5* Wiseguy Thursday NFL Preseason Best Bet on Raiders +3.5
Bottom Line: Dallas' biggest goal this preseason is to make it to the regular season healthy. The Cowboys have nothing to prove this preseason as they know they have a team capable of making a Super Bowl run. Oakland has plenty to prove, especially at the all-important QB position where Jason Campbell and Bruce Gradkowski are battling it out for the starting job. Behind these two, the Raiders have another former NFL starter in Kyle Boller. I love backing teams in the preseason with lots of players competing for jobs. The preseason means a lot more to the Raiders, and I'll take them catching better than a field goal.

4* Major NFLX ESPN Prime Time Pounder on Ravens -3.5
Bottom Line: The Ravens come to play in the preseason. Last year, they won all 4 of their NFLX contests. I expect no different in 2010. Once Carolina gets past Matt Moore and hands the football to Hunter Cantwell, Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike, expect Baltimore's deep defense to dominate. The Panthers are just 2-9 ATS in their last 11 preseason contests, and I'll fade them here tonight.

5* Wiseguy Hall of Fame Game Best Bet on Cowboys +3
Bottom Line: I know this game is in Cincy's own backyard, but Dallas has more depth, and that means everything in a game where the starters are only expected to play a couple series. We also can't overlook the fact that Cincy is only 11-20-1 ATS in its last 32 games as a favorite in the preseason. Take the points here.

5* Wiseguy 2009 NFL Preseason Finale Vikings -3
Bottom Line: Minne is 3-0 in the preseason and I don't expect it to roll over now in this home finale. Favre is not expected to play, but I think the Vikes still have superior QB depth with Jackson, Rosenfels, and Booty. The preseason has not been about winning for the Cowboys, rather about evaluating guys trying to make the team and getting youngsters reps. Plays on home teams off 3 or more consecutive unders are 27-7 ATS since 1993. Lay the points.

5* Wiseguy NFLX Line Mistake of the Year on Bengals -3
Bottom Line: Indy is 1-6 ATS in Week 4 of the Preseason the L7 years and 4-17 SU & 6-15 ATS in the Preseason overall the L5 years. Cincy is 5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS in Week 4 of the Preseason the L5 years. Indy never goes all out in the Preseason and the Bengals have much more to gain by winning this one at home to create some momentum heading into the regular season. The odds makers have given us a soft line here and we'll take full advantage.

5* Wiseguy NFLX MNF GOTY on Vikings +3.5
Bottom Line: Odds makers are underestimating the greatness of Brett Favre here in my opinion. He knows he wasn't ready to be on the field last week, but he got in there and got his feet wet. I think Favre plays much better this week with a full half to work with. After that, I expect Jackson and Rosenfels to play very well in relief. The Vikes have the big edge in the running game and defensively and both of these factors make Minnesota the call with the points. Plus, plays on road underdogs (or pick) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins, in the last two weeks of the preseason are 63-28 the last 16 years. Take the Vikings.

4* Major Sunday Night Football Feast on Bears +3
Bottom Line: Cutler returns to Denver and shows the Mile High City what they'll be missing out on this season. Orton has struggled in the preseason for Denver and Simms' injury prevents him from bailing the Broncos out here. Bears are deeper and better defensively. I'm taking the points.

5* Wiseguy 2009 NFL Preseason GOTY on 49ers +7
Bottom Line: No team, in my opinion, should be this large of a favorite in the preseason, especially not one that is 2-0. Singletary has his boys taking the preseason very seriously and he will use this week to really see where his team is at. The Cowboys will be without No. 1 target Roy Williams and that will limit them offensively. Plays against home teams after a win by 10 or more points against an opponent after scoring 3 points or less in the first half last game are 25-8 ATS since 1993 and plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after 1 or more consecutive straight up wins, top level team, winning 75% or more of their games in the preseason are 32-9 ATS since 1993. Take the points.

4* Major Friday Night NFLX Underdog Dagger on Packers +3.5
Bottom Line: We aren't going to see the same Cardinals team that made a Super Bowl run last season without Boldin and Breaston in the lineup tonight. Packers have taken the preseason very seriously, especially on defense (just 10.5 ppg allowed). Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points with a winning record in the preseason playing a losing team are 20-5 ATS since 1993 and plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after 2 or more consecutive wins against the spread, undefeated in the preseason, are 24-6 ATS since 1993. Take the points.

5* Wiseguy NFLX Underdog of the Year on Jaguars +7.5
Bottom line: Del Rio is 7-0 ATS in preseason road games off 1 or more overs as the coach of Jacksonville, winning by an average score of 19.7 to 14.3 in these spots. Jacksonville is also 12-2 ATS in road games in the last two weeks of the preseason since 1993, winning by an average score of 22.8 to 16.0. Vick is expected to play for the Eagles, but they won't want to show too many wildcat wrinkles and I expect him to be very rusty. Take the points.

5* Wiseguy Monday Night Football Monster (ESPN) on Jets +3
After dropping their first preseason game, I expect the Jets to bounce back strong against head coach Rex Ryan's former team tonight. The Jets hold the advantage at the QB spot with Mark Sanchez and Kellen Clemens tonight. Sanchez has earned the start and knows if he performs well tonight against Ryan's former team that it can go a long way in earning him the starting nod for the season. Clemens knows that he has to be better than good to make the decision very tough on the coaching staff. I expect both players to perform well tonight as Ryan's knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the Ravens' personnel should make play calling easier. On the other side, backup John Beck is not expected to go after Joe Flacco and I don't see the Ravens getting it done here with Troy Smith and Cleo Lemon getting most of the snaps. Lastly, the Jets are 11-1 ATS in preseason road games where the total is 35 or less the last 16 years, winning by 6.7 points per game on average. Bet the Jets.

4* Major NFLX Line Mistake of the Week on Chargers +3
Bottom line: San Diego is 9-1 ATS off a home loss in the preseason since 1993, winning by an average score of 23.3 to 14.8. Wrong team favored here!

5* Wiseguy NFLX BLOWOUT OF THE YEAR on Packers -3
Bottom line: Buffalo goes out on the road and gets hit in the mouth against a deeper team. Green Bay is 10-2 ATS in preseason home games after a game with a turnover margin of +2 or better since 1993, winning by an average score of 24.2 to 15.9. Bet the Packers!

3* SUREFIRE on Redskins -3
Bottom line: Pittsburgh celebrated the Super Bowl all over again last week while the Skins got crushed. Washington bounces back strong at home while Pittsburgh has no reason to go after the win today.

4* Major NFLX Underdog Shocker on Chiefs +3
Brett Favre is back and is expected to get the start, but he is nowhere near ready to play at a high level. Minne's goal tonight is just to get him some reps to see where he is at in terms of playing shape and then get him out. It won't be about winning for the Vikes. It will be about winning for KC, though, as the Chiefs are coming off their worst season in franchise history and head coach Todd Haley has expressed that a win would be good for the psyche of his team. Bottom line, Minnesota has bigger fish to fry down the road while the Chiefs need a win for a confidence booster and momentum heading into the regular season. Take the points.

4* Major on NFLX Smart Money Move on Bengals +7
Rarely do you see this large of a fave in the preseason and it is clear that the Pats are being overvalued here. Brady played considerable time in a week 1 win and now the Pats have no incentive to play for a win tonight. The Bengals do, however, coming off a week 1 loss. Carson Palmer is not expected to play, but I really like what backup J.T. O'Sullivan brings to the table against a Patriots defense which allowed 304 passing yards last week. The numbers are also on the side of Cincy as the Bengals are 10-2 ATS in preseason road games against conference opponents since 1993, winning straight up by an average of 6.2 points per game. The books are looking to trap the public here and we won't get caught in the snare. Cincy is the right side.

4* Major Monday Night NFLX Underdog Shocker on Jags +3
Jacksonville is 14-4 ATS in its last 18 preseason road games (grass field), winning by 4.0 points per game on average. Off a disappointing season, you can expect Jacksonville to take the preseason a lot more seriously this year. QB David Garrard will have plenty to prove after a down year and is expected to play at least a full quarter. Plus, Del Rio is 18-6 SU and 16-8 ATS in the preseason. I'm siding with the Jags.

4* Major NFL Preseason Game of the Week on Lions -3
No team comes into the preseason more motivated than the Lions following an 0-16 season. They want to get in the win column in the worst way whether it's the preseason or not. Detroit was a perfect 4-0 SU and 3-0-1 ATS in the preseason a year ago and bad teams always tend to take these games more seriously. I'll lay the points with the Lions as we look to improve to 3-0 in the preseason.

4* Major Friday Night NFLX Underdog Shocker on Rams +3.5
Look for the Rams to shock the Jets tonight with an outright win. I love to play on teams in week 1 of the preseason coming off a terrible regular season and they are clearly more motivated. That was the case last night with Oakland and that should be the case with St. Louis here. Looks like the books are trying to trap all the Big Apple bettors on the Jets and we won't bite. Take the points.

4* Major Thursday Night NFLX Blowout on Raiders -2
I like the Raiders at home tonight considering that Dallas is 5-19 ATS in the first two weeks of the preseason since 1993. Plus, my game estimates project the Raiders to rush for 125-150 yards tonight and Dallas is 0-11 ATS in the preseason when it allows that many yards on the ground since 1993. I'm on the Raiders.

4* Major 2009 NFL Preseason Opener on Bills +3
The Bills have more to prove than the Titans and with T.O. on board Buffalo enters the season very excited and hungry. The game should mean more to Buffalo and I expect the Bills to play like it. Bills head man Dick Jauron is a perfect 6-0 ATS in road games in August as the coach of Buffalo, winning by an average score of 16.0 to 12.3. He is also an unbeaten 7-0 ATS as a preseason underdog as the coach of Buffalo, winning outright by an average score of 17.1 to 13.6. I'm on the Bills tonight.

4* Major on Seahawks -3
Seattle is a perfect 3-0 ATS in the preseason and I like the Seahawks to make it 4-0 with an easy win over a Raiders team which has dropped 2 straight. The Seahawks have great QB depth with Charlie Frye and Seneca Wallace and that gives them a big advantage in the preseason. This is also a team that is experienced in that it knows and understands Mike Holmgren

3* SUREFIRE on Bengals +3.5
The Colts are 1-3 in the preseason and this is a team which has some major health issues right now. All they want it to enter the season without missing any key players. Cincy is 6-1 against the spread in its last 7 versus Indy. Plays against favorites (INDIANAPOLIS) - outrushed by their opponents by 40 or more yards/game on the season are 28-6 since 1993. Take the Bengals.