Preseason isn't only for players and coaches to get ready for the return of the National Football League. It's also a useful and potentially highly profitable time for bettors to pad their bankrolls before the real season kicks off on September 7.
The NFL preseason schedule gets underway this season with the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 6 in Canton, Ohio, as Art Shell and the Oakland Raiders will battle the Philadelphia Eagles (8 pm ET, NBC). That will be followed by four weeks of preseason action featuring 16 games each week.
Preseason lines are offered at many online sportsbooks and the informed bettor can cash in bigtime on some of the unique circumstances that affect the outcomes of games played in August.
For example, how often have you seen a squad's first-team players come trotting off the field after a series or two in preseason football? Therefore, evaluating the depth and skill of a team's second-stringers and young additions could play a decisive role in the outcome of a preseason game.
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Who is the backup quarterback? Is there a three-way battle for the backup running back job? What about a shutdown cornerback fresh out of college via the draft who could be an impact player and will get plenty of preseason reps to make or break his position on the team? These are key factors which will influence a team's preseason competitiveness.
What about a team's preseason schedule? A team that is playing its second preseason game against a team that is making its preseason debut will have a huge edge in game-readiness regardless of the personnel it chooses to use.
Sometimes a team looking to rebound from a poor campaign will compete to win in the preseason in order to build a winning attitude heading into the regular season. Other teams will be looking strictly at personnel evaluation. Pay attention to the local media reports coming out of training camp in order to get a handle on the approach a certain coach might be taking during the preseason, and wager accordingly.
Towards the end of the preseason you can take advantage of a team's success - or lack thereof - to make a killing on their final preseason games. If a team has struggled during preseason, they will likely play the first-teamers for four quarters in a bid to get that final momentum-building victory before the regular season begins. If they've marched through the preseason with an unblemished record, they'll be on cruise control and looking to avoid injuries to their key starters by resting them after a few token snaps.
All these factors afford the sharp bettor ample opportunity to pad their bankroll before the real season begins.