2022 Preseason Football Tips
2022 Preseason Football Tips
Preseason football has begun and while I know most fans are curious about how the rookies will look, bettors are always looking for that edge. How do make money in preseason? What is the easiest way to earn a profit when games are irrelevant?
These games are not irrelevant to the sharps or the sportsbooks or the experts who think they have an advantage over the general public. Here are some tips for this 2022 NFL preseason.
1)Try and find the gameplan for each game. Not every coach mentions who he is going to start, but many do because the games mean nothing. But if you have access to sites like ussportspages.com and can find enough free blogs and newspapers to check out, each beat writer will have some kind of inside scoop usually around 2-3 days before the game.
For example, on Tuesday, Aug. 9, the New York Daily News has the inside information that Giants QB Daniel Jones will play about a quarter with the first-string offense. Tyrod Taylor will play the second quarter and Davis Webb will clean up the second half.
2)Some coaches play to win and some coaches don’t. If you check out SU and ATS records from coaches in the past, that will help you understand which coaches try to win and which ones don’t care. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh is the obvious one here, because he is 40-12 SU. However, linesmakers know that the Ravens attempt to win, even if their starters won’t play. Despite saying that, Baltimore went 3-0 ATS in all three preseason games as a small favorite. Also, remember that even if Lamar Jackson doesn’t play at all in preseason, backup Tyler Huntley received a ton of experience last season as a starter when Jackson was injured. WalterFootball.com has a trends section and you can find preseason records there.
3)Quarterbacks are the most important tool when it comes to handicapping preseason football. In baseball, you start handicapping the pitchers. In preseason football, it’s all about the quarterback. But not the starting quarterback. Knowing the backup quarterbacks are crucial to winning in any preseason.
Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes may not play a down this preseason. It’s too risky to see them get hurt and then your season is in peril. If you are in Green Bay and Matt LaFleur, you want to see if Jordan Love is the heir apparent to Rodgers. In Kansas City, Chad Henne is a solid backup, but Andy Reid might want to find out more about rookie Dustin Crum. In Tampa, the Bucs have a veteran in Blaine Gabbert who has a lot of playing experience. But expect a lot of Kyle Trask and Ryan Griffin in the second half of games.
Some of these guys can play and will produce against backups and third-stringers. Others will struggle and that’s the dilemma for the bettor. Do the research on backup quarterbacks and will not only help you win the sides, but also totals. Don’t take an over if you have a poor group of quarterbacks for both teams (other than their starters).
If you are looking for starters to play, check out the quarterback competitions. Seattle and Carolina are two teams that jump out that will play the starters because they need to find out who will be under center during the regular season. The only issue is that they will be going up against mostly backups. If they can’t play well against backups, that is a problem.
4)Bet the Unders in the preseason. I’m not saying the under is always the play. In the Hall of Fame Game, the total was a ridiculously low 30.5. There was a late touchdown to put the game over and that happens, but if there is a normal total (around 36 or 37), then you should lean on the under. Most starting quarterbacks will not play and the backups are not starters for a reason. A lot of these guys that play in the second halves of games are auditioning for another team and might end up in the USFL or XFL. A lot of the starters are looking at these games as just a way to get in shape so the intensity is dialed way down. So should the scores.
5)It’s all about the effort. You can say this about sports all the time. Some athletes don’t give 100% over a long season and some won’t do it in preseason. It's frustrating to watch. As bettors, if we put very little into effort and research, we’re going to see poor results. Especially in the preseason, where a lot more information is available than in the regular season. Stay aware of strong line changes as well because that could mean a coach has changed his mind and is resting his starters instead of playing them a quarter.
