Some people are critical about the quality of the NFL exhibition season. However, for the sharp bettor, there can be an abundance of good opportunities.
The Greek Sportsbook offers plenty of options, including game lines, totals, team totals, first and second half betting and game day proposition bets. As far as online sports betting goes, The Greek is in mid-season form.
Unlike the NFL regular season, the preseason requires some more study and effort. However the extra time can reap unbelievable rewards. The handicapper needs to look at the preseason just like most coaches do, part trying to win and part evaluation.
When watching a preseason game, take notice of how the third team looks and see which quarterbacks are working with the first team. Sometimes a third string running back may dominate and be clearly better than the opposing defense. These are good guys to remember for handicapping purposes.
Some coaches cannot stand the preseason and could not care less if they win or lose. The perfect example was Marv Levy of the Buffalo Bills, who hated the entire aspect and treated the 60 minutes with disdain. However, bookmakers anticipated this and it reflected in the lines. Playing against the Bills was not as profitable at the end of his career.
Local newspapers are full of information that can be useful in making your preseason plays. San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan recently stressed that the exhibition game against the Chicago Bears was important. Nolan, who is trying to turn the 49ers back into a NFL powerhouse, was very aggressive during the game and established a winning tone.
Second year quarterback Alex Smith was better prepared and very sharp during the first half. By reading the local newspapers, the smart handicapper could play the 49ers with confidence and also take advantage of a first-half line of pick'em to their advantage.
Quarterbacks are the key to betting preseason football. There are many available resources on the internet to find out how long each quarterback will play during the game. Rookie quarterbacks are typically a risky proposition during the exhibition season. However there is noticeable improvement in their second season.
The San Diego Chargers gambled heavily on their future with Philip Rivers. It looks like that gamble may pay huge dividends because he played exceptionally well in his first preseason game.
For most teams, the first preseason games are for evaluations, so coaches play everybody. By the second or third weekend, teams get more serious and starters play longer.
The final week objective is to keep everybody healthy and get the reserves ready to play. Favoring experienced NFL quarterbacks is a good ploy for the later weeks.
Quarterbacks such as Charlie Batch of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Matt Schaub of the Atlanta Falcons look to be solid bets later in the year. Both are experienced NFL quarterbacks who have starting experience. Not only are players like Schaub and Batch critical in back-up roles, these preseason games are important to increase their trade value.
Sometimes the teams that meet in preseason are scheduled to meet during the regular season. You can usually count on very conservative game plans because the coaches may not want to show their hand. The bettor needs to consider playing the 'under' or looking towards the underdog in these games.
