NFL Preseason Betting Opportunities

NFL Preseason Betting Opportunities

It’s obvious the Cleveland Browns are one of the worst teams in the NFL, but it’s a role they play well. If you’re going to be bad, at least be entertaining, and the Browns are staging a circus in the preseason with veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders involved in a four-man battle for the starting quarterback job.

And the highest-paid clown in the circus, Deshaun Watson, is injured and out for the preseason. Watson might never take another snap for the Browns.

With a highly competitive quarterback competition, Cleveland could turn out to be one of the league’s best bets in the preseason, which kicks off Thursday when the Chargers and Lions meet in the Hall of Fame Game at Canton, Ohio.

NFL games in August are an entirely different handicapping animal than the regular season. As for the critics who claim preseason wagering is only for insane degenerates, disregard those uneducated opinions. Instead, listen to Las Vegas professional bettor Chuck Edel, who sums it up best. “I love the preseason,” Edel said. “If the whole year was like the preseason, I’d be happy.”

Several sharp bettors are in action in August, when discovering information early can mean finding the right side and getting the best of the number. Angles are far more important than analytics, and the motivation for coaches is a mystery that must be solved. Who plans to play his starters more, who wants to win and who couldn’t care less? “I always look at teams with new coaches, and especially teams with a new coach and a new quarterback,” Red Rock sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said.

Seven teams have new coaches — Bears (Ben Johnson), Cowboys (Brian Schottenheimer), Jaguars (Liam Coen), Jets (Aaron Glenn), Patriots (Mike Vrabel), Raiders (Pete Carroll) and Saints (Kellen Moore).

Three of the teams with new coaches also have a new starting quarterback — Jets (Justin Fields), Raiders (Geno Smith) and Saints (Tyler Shough).

Aside from the Browns, who will use the preseason to find their starter, five other teams have a new projected starting quarterback — Giants (Russell Wilson), Seahawks (Sam Darnold), Steelers (Aaron Rodgers), Titans (Cam Ward) and Vikings (J.J. McCarthy).

“I think the Raiders are going to want to change the culture and start playing well,” Esposito said. “That’s a team I would look to bet on in the preseason.”

Las Vegas not only has a coach in Carroll who will be motivated to win in August, it has a positive backup quarterback situation with Aidan O’Connell, who made 17 starts in his first two seasons, and Cam Miller, a sixth-round draft pick from North Dakota State. O’Connell’s play in camp has drawn rave reviews from Carroll, new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and reporters covering practices.

Edel, the reigning champion of the Circa Friday Football Invitational handicapping contest, said he follows NFL beat reporters on social media and watches video of coaches’ news conferences to try to get info first and get ahead of line moves in the preseason.

Of course, the preseason has changed in recent years — cut from four games to three — and there’s no standard dress-rehearsal game in the third week as there was in the past. It has been reported the Vikings plan to play McCarthy in the first game and sit him out of the final two.

“The information leaks out quicker now,” Edel said. “As soon as you see something, you’ve got to be ready to fire. It’s just not as good as it used to be, but don’t get me wrong, it’s still good. It still should be profitable.”

The Lions are 2-point favorites and the total is 33 for the curtain-raiser in Canton. The line moved slightly in Detroit’s favor Tuesday after Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said most of his veterans will sit and the youngest players will get almost all of the playing time.

The only action Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert will get is with a TV sideline reporter who’s lobbing softball questions.

The Chargers plan to start Trey Lance, who got extensive preseason action last year with the Cowboys. Ironically, Lance passed for 323 yards and a touchdown with five interceptions in Dallas’ 26-19 preseason loss to the Chargers. Lance has mobility, which will be needed behind the backup offensive linemen, and he’s the type of loose cannon who could create scoring opportunities for both teams.

The first week of the preseason begins Aug. 7 with three games, including Indianapolis at Baltimore. The Colts will be an interesting team to watch because Anthony Richardson is the presumed starting quarterback, yet he’s getting competition from veteran Daniel Jones. Behind those two is Riley Leonard, a sixth-round rookie from Notre Dame.

The Bears could be especially intriguing as Johnson installs a new offense for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, who has three quality backups in Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum and Austin Reed.

Rodgers might not play much for the Steelers, who list veteran Mason Rudolph as the No. 2 guy. Still, the most important quarterback in Pittsburgh’s preseason rotation probably will be Will Howard, a sixth-round pick from Ohio State.

With most games decided by backup quarterbacks and reserves fighting for roster spots, betting results are sometimes as random as the spin of a roulette wheel. Still, the preseason is worth some shots when picking the right spots.

NFL PRESEASON QUARTERBACK DEPTH CHARTS 2025
ARIZONA: Kyler Murray, Jacoby Brissett, Clayton Tune
ATLANTA: Michael Penix Jr., Kirk Cousins, Easton Stick, Emory Jones
BALTIMORE: Lamar Jackson, Cooper Rush, Devin Leary
BUFFALO: Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky, Mike White, Shane Buechele
CAROLINA: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton, Jack Plummer
CHICAGO: Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum, Austin Reed
CINCINNATI: Joe Burrow, Jake Browning, Payton Thorne, Desmond Ridder
CLEVELAND: Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders 
DALLAS: Dak Prescott, Joe Milton, Will Grier
DENVER: Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger
DETROIT: Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker, Kyle Allen
GREEN BAY: Jordan Love, Malik Willis, Sean Clifford, Taylor Elgersma
HOUSTON: C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills, Graham Mertz, Kedon Slovis
INDIANAPOLIS: Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard, Jason Bean
JACKSONVILLE: Trevor Lawrence, Nick Mullens, John Wolford, Seth Henigan
KANSAS CITY: Patrick Mahomes, Gardner Minshew, Bailey Zappe, Chris Oladokun
LAS VEGAS: Geno Smith, Aidan O’Connell, Cam Miller, Carter Bradley
L.A. CHARGERS: Justin Herbert, Taylor Heinicke, Trey Lance, DJ Uiagalelei
L.A. RAMS: Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennett, Dresser Winn
MIAMI: Tua Tagovailoa, Zach Wilson, Quinn Ewers
MINNESOTA: J.J. McCarthy, Sam Howell, Brett Rypien, Max Brosmer
NEW ENGLAND: Drake Maye, Joshua Dobbs, Ben Wooldridge
NEW ORLEANS: Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, Hunter Dekkers
N.Y. GIANTS: Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Jaxson Dart, Tommy DeVito
N.Y. JETS: Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor, Adrian Martinez, Brady Cook
PHILADELPHIA: Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Kyle McCord
PITTSBURGH: Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, Skylar Thompson
SAN FRANCISCO: Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Kurtis Rourke, Tanner Mordecai
SEATTLE: Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, Jalen Milroe
TAMPA BAY: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask, Michael Pratt, Connor Bazelak
TENNESSEE: Cam Ward, Brandon Allen, Tim Boyle
WASHINGTON: Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Sam Hartman, Josh Johnson

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