Fitzgerald, who has been nearly invisible in those opening exhibition contests. The Raiders will also look to boost their passing production with so many young stars on offense. Quarterback Derek Carr will be out to improve his chemistry with rookie receiver Amari Cooper, who has been a star for Oakland this preseason. With both teams planning to pump up the passing game, we expect this exhibition tilt to top the total.

I’m playing on the Over in Arizona at Oakland as my 10* NFLX Total of the Month.

CHICAGO at INDIANAPOLIS
I am playing on the UNDER. These two teams have been practicing against one another this week and I think that will benefit the defenses most when they kickoff on Saturday. 
The Bears struggled in the first practice but reports say the defense and its new-look dime package rebounded nicely and kept things tighter on the second day. I'm anticipating that being one of the reasons this game will stay low scoring. 
The other is that I'm expecting both teams to run the football a little more, which will keep the clock running. Matt Forte said he expects to play in this game after not seeing any action in the first preseason game against Miami. 
I believe we'll see Indianapolis do the same with Frank Gore after Gore saw no action in the first game against Philadelphia. So a bigger emphasis on running and familiarity should help this one fall under the number. I also like that the under is 6-1 in the Colts' last seven games overall and 5-2 in the Bears' last seven. 10* Blue Chip

I’m playing on the Over in Detroit Lions at Washington Redskins as my 9* Thursday Roast.

Week 2 of the NFL preseason sees the first teamers getting an uptick in playing time. And for Detroit and Washington that should mean plenty of points after they produced 23 and 20 points respectively in opening preseason wins. The Lions will give No. 1 QB Matt Stafford more work and could dish out plenty of shifty rookie RB Ameer Abdullah, who ran for 67 yards on seven carries in Week 1 of the exhibition slate. Washington also put on a show with its running game in its first preseason tilt, totaling 153 rushing yards including 42 from RB Alfred Morris. The Redskins have a deep QB core with Robert Griffin III giving way to Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy. That offense looked great in Week 1’s win over Cleveland, moving the chains and rarely facing any third-and-long situations. With both teams showing little rust on the offensive side of the ball so far, we like the value with the Over Thursday night.

I’m playing on the Over in Detroit at Washington as my 9* Thursday Roast.

I’m playing on the Under in the Indianapolis Colts at Philadelphia Eagles as my 9* Early NFL Main Event.

These two powerful offenses stretch their legs for the first time in exhibition play. The Colts and Eagles were among the highest-scoring teams in the NFL, racking up the yardage and forcing oddsmakers to go higher on this total than is really expected. We like the value with the Under, as both teams work in key cogs on offense and introduce many new faces to the playbook. Indianapolis will give its starters a series or two and many of those first teamers won’t suit up at all, with head coach Chuck Pagano stating the preseason is time for the younger players to shine. On the other side of the field, the Eagles will be without No. 1 QB Sam Bradford and will look to Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow to take snaps Sunday. Those quarterbacks may have some name value but will be lining up with second and third-string talents – and quite honestly they aren’t great QBs to begin with. Both teams will be taking a close look at their running game, with the Colts ironing out just who will run behind Frank Gore and the Eagles figuring out what their new talents in the running game can do. With a run-heavy playbook, the clock should keep ticking and hold this final score Under the inflated number.

I’m playing on the Under in Colts at Eagles as my 9* Early NFL Main Event Sunday.

I’m playing on the Over in New York Jets at Detroit Lions as an 8*.

The Jets locker room was the talk of the league this week with projected starting QB Geno Smith getting sucker punched by linebacker Ikemefuna Enemkpali, leaving Smith with a broken jaw and up to six weeks of sideline. That means New York is leaning on Ryan Fitzpatrick to step up and assume the No. 1 job. Fitzpatrick and rookie QB Bryce Petty, of Baylor fame, will share the snaps Thursday, and new addition WR Brandon Marshall should see plenty of balls tossed his way early as they try and kick start chemistry in the passing game. On the Lions’ sideline, QB Matthew Stafford will likely play one or two sets but the real story is the battle for the No. 2 spot, with Kellen Moore and Dan Orlovsky duking it out. We expect both QBs to push each other this preseason, which means some solid work from the Detroit second teams. The Jets secondary is star studded by the starters will only be on the field for a limit time Thursday. The Lions should also have a potent ground game Thursday, with rookie RB Ameer Abdullah impressing NFL folks in training camp. Look for him to get carries and catches in Week 1 of the exhibition slate.

I’m playing on the Over in N.Y. Jets at Detroit as an 8* Thursday.

I’m playing on the Under in the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings as a 8*.

The NFL preseason schedule kicks off with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, with the Steelers and Vikings meeting Sunday night. The Under has been the sharp play when betting the Hall of Fame Game in recent years, with the annual exhibition matchup going 1-3 Over/Under since 2010 (2011 was cancelled due to the lockout). Pittsburgh enters the preseason slate with most of its offensive stars on the bench. The Steelers will not play Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell, Maurkice Pouncey, or Heath Miller and will turn to backup QB Landry Jones for possibly the entire game Sunday. The Vikings haven’t been as up front about which starters will see action in Canton, but you can be confident that Adrian Peterson will likely sit out most – if not all – of the preseason, as he’s done in previous years. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater missed the team’s walk-through on Friday while dealing with a family matter and is planning to meet the team in Canton Sunday. He is expected to start before giving way to backup Shaun Hill, but Zimmer did say that if the first teamers are efficient they would be done a lot quicker than planned.

I’m playing on the Under in Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota as my 8* Sunday.

I'm playing the Jets and Eagles to finish UNDER the total.   Chip Kelly's Eagles are setting a new standard when it comes to preseason totals as all three of their games have finished with at least 52 total points scored.  Philadelphia themselves is averaging slightly above 31 points per game.   All three games have gone Over.

But this is the final game of the preseason and as we all know its the one that carries the least importance.  I don't expect Kelly to push tempo in this game like he has in the previous three.  Oddsmakers have even posted a lower opening total compared to the last two weeks even with those games flying Over.

Even backup quarterback Mark Sanchez won't be seeing gametime Thursday night (not to mention the starters won't be either). That's even though he'd probably like to given that the opponent is his former team, the Jets.  This means Matt Barkley will get the vast majority of the snaps.  In limited action last year, Barkley demonstrated no ability to run Kelly's offense properly.  

As for the Jets, they too have gone Over the last two weeks.  But last week's game was the annual clash with the Giants, which always carries meaning. This game will not.  So the trading points we saw last week isn't likely to occur.  

Philadelphia's defense impressed me last week by holding the Steelers scoreless until the third quarter.  However, kicker Alex Henery did not, especially when he missed a 31 yd field goal.  Missed field goals are an Under bettor's best friend.  

Despite what the Eagles have done so far, the Under is still 30-18 this preseason.  10* blue chip. 

I'm playing Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to finish UNDER the total.   The idea that preseason games will always be low scoring is being proven false by Chip Kelly.  

Through two weeks his Eagles have been involved in games that have featured 62 and 77 total points.  Last week's game with the Patriots featured one of the higher totals for a preseason game in recent memory at 46.5 and the two sides proceded to obliterate the scoreboard with all 77 points (42-35 New England) coming in the first three quarters.

So with Eagles and Steelers starters expected to see their most extensive time of the preseason this week, it's no surprise that this number has climbed above 50 points.

This is the highest total we've seen so far this year in the preseason and to be quite honest the highest I can remember for any preseason game. 

Thus, I see the value here being on the Under.  I expect bettors to continue to take the number up as well, so be sure to "shop around" for the best available line.

There comes a point in every run where the oddsmakers eventually "catch up" to a team.  Remember last year when Denver was made a four touchdown favorite against Jacksonville? Dress rehearsal week or not, I just see this total being too high for a preseason game. After all, the starters won't be playing the entire game.

We do know that Mike Tomlin seems to take the third week of the preseason pretty seriously.  In his seven years as the head coach of Pittsburgh, his teams have won straight up five times.  Do not expect him to have his defense simply allow Philadelphia to move up and down the field.

The Steelers have gone Under in both of their preseason games this year and 5 of their last 6 since last year.  They have scored a total of just 35 points in two games while allowing 36.  The offense has seemed to be focused on running the ball and shortening the game.

Therefore, it's time to fade the public on this one.  Take the UNDER.  10* blue chip. 

I'm playing San Diego and Seattle to finish OVER the total.   The Seahawks lost their preseason opener, 21-16, in a Super Bowl rematch with Denver. (Something tells me that the win was hardly 'revenge' for the Broncos).  The loss snapped a 9-0 SU and ATS run in the preseason under Pete Carroll. 

San Diego won its preseason opener 27-7, taking advantage of a Dallas defense that is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the one we will be seeing during the regular season in Seattle.  Still though, it was a nice win for a Chargers team that struggled last year in the preseason in Mike McCoy's first season at the helm.

In the first week of preseason games, the Under went 11-5. Both of these teams games went Under, but barely.  I find it interesting that in both teams cases, the number is higher this week.  It tells me that the oddsmakers are expecting more scoring this week (obviously!), which makes sense as the players have now had a chance to play some "real" football, albeit for a limited time.  

Remember that the Seattle defense that carried the team to the Super Bowl won't be on the field for that long Friday.  Carroll doesn't dare risk an injury to one of his stars.  That being said, with the majority of the starters in there last week, the Seahawks did give up a long TD drive.  If you want to write that off as "well that's Peyton Manning and the Broncos," be aware the San Diego's offense ranked right near the top of the league last year as well.

Something else working against this Seattle defense is the point of emphasis on calling illegal contact.  The Seahawks were flagged 13 times against Denver.  That's an alarming number and can help San Diego, or any opponent for that matter, sustain drives.

On offense, Seattle could have scored more points but backup QB Terrelle Pryor threw an interception in the end zone.

Chargers QB Philip Rivers completed all four pass attempts last week for 61 yards.  The backups accounted for all 27 points.  10* blue chip.

I'm playing the Giants and Buffalo to finish UNDER the total.   With this not only being the preseason opener for both teams, but also the first very preseason game this year, I look for things to be kept even more vanilla than usual.  

The fact that this line has already been bet up a few points, up to or above the key number of 34, is also key.  The public loves playing Overs, but this early in the year I don't think it's fair to be expecting this many points to be scored.  But I won't argue as we're now getting better value than when the line first opened.

After a disastrous 2013 campaign, Giants QB Eli Manning will be working with a new offensive coordinator. Claims of a "70 percent completion rate" have already been made, but working in a new system, we're not likely to see significant strides made until the regular season.  We also likely won't be seeing much of Eli either or much of the Giants first-team offense Sunday night.

Backing up Manning is second-year QB Ryan Nassib.  This is significant because in college Nassib was coached by Doug Marrone, who of course is now the head coach for Buffalo.  We didn't see much of Nassib last year, but if anyone will know how to scheme against him, it would be Marrone.  The Giants only other quarterback is Curtis Painter, who is somehow still hanging around the league and has never demonstrated any real ability to me.

For Buffalo, their offense has the potential to be very good, but is still a work in a progress with second year QB EJ Manuel at the helm.  Behind him the play under center is not very encouraging.

Again, it's the first preseason game, so we won't see much from either side.  This game will also see extra point attempts moved back five yards to the 15.  Who knows - one miss could come in handy!  9* best bet.