I’ll take Baltimore Ravens to cover the spread against Washington with the number around Ravens -2.5. Quarterback depth goes a long way in preseason matchups and Baltimore certainly has the edge in that department.

Tyler Huntley and Joe Fagnano will be expected to do the bulk of the work. Huntley and Fagnano have thrown 64 preseason passes, completing 48 for 486 yards and helping Baltimore to a 2-0 preseason start.

Baltimore’s defense has been even better through two games, allowing only 10 combined points to their opponents. The Ravens defeated Minnesota 13-3 last week behind solid defensive performances from their reserve units, who proved they could consistently get off the field against the run. Fagnano has been equally impressive on the other side of the ball, going 37-of-48 through the air this preseason.

Washington falls to 0-2 as its backup quarterback tandem of Sam Hartman and Athan Kaliakmanis have combined to throw zero touchdowns. Head coach Ron Rivera also said Jayden Daniels is unlikely to play on game day after most of his preparation came during joint practices.

Washington’s offense has managed just 20 points through two preseason games. They’ll also have to replace some depth along the offensive line, most notably at center where they’ve been hit by injuries. That could spell trouble against a Baltimore defense that has consistently pressured opposing backup quarterbacks this preseason.

I like Baltimore at home with the better quarterback depth and a defense that has played much better this preseason. Lay the short number. 

Jim's Play: 110. Ravens

I’m taking the Buffalo Bills to cover against the Pittsburgh Steelers Thursday night with the line currently hovering around Buffalo -2.5 to -3. As with most preseason handicapping, Thursday night’s game will come down to depth and quarterback play, two areas where Buffalo holds a clear advantage.

The Bills are 2-0 with a 60-21 scoring advantage through two games, including a 31-7 road victory against Cleveland last week while resting starters. Buffalo’s second and third teams have been impressive, steadily moving the football throughout the first two weeks of the preseason. Depth will be crucial when the games start counting for real in September and Buffalo has given me every reason to believe it has one of the league’s deeper rosters.

Buffalo also has a clear advantage at quarterback. Allen provides the Bills with a veteran NFL starter running the second-team offense. Allen has been efficient throughout the preseason, showing the ability to move the offense without turning the ball over. Buffalo’s running backs have also been solid, with Ray Davis, Ian Wheeler and Frank Gore Jr. rushing for a combined 231 yards and three scores.

Pittsburgh will likely turn most of its quarterbacking duties over to two unproven rookies in Will Howard and Drew Allar. Pittsburgh’s duo combined to throw two interceptions and complete just 11 of 23 passes for 110 yards last week during Pittsburgh’s 17-0 loss at the Jets. Allar was also sacked three times. 

Buffalo’s backups have been good enough to score points this preseason, while Pittsburgh’s duo could find themselves struggling against a Bills defense that has allowed just 21 points through two games.

Buffalo plays at home and has continued to find ways to win even with its starters sidelined. Thursday night’s game may very well come down to depth and quarterback play and that’s why I’m taking the Bills to cover in what I see is around a 2-touchdown Bills win. 

Jim's Play: 102. Bills (NFL Preseason Game of the Year)

I like Indianapolis for one simple reason: the Colts have the better QBs once this becomes a reserves game.

We already know that Indianapolis will start Riley Leonard and play him through halftime. Anthony Richardson Sr. will enter the game in the second half and play out the game. That means Indianapolis will have stability at QB for four quarters instead of rotation after rotation. Richardson, in particular, impressed during the preseason opener. In his half of play, he completed 11 of 14 passes for 145 yards, added 53 yards on the ground, and scored a rushing touchdown. Richardson’s ability to escape the pocket could be a big problem for Atlanta’s backups late in this one.

Atlanta is expected to bench its starters after two joint practices with Indianapolis this week. That means Tua Tagovailoa will not play and Michael Penix Jr. will sit as he continues to recover from a back injury. The Falcons will roll with veteran Cooper Rush and Jack Strand at quarterback, which is a significant downgrade from what Atlanta rolled out just one week ago. The Falcons starters combined for seven points against Denver in a 27-7 preseason loss.

Indianapolis even proved it has depth defensively in Week 1. Rookie edge rushers George Gumbs Jr. and Caden Curry each had a sack. The Colts also held New England to 13 points in a tie. Depth will be key against Atlanta, which will be without most of its starting skill position players.

I’m taking the Colts since both teams will be rolling with their backups and Atlanta will be starting Jake Lugo, Cooper Rush, and Jack Strand under center.

Jim's Play: 414. Colts (NFL Game of the Week) 

Denver is a clear home favorite for good reason, but I believe the Broncos are laying too many points to the Packers in a preseason matchup that likely won’t feature extensive playing time from either team’s starters.

That should especially benefit Green Bay, who boasts one of the best QB rooms in football. Jordan Love and Green Bay’s first-team offense should receive their last tune-up of preseason before sitting out next week’s preseason finale. Behind Love, the Packers have veteran QB Tyrod Taylor and a young quarterback with starting experience in Kyle McCord, who should see a bulk of the second-half action. In Week 1 against the Steelers, McCord went 12-of-16 for 102 yards while also effectively managing Green Bay’s hurry-up offense at halftime.

Denver should roll with Bo Nix on Friday night, but Sean Payton made it clear that he won’t see many snaps. Nix is only expected to play around 14 snaps, which means Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger will be handing the ball majority of the game. Denver’s starters should give them an advantage to start the game, but their advantage should diminish as reserves take the field.

Another reason I like Green Bay is because they need a win. After losing their preseason opener 28-9 to the Steelers, many positions on Green Bay’s roster are still up for grabs. The defensive line and secondary come to mind as areas of need that should provide extra motivation from players looking to make the team. Despite their Week 1 loss, Green Bay’s defense recorded multiple sacks and there are multiple young defenders in need of a strong game.

Green Bay doesn’t need to win this game, they just need to hang around. If Love can keep the Packers in it early and Taylor and McCord can effectively manage the offense, Green Bay has a great chance to keep it within one score.

I’ll take the points with Green Bay as their QB depth and Denver’s limited starter snaps make Friday night’s matchup an attractive bet.

Jim's Play: 409. Packers

Week 2 is always tough to project because coaches drastically change who plays based on how they feel about their depth at certain positions and what they want to accomplish based on whether they won or lost in Week 1 of the preseason. But here’s my take on how things will go down on Friday night.

I’ll start with the Steelers covering as Pittsburgh hosts the New York Jets. The biggest reason is Pittsburgh’s quarterback depth chart and how Mike McCarthy plans on playing this game.

Pittsburgh is expected to sit starting quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph while handing the job over to Will Howard and rookie seventh-round pick Drew Allar. Howard and Allar should receive plenty of reps because both QBs played extremely well in Week 1 of the preseason.

In Pittsburgh’s 28-9 victory over Green Bay, Howard and Allar combined to go 17-of-22 for 239 yards while Pittsburgh’s young offense moved the football at will.

Geno Smith will start for the Jets, but second-year head coach Aaron Glenn likely won’t give Smith or New York’s healthy starters many snaps. Glenn will want to see what he has at the quarterback position from a depth-chart perspective, too. So Cade Klubnik, Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook will likely handle the majority of the snaps after New York’s starters leave the game.

Smith and the Jets’ starters won’t play much because New York lost 24-16 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the preseason opener. New York’s quarterbacks struggled, especially Zappe, who threw two interceptions.

This is where Pittsburgh holds the advantage. Howard and Allar will likely see extended reps and both looked sharp in McCarthy’s offense against Green Bay. Pittsburgh’s young defense also played extremely well against Green Bay, limiting the Packers to nine points.

The Steelers came away with a dominant preseason win in Week 1. Howard and Allar both played well against Green Bay. Pittsburgh has a clear advantage at quarterback once the starters sit. For those reasons, I like Pittsburgh to win Friday night.

Jim's Play: 406. Steelers

I’m taking the Las Vegas Raiders to win straight up against the Houston Texans Thursday night, especially considering Las Vegas is available to bet around the moneyline with the pointspread hovering around a pick'em contest. Quarterback depth and determining who plays the majority of the game is more important than the talent gap in preseason football, and that scenario gives the Raiders a chance to pull an upset.

Rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza is expected to play a lot Thursday night. The No. 1 overall pick looked pretty good in his preseason debut, completing 10-of-16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown against Arizona. Kirk Cousins was sharp, in one series of action in week 1. Cousins went 5-for-6 on passes for 50 yards and a touchdown on his only series. Both quarterbacks looked capable of moving the ball on offense, so Las Vegas should be in good hands if Cousins draws another quick series before handing over the reins to Mendoza.

Houston isn’t as appealing behind starter C.J. Stroud. Graham Mertz tore his ACL to end his preseason prematurely, forcing Houston to sign Brett Rypien earlier this week. Rypien is expected to see a lot of preseason action behind Davis Mills, so a quarterback still learning the Texans’ offense could handle a large chunk of Thursday’s game.

Houston’s backup offense didn’t do anything of note in Week 1, either. The Texans scored on their first possession of the season against the Chargers but managed seven points total (losing 27-7) after that. The Texans’ offense crossed midfield only twice after their opening drive.

Las Vegas also should benefit from Wednesday and Thursday’s joint practice. Mendoza worked with Houston’s first-team defense throughout practice, so he’ll have film on Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter and one of the NFL’s top defensive fronts. Thursday night’s game should be much easier on the Raiders once Houston’s starters leave the field.

With Vegas able to rotate in rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza for extended snaps, Houston potentially losing quarterback depth behind Stroud and the Texans’ backup offense posting seven points against the Chargers in Week 1, I like the Raiders to win Thursday night.

Jim's Play : 401. Raiders

I’ll take the Miami Dolphins to win and cover the spread against the Washington Commanders.  This game feels like one of those you just have to go with your gut on. Yes, Washington dominated Wednesday’s joint practice on both sides of the ball, especially up front defensively. There are reasons to like the Commanders as well as reasons to think Miami will cover the spread.

The difference here for me is Miami will play quarterback Malik Willis. Head coach Jeff Hafley confirmed Willis would play during Miami’s preseason debut.

“We’re going to get him some reps,” Hafley said Wednesday. “We have a lot to install. We have a lot to evaluate on our offense.”

Willis has a lot to prove this preseason, but Miami has no choice but to give him meaningful reps. If Washington sits quarterback Jayden Daniels and many of its starters after Wednesday’s brutally physical practice, Miami holds the quarterback advantage.

Washington looked fantastic along its defensive front during Wednesday’s practice, but Dan Quinn told reporters he has no issue sitting players who received heavy workloads in joint practices.

“Players who are active in these joint practices probably won’t play in the preseason game,” Quinn said.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Washington rested a lot of its starters anyway after Wednesday. They played tough, physical football and got their work in against Miami. It won’t surprise me if Washington is much more focused on what its backups can do against Miami’s starters.

Miami also has a lot more to evaluate on its roster. The Dolphins hired a new general manager this offseason, new coaching staff and drafted a new starting quarterback. Miami also has several roster spots up for grabs entering training camp.

On Miami’s side, new coach Hafley has even more to prove. He’ll likely want to give as many players who will actually be on the field during the regular season some game reps.

I’ll take the Dolphins to win and cover Friday night. With Willis starting, Washington potentially sitting many of its starters and Miami seemingly having more to prove this game, I’ll side with the home team.

Jim's Play: 115. Dolphins 

I’ll take the Tennessee Titans to win and cover against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night. I think the deciding factor is how the two teams will approach their preseason opener.

Tennessee opened a underdog but has moved to the favorite now. Head coach Robert Saleh already sounded like a man with a plan when discussing the upcoming game. All healthy starters will play for the Titans, and Saleh wants his first-team units to stay on the field for more than one series. That's big since most starters on teams won't see any action the entire preseason. 

San Francisco seems destined to do the exact opposite of Tennessee. Kyle Shanahan said that most 49ers starters won’t play on Thursday. San Francisco is dealing with injuries and questions at skill positions, including Christian McCaffrey (muscle tightness) and Nick Bosa (knee tendinitis). Those guys won’t be practicing or playing significant snaps just to get reps in an exhibition game.

Another reason I like Tennessee is because of its quarterback room. Ward is entrenched as the starter after posting 3,169 yards as a rookie, but he has plenty of competition behind him in Mitchell Trubisky, Will Levis and Hendon Hooker. That experience — and a lack of job security — will push Tennessee’s quarterbacks to perform well in-game.

San Francisco’s best quarterback is Brock Purdy, who is followed by Mac Jones and Kurtis Rourke. If Purdy doesn’t play, a lot of this game will be played by backups. Shanahan also has several position battles and players working through injuries, which could impact how he manages the game.

The Titans defense is another reason to like them here. Saleh will be installing his scheme, so game conditions against San Francisco will help him gauge how things look against opposing offenses. Jeffery Simmons is a big piece for Tennessee’s defensive front, and the Titans should be able to generate pressure against second and third-teamers.

While the 49ers may have more talent overall entering the season, it won’t matter as much in this game. Preseason matchups are usually decided by which team plays more, quarterback depth and coaching strategy. Tennessee excels at all three aspects heading into this game.

Jim's Play: 113. Titans

The Carolina Panthers have the edge over the Arizona Cardinals in Thursday’ s Hall of Fame Game based on their projected quarterback depth chart. Carolina looks more prepared for an exhibition game that will feature starting quarterbacks resting, third-stringers getting extended work and a focus on young players looking to make the roster.

The Panthers will sit Bryce Young and start Kenny Pickett, who should turn the game over to undrafted rookie Haynes King late in the game. Pickett provides Carolina with a veteran presence at quarterback that has actually taken regular-season snaps as a starter in the NFL. King’ s mobility also becomes even more valuable late in the game when both teams are rolling with third-string and rookie offensive linemen and rudimentary defensive calls.

King also reportedly impressed coaches during training camp and has shown the ability to move the Panthers third-string offense. During the preseason, when execution takes a dip after halftime, having an athletic quarterback that can extend plays with his legs and pick up yards after the snap will benefit Carolina late in the game.

As far as running backs go, Carolina also has plenty of weapons behind Chuba Hubbard. Jonathon Brooks, Trevor Etienne, AJ Dillon and Anthony Tyus are expected to handle early-down work while sharing rotational passing-down duties. The Panthers have weapons in their backfield that can keep Arizona’ s defense honest while also taking pressure off of Pickett and King.

Arizona counters with more quarterbacks on the depth chart that includes Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, Carson Beck and Kedon Slovis. The Cardinals will also be breaking in a new system this summer under new offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. Those types of transitions typically lead to miscommunications, penalties and uneven play-calling during the preseason opener.

Quarterback play, rushing ability and ball security typically become deciding factors in low-scoring preseason games, and Carolina may have the edge in all three categories.

Jim's Play: 101. Panthers

The Dolphins and Lions clash Saturday in Week 2 of the NFL preseason, as both franchises look to further develop their depth chart in advance of the start of the regular season. Miami got a bit of a shakeup in the backfield, losing Alexander Mattison for the year in camp. The Dolphins responded by bringing in Aaron Shampklin and veteran free agent Mike Boone, and it will be interesting to see how those two options acclimate on Saturday. With new names in new places, it’s hard to get a real sense of depth at the skill positions for Miami. But expect a lot of turnover at quarterback as well as no more than two series with starters for the Dolphins. Expect to see a lot of young players and fringe roster hopefuls with a chance to make a strong impression.

Detroit has also seen some roster shuffling over the past week. The Lions have lost some important pieces in camp, with injuries at cornerback and up front along the offensive line prompting them to make additions to the depth chart. So far in camp, the Lions defense has looked to be the more consistent side of the ball, showing some impressive pockets of dominance in red-zone drills and during joint practices. The Lions aren’t expected to give a lot of reps to their top starting group, either, so again this is a matchup that will likely come down to 2s and 3s.

I stick with the better defensive team here today and that's the Lions. The Dolphins will be doing more experimenting on offense and that could lead to some scoring chances for the Lions "D."

Jim's Play: 414. Lions

 It's already been a nightmare preseason for the Vikings and we are only in week 2. They lost their 1st round QB pick in J.J. McCarthy who will have knee surgery and be out for the year. Then Jordan Addison was seen wearing a boot after Wednesday's practice. Have to wonder if any starters will see action now against a very deep Browns roster. The Vikings did win their game last week, but the losses were far greater. Sam Darnold will now be the starter for the club. For me, I see the Vikings throwing all the lower end players out there this week that likely wouldn't make the roster anyways. They can ill afford more injuries like they already have suffered. I'm taking the Browns here on Saturday.

Washington plays its first preseason game here tonight at Cleveland. The Browns played in the Hall of Fame game and used a very good defense to hold the Jets to under 200 total yards of offense. They also defended well against the run, allowing just 2.3 ypc. That isn't good for Washington here tonight which relies a lot on their ground game. The Browns also moved the ball well on offense. Also, expect Deshaun Watson to see playing time tonight. I also expect the Browns to play more starters here tonight. I liked the way this Cleveland team looked in their win over the Jets and expect that momentum to spill into tonight's contest. Take Cleveland.

Raiders HC Josh McDaniels looks to finish the preseason a perfect 4-0 and he'd like nothing better than to do it against the team he was offensive coordinator for, New England Patriots. The Raiders have yet to play any of their starters and don't expect to see them here tonight either. Ex-Patriot QB Jarrett Stidham has been excellent for the Raiders in the preseason and he should be since he was under McDaniels in New England. As for the Pats, QB Mac Jones could see some action, but expect a lot of Brian Hoyer and Bailey Zappe here tonight. Hoyer already has the backup spot to Jones, so he likely won't be in any mode to win and show off here tonight. The Pats are weak at WR and that will be good for the Raiders defense here tonight, which has played very well in the preseason. I don't see the Pats caring much for this game while McDaniels would love nothing more than to finish the preseason with a win over his former team. Take the Raiders.

The Vikings lost their first preseason game of the year at Las Vegas last Sunday, 20-26. They were a bit shorthanded too, with 13 players not dressing or playing including Dalvin Cook, QB Kirk Cousins and WR Justin Jefferson among the notables. The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a win in week one over the Green Bay Packers, 28-21. The 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is 6-7 S/U and 6-5-1 in his last 13 preseason games. The Vikings named Kevin O'Connell the head coach earlier this year. O'Connell was the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl Champion Rams last year. It's expected that O'Connell will bring some explosive offensive schemes to this team with the talent they have on offense. Under O'Connell, the Rams QB Matthew Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp both had career seasons in 2021. The Vikings play at home here on Saturday and even though they played well at Las Vegas last week, I expect them to play much better this week as we'll likely get some starters in on the action. The 49ers will be hurting, especially on the offensive line where they suffered some injuries last week. This looks to be a perfect spot with the new coach at home making his debut before the home crowd. We saw that last week with the Raiders coach Josh McDaniels. Take the Vikings this week.

The Washington Commanders have shook up their defense by firing their defensive line coach Sam Mills III just weeks before the season starts. Jeff Zgonina will take over for him. Usually coaching changes are done during the off season, not weeks before a new season starts. Both these teams looking to rebound from losing 2021 campaigns. Washington Coach Ron Rivera is 20-17 S/U and 19-16-1 ATS in his preseason career as a head coach. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule looks to have made some decent off season moves to a team that already has a very good defense. Baker Mayfield comes over to Carolina from Cleveland to compete with Sam Darnold for the starting spot. That could be good for bettors in preseason as the team needs to see which QB gels with the team. I'm going to take the Panthers here today as I expect to see one of these QB's get some decent playing time and that will be good for us bettors. Play Carolina plus the points.

Week 2 of the NFL preseason 3 week schedule. The Ravens opened week 1 of the preseason with a win over the Saints 17-14 at home. The Panthers lost to the Colts in game one, 18-21. Lamar Jackson didn't suit up last week due to Covid protocols. Not sure if he will yet be cleared to play here in week two. Trace McSorely and Tyler Huntley are battling for the backup spot and should both see plenty of action this week. RB Justice Hill likely will see the bulk of the running action with both Dobbins and Edwards not getting much of any play here today. QB Sam Darnold will make his Panthers debut here on Saturday, though in limited action. PJ Walker and Will Grier are contesting for the backup spot at this point. The Ravens have always been a good preseason team, but the Panthers have more to prove here on Saturday. I'll take the points at home with Carolina.

Patriots and Eagles kickoff week 2 of the NFL preseason. Pats QB Mac Jones looked really good in the Patriots win last week at home, 22-13. Jones was the 15th overall pick and looks to already be challenging Cam Newton for the starting role. Expect to see a lot more of Jones here tonight. Damien Harris and Sony Michel are battling for the Number 1 RB and both should see plenty of action tonight. Jalen Hurts looks to have the starting QB role at Philly. Eagles 10th overall pick was Devonta Smith at WR, but he's nursing a knee sprain. The Pats are 4-1 ATS in their last five preseason games while the Eagles are just 1-4 ATS. Pats looked good last week and I'm taking them here tonight. Play New England.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were the worst team in the NFL last year. They drafted first and got QB Trevor Lawrence to fill a void at QB and then also got Travis Etienne, RB from Clemson in the first round. They also had two second round picks. Motivation plays a large part in winning preseason games. The Browns have no motivation. They are set at QB, RB and WR. The Jags will want to give Lawrence plenty of action here in game one along with Etienne. The Jaguars will want to get these draft choices and young players lots of playing time and install a winning attitude early on. No so for the Browns, they will just look to stay healthy this preseason. Play Jacksonville here on Saturday.

What's the old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Well, I've been on the Ravens every week so far and should be 4-0 if last week's game wasn't called before the 55 minute mark because of weather. The Ravens are the one team in the NFL this year that really wants to win these games. You have to take that serious since each game this year has been a blowout, including leading 26-0 at one point last week. Week four you really have to play small since you have no idea how far down the depth chart they will be pulling players. But if there is one team I have some hope in this week, it's Baltimore. Play the Ravens.

The Giants exploded in week one of the preseason with 31-points while Chicago did what most teams do, struggle on offense. Eli Manning should see more playing time this week for the Giants as well as Mitch Trubisky for the Bears. Chicago was a dead under last year in the preseason and they just got under in week one. Giants QB Daniel Jones had a great first week completing five passes in a row and throwing for a TD. Jones likely will see most of the playing time in this game with Eli getting in some snaps. Giants -1.5 or 2 looks like a good play to me. Play the Giants.

The Baltimore Ravens dominated the Jacksonville Jaguars in week one with a 29-0 shutout. The Ravens remain at home this week as they host the Green Bay Packers. The Ravens have now won 13 straight preseason games since 2015, so who says preseason doesn't matter to all teams. The Ravens DL had four sacks last week and wrecked havoc on the Jags. It will be interesting to see if they can duplicate that here tonight. Rookie Miles Boykin caught 5-of-10 passes for 56 yards in week one, but did have some drops. Expect Packers QB Aaron Rodgers to play some tonight. Bottom line, John Harbaugh says his team likes to win. So I expect that to continue here tonight. This team hasn't lost in preseason since 2015 and I'm playing them here tonight.

Big news in Dallas is the absence of RB Ezekiel Elliot, who is still holding out with contract issues. Not that Elliot would even play in this game or any preseason game for that matter. So what to expect here tonight? For the fans, not much. If the starters play it will be a series or two and that's it. After that, it's all about evaluating players who will or won't be on that 53 man roster come September. For the Niners, it's a question of a backup QB battle behind Jimmy Garoppolo (who isn't expected to play at all tonight). For the Cowboys, expect to see a lot of Tony Pollard tonight at RB with Zeke out. Amari Cooper hurt his heal, so don't expect to see any of him tonight. Dak Prescot might see a series here, but not like when he was a rookie. For me here tonight, I don't see the Cowboys with much to play for even with the backups in contention. I like the 49ers at home here as Shanahan looks to try a lot of different players tonight, especially at the QB spot. Take San Francisco.

Big news in Oakland is that of WR Antonio Brown, who is still not in camp for the Oakland Raiders with a foot issue. The Rams have won back to back division titles, but don't expect HC McVay to relax the reigns at all on this team. Raiders HC Jon Gruden begins his second year at the helm of the Raiders after a lackluster 2018 season. The Raiders did make a lot of good moves, none bigger than that of Brown at WR. Don't expect the Rams to play RB Todd Gurley here or maybe at all this preseason as he's still nursing some knee issues. Replacing him will be Malcolm Brown, John Kelly, Justin Davis and Darrell Henderson. The Rams may also give Blake Bortels a look in this preseason game. Brandon Allen and John Wolford will battle for that No 3 QB spot. The Raiders will be bringing in Nathan Peterman from Buffalo and he will likely start this game. Mike Glennon is currently the No 2 QB and will also see time in this game. I'm taking the Raiders here as I look for Oakland to be looking at more quality players they brought in during the off season that they need to get a good look at here. Take Oakland.

This will be the first time these teams have met in the preseason since the 2001 season when Minnesota won 28-21. When these teams meet here on Friday, the Saints will be sporting some ex-Vikings players on their roster, including RB Latavius Murry, C Nick Easton and CB Marcus Shereles who all signed in the off season with the Saints. The Saints need to find a third WR after Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn. That should be on display here tonight. The Vikings want to reduce pressure on QB Kirk Cousins this year by getting the running game in gear. So expect a lot more running here tonight. The Saints lost Mark Ingram to the Ravens in the offseason so they also will be looking for a backup running back. Both teams have had mixed preseason pasts, the Vikings are 5-5 ATS their last 10 while the Saints are 3-1 ATS their last four. I don't expect a lot of scoring action here tonight, so I'll take the few points with the visitor who can easily win outright. Take Minnesota.

The Tampa Bay Bucs and Pittsburgh Steelers have not historically been good preseason teams. In fact, the Bucs have finished the preseason with a better than .500 record since 2008. Last season Tampa Bay went 2-2 in the preseason. The Steelers were 3-1 last year in the preseason. Pittsburgh isn't shy about shuffling personnel in preseason as they had three different QB lead them in passing last preseason and four rushers and four receivers led the team in those categories during preseason last year. Bruce Arians makes his debut as the Tampa Bay coach on Friday. Arians left Arizona after the 2017 season and brings a lot of new hope to Tampa Bay. Don't expect to see QB Ben Roethlisberger here tonight. The last three years, Big Ben has played only one time each preseason and that was in game three. Bucs QB Jameis Winston does play quite a bit in preseason, going 30-for-41 last year with 3 TD's. I like the Bucs here tonight. Take Tampa Bay.

 The Broncos won the Hall of Fame game last week over the Atlanta Falcons. They did however need to come from behind and win in the final moments of the game. And, if the Atlanta QB had not gotten hurt and forced Matt Schaud back into the game, I'm not sure the Falcons lose that contest. New QB Joe Flacco didn't see any action in the Hall of Fame game, nor did most of the starters. Tonight, expect that to change a bit as Flacco should see a series or two with the first team. The Broncos have done well vs the Seahawks in the preseason with a 10-3 all time record, though they haven't met in preseason since 2015. After Flacco leaves, expect a lot of Drew Lock as they look to get the rookie a bunch of reps here tonight. As usual lately when we talk of the Seahawks it's all about QB Russell Wilson. There are a lot of questions at running back though as Chris Carson is expected to get the starting spot. This early in the preseason we will see starters for one or two series and then it's mostly guys who won't be around in four weeks. However, I do like Lock here for the Broncos. This kid has a great arm and you know the Broncos want a long look at him. For that reason alone I'll take Denver in this one. Play Denver.

Reports from camp have been that the Ravens revamped defense struggled last week against the Jaguars during practices. The Ravens will feature four new starters this year on the defensive side of the ball. However, don't expect the starters in for long tonight, maybe one or two drives at most. The Jags will be featuring new QB Nick Foles this year. QB Lamar Jackson is not expected to see time tonight. Last season he was a backup and played quite a bit in the preseason. IT is possible we might still see Jackson in this game, but not much. The Ravens will also feature new RB Mark Ingram. It's very tough in this initial preseason game, but I'm taking the Ravens. These teams have seen enough of each other in joint practices this week. Take Baltimore.

Brian Flores makes his Dolphins debut as the head coach. The Dolphins have had two bad seasons in a row and it's up to Flores to wright the ship. Dan Quinn's Falcons lost in the Hall of Fame Game to the Broncos in the final minutes of the contest. QB Benkert looked good against the Broncos before he hurt his toe and had to leave. QB Matt Simms replaces him here tonight as Benkert is out indefinitely. Matt Schaub will likely start here and didn't look particularly good last week against the Broncos. The Dolphins will be looking to improve tonight under their new head coach. If Benkert was available, I'd probably look at the Falcons side. However, with Schaub and Simms running the show, I'll be on the Dolphins. Take Miami.

Hall of Fame game kicks off the NFL preseason here on Thursday. It's great to have football back, even for preseason. The Denver Broncos big move in the offseason was bringing in QB Joe Flacco from Baltimore. Flacco has a strong arm and in that thin Denver air he may just be able to throw over that mountain (Sorry Uncle Rico). Doubt we'll see much of starters in this game though. Both these teams looking to improve on their sub-par 7-9 campaign last year. I think we'll see Flacco for a little bit in this game, but not much. The Broncos have beat the Falcons in four of their last five matchups. I expect we'll see a low scoring game here and as such, I'll make a fun play on the Broncos at -2.5-points. Enjoy the game, don't go crazy on it.

The Eagles have looked horrible in preseason, capping off dress rehearsal week by getting shut out by the Browns, 0-5. The first team offense has yet to score a TD in the preseason and that won't happen here either as none will likely play. Nick Foles looked bad last week and he will sit this week. The Jets won their first preseason game vs the Falcons, 17-0, then lost to the Redskins and then lost to the Giants. Still, the Jets have much more talent to play here tonight then the Eagles will display. I'm taking the Jets in this final preseason game.

The Dolphins are 0-3 in the preseason, but still have something here to play for as a lot of players are vying for that last spot on the team. Backup QB's are at stake here with Brock Osweiller the likely one to take the backup spot. The other areas are the linebackers and offensive line. Players have to make an impact here as both these spots are going to under the gun on Thursday. The Dolphins have a bit more to play for here on Thursday than the Falcons. The Falcons likely won't risk any starters in this one either. This is the last chance for those players on the bubble to make a argument for making the 53-man roster. The Falcons have quite a few players on that bubble with one battle at fullback between Ricky Ortiz and Jalston Fowler. Still, there really isn't reason for the Falcons to have their heart in this one. Take the Dolphins in week 4.

The Arizona Cardinals have some pretty good QB rotations in the preseason and as such they are 2-0 in their first two games. Sam Bradford will be the starter, but Josh Rosen is the solid draft choice and both have looked very good. The Cardinals also had four sacks against the Saints, something I expect to see here today against the Cowboys. Dallas is 0-2 in preseason, losing 13-21 at home to the Bengals last week. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn't expect that either Elliot or Dak Prescott will play in week 3 - which is unusual since this is usually dress rehearsal week. It looks like their reasoning is sound though, as the offensive line has suffered some injuries, namely to Frederick and Martin. With a depleted line, the last thing you need is either Elliot or Prescott getting hurt this week. I love the Cardinals here in week three and that's why they are my Preseason Game of the Year.

This exhibition game means a lot to the Bills QB situation as Josh Allen is in a battle for the starting spot and AJ McCarron and Nathan Peterman. Allen looks to get the start here today and likely will work extensively with the first team. Meanwhile, Cincinnati will have to find a ground game, something they lacked in the Cowboys contest where they got all of seven yards in the first half. The Bills are 1-1 in preseason play after opening with a loss at Carolina before beating Cleveland last week. The Begals are 2-0 in preseason. Despite their seven yards rushing in the first half vs Dallas last week, Cincinnati score 21 points in the second for the win, 21-13. I look for the Bengals first team to put forth effort here in the first half to make atones for their lack in last week's game. The Bills will be more interested in their QB analysis. I'm playing the 2-0 Bengals here on Sunday.

While starters usually see significant action here in week three, the Atlanta Falcons will not play WR Julio Jones nor RB Devanta Freeman as well as many other starters. The Falcons are 0-2 in preseason while the Jaguars are 1-1. The Jags will be looking at their offensive line as they were down to two of five starters a week ago. I expect QB Blake Bortles to have a much better game this week and look for him to make more downfield tosses. With the Falcons holding back a lot of starters in week 3, that leave the Jags open to score and win this one. Play Jacksonville.

The Ravens have gone 3-0 in preseason and looked good doing so. They played that one extra game in the Hall of Fame game and have since just played good football. The Dolphins, conversely, have not looked good going 0-2 in preseason. The Dolphins first team offense has not found the endzone yet in the preseason, settling for just two field goals. The Ravens defense has looked very good, making five INT's in their three games. It's preseason we know, but the Ravens are head and shoulders better so far than the Dolphins. I'm taking the Ravens here in week three.

 The Titans will expect to see QB Marcus Mariota play at least most of the first half. That's good news for the Titans who have seen Mariotta lead the to two of three scoring drives so far this preseason. On the other side of the ball we haven't seen Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger play yet in preseason. However, he should play some here, but likely not more than a few series. WR Antonio Brown could also see his first action of the preseason here today. In this the third week we usually expect to see the starters for most or all of the first half. I doubt we will see that with the Steelers, but might with the Titans. I like Tennessee here today.

 The Ravens have two games under their belt because of the Hall of Fame game. Lamar Jackson's development continues to be paramount in the preseason. This fast turf will be to Jackson's speedy liking here on Monday. But, that's not all, the Ravens can play three quality starters in Joe Flacco, Jackson and RG III. That makes the offense all the better here tonight. The Colts played QB Andrew Luck into the 2nd quarter in their first game. He might go a bit further tonight. The Ravens offense tore up the Rams in week two, out-gaining them 403-170. Indy beat Seattle in week one, 19-17. Luck was 6-for-9 for 64 yards and didn't look rusty at all. I like the QB's for the Ravens here tonight, they all have scoring capabilities and we saw how potent that was vs the Rams last week. Play Baltimore.

 These teams probably have seen more than enough of each other with a couple of joint practices this week. Tampa Bay won their first preseason game, a 26-24 win over the Dolphins. The question is who will be the starting QB with Jameis Winston suspended for the first three games. Both Ryan Griffin and veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick both looked good in game one. The Titans lost to the Packers in week 1 of the preseason, 17-31. New OC Matt LaFleur and new Head Coach Mike Vrabel had the first team looking good on offense. QB Marcus Mariota only played limited snaps, but still had 71 yards in eight plays. The Titans have won four of their last six at home in the preseason and I have to believe that Vrabel wants to get a win for his team tonight. Play Tennessee.

 Both these clubs won their week 1 preseason games, with the Cardinals beating the LA Chargers and the Saints beating Jacksonville, 24-20. Most of the Cardinals starters played about 12 snaps in week 1. Typically, week 2 will find them playing the first quarter or until halftime. HC Steve Wilks has put a lot on the shoulders of QB Josh Rosen. Rosen needs improvement in week 2, after completing just 6-of-13 passes in week 1 for 41 yards. Tonight he'll get a better chance with the starting line in front of him. Wilks plans on playing Rosen more with the top offensive line tonight. It's not certain how long Saints QB Drew Brees will be in the lineup, but I don't expect long. Backup Tayson Hill looked good last week, completing eight of his nine passes and rushing seven times for 52 yards. RB Mark Ingram will miss the first two games of the regular season with his suspension. However, he can play in the preseason and likely will get more action than normal. He rushed for 23 yards and a TD last week. A lot in this game depends on how Rosen plays and if last week is any indication, he's going to need a lot more work. Play New Orleans.

The Steelers look to be missing quite a few starters as they will sit with nagging injuries. Ben Roethlisberger, Cameron Heyward, Landry Jones, Ramon Foster, Vance McDonald and Antonio Brown to name a few. The Packers had a pretty easy week 1 win over the Titians, 31-17. The Packers have now scored at least 20 points in four of the last five preseason games. In addition, they have won six straight at home in preseason and eight of the last nine. The Packers are laying 5.5 here in preseason which is a lot, but considering how few starters we will see for the Steelers, I'm going to lay this number. Play the Packers.

Rematch of the Super Bowl here as the Patriots take on the Eagles. The Patriots play their second straight home game in the preseason, beating Washington in week 1, 26-17. The Patriots trailed 0-17 in the first half before rallying for 26 unanswered points, 16 in the fourth quarter, for the win. The Patriots have a winning record in preseason ever since Robert Kraft purchased the team, with a 54-45 record. Bill Belichick is 40-34 in preseason as the head coach of New England. The Eagles lost their preseason opener at Pittsburgh, 31-14. The Steelers built a 22-14 halftime lead and shut out the Eagles in the 2nd half. Some thing there is a QB controversy in Philly, but Carson Wentz is the No 1 QB right now with Nick Foles second. That means Nate Sudfeld, Joe Callahan and Christian Hackenberg will share the rest of the duties. Wentz likely won't be ready until week 1 of the regular season, that leaves Foles, Sudfeld, Callahan and Hackenburg to rotate duties here in game 2. The Eagles will also be without WR Alshon Jeffery for an extended period of time. Jeffery, one of the top receivers in 2017 will start the season on the PUP list. Patriots likely still have a bad taste in their collective mouths from their Super Bowl beat. I look for them to get a slight bit of revenge here today. Play New England.

The Arizona Cardinals look to be in a rebuilding mode this year with the departure of Bruce Arians from last season. In steps Steven Wilks to take over as head coach. What's important with that is that new coaches like to establish winning ways early on. While most veteran coaches don't care about winning preseason games, new coaches tend to want to win because it gives their team confidence in their leadership. Sam Bradford also steps in as the new QB for Arizona, a position that has been a revolving door the last few seasons. The Cardinals also drafted Josh Rosen in the first round and he will likely see lots of action tonight. The Chargers won't play Phillip Rivers much tonight if at all, but look for Geno Smith and Cardale Jones to get most of the signal calling. Both teams will get the starters a few reps, but week one is more about backups and I like the backups of the Cardinals better tonight. Play Arizona.

The Baltimore Ravens played last week in the Hall of Fame game. The Ravens looked good, but could have lost late to the Bears. Chicago scored a late 4th quarter TD to pull within one point, but missed the 2-point conversion. We got our first look at the new defensive hitting rule, which looks very confusing. On a few occasions, defensive backs were flagged for roughness when the hits looked perfectly legal. This season should be filled with lots of controversy. As for tonight, I'm taking the Ravens. They have that first game under their belt and have worked out a few game kinks. Play Baltimore.

Week 1 NFL preseason action is always tough to gauge. The Bears played in the Hall of Fame game last week and lost by one point to the Ravens, though they covered the spread. They had a chance to win outright late, but missed on a 2-point conversion. The Bengals play their first game of the preseason tonight. Many schools of thoughts give the edge to the team with the first game under their belt, like the Bears. The Bengals offense will be pretty bland tonight. I'm taking the Bears as they do have that first game of experience in hand. Play Chicago.

08/31 10:00 PM EST   NFL   (131) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS VS (132) OAKLAND RAIDERS.
Take: (131) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS.
Reason: Oakland is home but won't show anything in Week 4, especially being careful with star QB Derek Carr coming back from an injury. Seattle plays hard for coach Pete Carroll, even in preseason, 10-1 ATS in Week 4 of preseason. "This will be a game of a lot of opportunity for guys to play," Carroll said this week. "This is a really exciting game. I can't wait to get out there and see these guys go and see what they show us and all that." Carroll said that C.J. Prosise (groin) and Thomas Rawls (ankle) both returned to practice this week. If those two do play, it will be interesting to see how the offense looks with so many talented backs available. Carroll has called this backfield, which also includes the likes of Eddie Lacy, Alex Collins, Chris Carson, Mike Davis and J.D. McKissic -- the best the Seahawks have had in his time here. Play Seattle.

8/31 10:00 PM EST  NFL   (129) LOS ANGELES CHARGERS VS (130) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS.
Take: (130) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS.
Reason: NFLX Inner Circle: Play the 49ers. A pair of young rebuilding teams. The Chargers have looked awful in preseason, with little depth, which is the key in Week 4. San Francisco has a new coaching staff that is playing hard to win back fans. The fourth preseason game typically sees very little play from starters, but Kyle Shanahan said that the team will play some of them in Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Play the 49ers.

08/27 08:00 PM EST   NFL   (281) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS VS (282) MINNESOTA VIKINGS.
Take: NFLX Inner Circle: Play (282) MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Reason:  Minnesota plays hard for no-nonsense coach Mike Zimmer, even in August. They've allowed 30 total points in two games, on a 9-2 SU, 8-3 ATS preseason run. After losing both starting tackles for the year by Week 3 and seeing each of the interior offensive linemen go down at different times during the 2016 season, the Vikings' depth looks much improved. That depth was on display Friday in Seattle as neither starting lineman on the left side, tackle Riley Reiff and guard Alex Boone, suited up, which forced the Vikings to start Rashod Hill and Nick Easton. The makeshift first-team line did not give up a sack and sprung running back Dalvin Cook for 40 yards on just seven carries. QB Sam Bradford was given more time to throw against Seattle, 39-yard pass to speedy WR Stefon Diggs, while RB Cook averaged 5.7 ypc. They face a San Francisco squad pretty much rebuilding. The defense has allowed 50 points in two games and QBs Brian Hoyer, rookie C.J. Beathard and Matt Barkley have been poor. They come off a 33-14 loss to Denver. The Niners' starters struggled in Kansas City in Week 1, then in Week 2 the offense had had three turnovers and didn't put any points on the board in its first four possessions. Denver played without seven of its normal defensive starters. Play Minnesota.

8/26 08:00 PM  NFL   (269) HOUSTON TEXANS VS (270) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS.
Take: NFL Dog of the Month: Play (269) HOUSTON TEXANS
Reason: The Texans have a ton of defensive depth and talent, plus QB Tom Savage has looked good stabilizing their weakest position. They come off an encouraging 27-23 win over the New England Patriots. Savage is 17-for-20 for 167 yards and one touchdown in two games. The defense just powered through the Patriots offensive line 10 times (QB hits and sacks). New Orleans is rebuilding the defense and the offense has scored 14 and 13 points. QBs Chase Daniel and Ryan Nassib only completed 13 of their 27 passes for a measly 108 yards last week. Play Houston.      

8/26 07:30 PM EST   NFL   (265) CLEVELAND BROWNS VS (266) TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS.
Take: NFL Preseason Game of the Year: (266) TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Reason:  Rebuilding Cleveland may be 2-0 but both games were at home. And they didn't look that good last week against the bumbling Giants, a 10-6 win. The Browns ran for 3.5 yards per carry while 4 QBs combined for 134 yards, no TDs and one pick. Their QBs have one TD pass in two games and in the opener they ran for 3.2 ypc. Tampa Bay plays its first home preseason game here, off a 12-8 win at Jacksonville as the defensive line was dominant. The ground game has topped 105 yards in both games and they have an experienced QB rotation with Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Tampa Bay is 5-1 ATS in Week 3 of preseason while the Browns are 1-6 ATS. Play Tampa Bay.

8/26 07:00 PM EST   NFL   (261) BUFFALO BILLS VS (262) BALTIMORE RAVENS.
Take:  NFLX Inner Circle: Play (262) BALTIMORE RAVENS
Reason: Buffalo (0-2) is working in a new coach and has a one-dimensional offense, all running. And the the offensive line has performed poorly. With the surprise retirement of Anquan Boldin and the trading of Sammy Watkins, they are trying to work with young receivers. Baltimore has been dealing with a lot of injuries but the depth on the team, especially on defense, is very strong. And it's been evident, allowing 10 total points in two games, while the offense has scored 54 points. Play Baltimore.

8/25 07:00 PM EST  NFL   (255) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS VS (256) DETROIT LIONS.
Take: (256) DETROIT LIONS.
Reason: The defending champion Patriots are favored on the road but winless in preseason. The defense is working in new pieces on the line, a bit short on pass rushers. And the run defense was chewed up in the opener by Jacksonsville. After two preseason games the defense is allowing 29 ppg -- only the Chargers have surrendered more. They face a Detroit Lions team playing its second straight home game. The Lions have been beasts this preseason, 2-0, ripping the opposition by a 40-16 count. The defense has 8 sacks and 2 picks, allowing 2.6 and 3.7 yards per rush in the two contests. QB Matthew Stafford a will play the first half and is 10 of 13 passing for 120 yards with one touchdown this preseason. Detroit fans will be up with the defending champs in town. The Lions are 6-2 against the Patriots in preseason, including a 40-9 rout when they last met in August four years ago at Ford Field. Play Detroit.

08/24 07:30 PM EST   NFL   (253) CAROLINA PANTHERS VS (254) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS.
Take: (253) CAROLINA PANTHERS.
Reason: Carolina starters will play into the third quarter tonight. QB Cam Newton is on track to start. He won't play a lot, coming back from an injury, but the rotation is very good with Derek Anderson, Joe Webb and Garrett Gilbert. The three were good against the Titans last week: 16-31, 219 yds, 1 TD, only 2 sacks. The ground game had 167 yards, 7.6 ypc, led by Cameron Artis-Payne (70 yds) and rookie Christian McAffrey (33 yds, 3 carries). Rebuilding Jacksonville is off a loss at home to Tampa Bay, 12-8, as the ground game had just 57 yds rushing, 2.8 ypc. The ground attack is banged up for tonight: The Jacksonville Jaguars have ruled out four players, including running back Leonard Fournette, (foot) for Thursday's preseason game against Carolina at EverBank Field. coach Doug Marrone also said cornerback A.J. Bouye, receiver Marqise Lee, and tight end Mychal Rivera will not play because of injuries. running back T.J. Yeldon suffered a hamstring injury against the Bucs. Jacksonville is on a 3-6 SU run in preseason, so back the visitors. Play Carolina.

8/21 08:00 PM EST   NFL   (431) NEW YORK GIANTS VS (432) CLEVELAND BROWNS.
Take: (431) NEW YORK GIANTS.
Reason: New York has a veteran team with far better depth and talent than the rebuilding Browns. QB Eli Manning is playing in his first game of the preseason, along with Odell Beckham Jr. The Giants quarterback is expected to play into the second quarter and will finally get the chance to see what he can do with new receiving threats Brandon Marshall and Evan Engram. Cleveland has bad or inexperienced QBs with Brock Osweiler, DeShone Kizer and Cody Kessler. Joe Thomas is resting again and Cam Erving is also out, forcing rookie left tackle Rod Johnson to start against a tough defensive front. Play the NY Giants.

8/20 04:00 PM  EST  NFL   (427) ATLANTA FALCONS VS (428) PITTSBURGH STEELERS.
Take: (427) ATLANTA FALCONS.
Reason: Atlanta played well in Week 1 despite a loss on the road, leading 20-10 in the fourth. QBs Matt Schaub and Matt Simms got the bulk of the work behind center and were a combined 12-22 for 123 yards, no picks, no sacks. The Atlanta run defense showcased it depth and talent allowing 60 yards rushing, 2.7 ypc. Pittsburgh got a win last week at the Giants but won only because the New York play-calling and execution was awful. Pittsburgh QBs Joshua Dobbs and Bart Houston were terrible, 102 total yards, 1 TD, 2 picks, 3 sacks. Play Atlanta.

08/19 10:00 PM EST   NFL   (421) DENVER BRONCOS VS (422) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS.
Take: (422) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS.
NFLX Inner Circle: Play the 49ers.
Second straight road game for Denver after winning at Chicago last week. San Francisco has more to prove this preseason with new QBs and a new coaching staff. They come off a 27-17 road win at Kansas City. The defense impressive with a pick while allowing 31 yards rushing, 2.2 yards per carry, and the offense was better with 246 yards passing,  188 rushing. Third-round pick QB C.J. Beathard was one of the standouts last week against the Chiefs. The rookie quarterback was 7-11 for 101 yards, two touchdowns, a two-point conversion and a game-best 133 passer rating. Play the 49ers. 

08/18 10:00 PM EST   NFL   (407) MINNESOTA VIKINGS VS (408) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS.
Take: (408) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS.
Reason: Second straight road game for Minnesota after heading to Buffalo last week. They are still trying to work in new pieces on the offensive line and face a powerhouse Seattle defense that plays all out for Coach Pete Carroll even in preseason. Seattle destroyed the Chargers on the road last week, so this is their home opener. Play Seattle.

8/12 09:00 PM EST   NFL   (275) DALLAS COWBOYS VS (276) LOS ANGELES RAMS.
Take: (276) LOS ANGELES RAMS.
Reason: Dallas has a game under its belt and is away from home for the second straight week, after topping Arizona in the opener, 20-18. It was a conservative game plan, running more times than passing. Dallas RBs ran 37 times but averaged just 3.4 ypc. The Rams are home with a new coach, with QBs Jared Goff, Sean Mannion and Dan Orlovsky. The Rams have more established talent and depth on defense and have added longtime defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Play the Rams.

08/11 09:00 PM EST  NFL   (271) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS VS (272) KANSAS CITY CHIEFS.
Take: (271) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS.
Reason: KC coach Andy Reid evaluates backups more in preseason, using 5 QBs in Week 1 a year ago. San Fran is rebuilding under a new coach and has QB competition in Brian Hoyer, Matt Barkley and rookie C.J. Beathard. The 49es have spent first-round picks on defensive linemen for three successive drafts, and unleash Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas on the field at the same time. Look for a better effort from the young 49ers with far more competition for starting jobs. Play the 49ers.

08/11 07:00 PM EST   NFL   (267) PITTSBURGH STEELERS VS (268) NEW YORK GIANTS.
Take: NFLX Blowout Game of the Month: Play the (268) NEW YORK GIANTS.
Reason:  Pittsburgh is a veteran team that made the playoffs last year. They haven't cared about Week 1 of the preseason, on a 0-5 ATS run. Last year they opened at home against Detroit and lost 30-17, part of a 1-3 SU/ATS NFLX. Pittsburgh has a pair of rookie QBs to look at in Joshua Dobbs and Bart Houston. The NY Giants are home and look good, off an 11-5 season. The defense should be exceptional. With nine starters returning and locked in, the only starting battles or positions to wonder about were at middle linebacker, free safety and right defensive tackle. Second-year linebacker B.J. Goodson has looked like a killer in the middle of the defense, while Darian Thompson has been impressive at free safety, looking fluid in his movement coming off foot surgery. Play the NY Giants.

08/10 08:00 PM EST  NFL   (265) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS VS (266) CLEVELAND BROWNS.
Take: NFLX Inner Circle: (266) CLEVELAND BROWNS.
Reason:  New Orleans is a veteran team that starts the preseason on the road. They also have a lot of new parts to a terrible defense, with a lot of work to do. The #3 and 4 QBs will see the most time, Garrett Grayson and Ryan Nassib. The veteran Saints went 0-4 SU/ATS last preseason, losing the first two games 34-22 and 16-9. The rebuilding Cleveland Browns play hard for Hue Jackson and have plenty to prove after going 1-19 last year (counting preseason). QB Brock Osweiler will start the preseason opener, QB Cody Kessler will be the second man up, followed by DeShone Kizer and Kevin Hogan. Back the hungry young home team that has to win back its fans even in August. Play Cleveland.      

8/10 07:00 PM EST   NFL   (255) MINNESOTA VIKINGS VS (256) BUFFALO BILLS.
Take: (255) MINNESOTA VIKINGS.
Reason: Minnesota plays hard for coach Mike Zimmer, even in preseason. Last August Minnesota went 4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS, part of a 8-1 SU, 7-2 ATS preseason run. They come out ready to play during preseason, beating Pittsburgh in Week 1 two years ago, 14-3, and a pair of impressive wins last August in Weeks 1 and 2, 17-16 and 18-11. The defense is stocked with talent and depth, a physical unit in the trenches. Buffalo is home but has a new coaching staff. They've also been dealing with a lot of injuries already, DE Shaq Lawson, RB Jonathan Williams (right leg) and left tackle Cordy Glenn may need foot surgery. QB Tyrod Taylor has been inconsistent in camp as he adjusts to playing in Rick Dennison's offense, and the backups are weak with T.J. Yates and fifth-round draft pick Nathan Peterman. Play Minnesota.      

9/01 08:00 PM EST    NFL   (121) HOUSTON TEXANS VS (122) DALLAS COWBOYS.
Take: (121) NFLX Rivalry Game of the Month: Houston Texans.
Houston has high hopes this season after signing Brock Osweiler as the missing piece, and they are playing like it at 3-0. Their +28 scoring differential is second in the NFL preseason. Houston has a fine backup rotation with QBs Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden. The Dallas Cowboys have had an unhappy preseason, in the market for another quarterback, but don't expect him to sign by Thursday. Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said he expects the Cowboys to play Houston this week with the duo of Dak Prescott and Jameill Showers as their primary quarterbacks with Tony Romo out. Prescott was likely to see some action against the Texans. Given the rookie's new role as starting quarterback, it seems far more likely that Jameill Showers will take the bulk of the snaps -- if not all of them. Dallas coach Jason Garrett is 10-14 SU, 8-16 ATS in preseason. In a battle for the pride of Texas, the visitors have their better depth, balance and talent. Play Houston.

8/28 10:00 AM NFL (277) SAN DIEGO CHARGERS VS (278) MINNESOTA VIKINGS.
Take: (278) MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Reason: Another road trip for a San Diego team lacking depth and talent. Their last road trip was to Tennessee, getting blasted in Week 1, a 27-10 defeat. They face a deep Minnesota team that plays hard for this coach, even in preseason. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is now 9-2 SU/ATS in preseason, topping the Bengals in Week 1 (17-16), and winning at Seattle (18-11). Play Minnesota.

8/26 08:00 PM EST  NFL (259) PITTSBURGH STEELERS VS (260) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS.
Take: (260) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Reason: Pittsburgh has a young defense and the team has been terrible in preseason games for a while, on a 2-13 run. Throughout his tenure in New Orleans, coach Payton has usually played his starters for the length of the first quarter up to a full half in the third preseason game. So far this preseason, Drew Brees has thrown a grand total of nine passes. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin has a losing spread record in preseason while Sean Payton has a winning one. Grab the home team. Play the Saints.

08/26 07:30 PM NFL (255) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS VS (256) CAROLINA PANTHERS.
Take: (256) CAROLINA PANTHERS
Reason: A tough spot for the Patriots, banged up on both sides of the ball. Backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo will get the most time as he will start the first four regular season games. David Andrews has been the starting center since July 30, but that competition officially ended Wednesday when the Pats traded Bryan Stork to the Redskins. It's the Panthers preseason home?opener, so it'll be the crowd's first chance to welcome the NFC champions. Carolina coach Ron Rivera is on a 9-5 SU/ATS run in preseason and all signs point to a one-sided win by the home team. Play Carolina.

8/25 07:00 PM  NFL   (253) DALLAS COWBOYS VS (254) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS. 

Take: (254) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 

Reason: Dallas heads out on the road and coach Jason Garrett puts less into preseason games than most coaches, a 7-13 ATS mark. WR Dez Bryant has been ruled out with a concussion. He won't risk fragile Tony Romo much against the dominant Seattle defense. The Seahawks are coming off an 18-11 loss to Minnesota in their second preseason game, but expect to see Russell Wilson and the starters on offense to play into the second half. The Seahawks offensive line has no excuse not to excel this week against a weak Dallas D-line with little pass rush. If there has been a surprise of the preseason in Seattle, it's been the play of their interior offensive line. Mark Glowinski and Germain Ifedi have proven to be powerful, aggressive run blockers and stout pass protectors. Play Seattle. 

08/20 10:00 PM EST   NFL   (431) KANSAS CITY CHIEFS VS (432) ST. LOUIS RAMS.
Take: (431) KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Reason: Much has been made about Coach Andy Reid caring little about these preseason games. That was true for a long time, but not last season or this one. A year ago he had a deep, talented team and pushed them in preseason, going 4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS. They opened with a loss to Seattle last week, though it should have been a win, outplaying the Seahawks for 59 minutes before allowing a 39-yard TD on the final play. The Kansas City Chiefs first team is expected to play approximately the first half Saturday. That first team will include QB Alex Smith and WR Jeremy Maclin (groin) who are both expected to play. Last season the Chiefs beat the Rams in preseason on the road, 24-17, holding the Rams to 76 yards rushing and 157 passing. The Rams looked lethargic last week in their home opener, falling behind Dallas 24-7. Jeff Fisher runs a boring offense and has no QB play, so grab the dog again. Play Kansas City.

8/20 08:00 PM EST   NFL   (427) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS VS (428) HOUSTON TEXANS.
Take: (427) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Reason: Sean Payton has a winning preseason record, both straight up and against the spread. A year ago after losing the preseason opener they played a tight game with the defending champion Patriots, 26-24, leading 21-7 at the half. New Houston QB Brock Osweiler went 4 of 7 last week and the Texans kept to the ground for the most part. They are trying to run the football as the offensive line continues to be a work in progress. Look for a close one and grab the dog. Play the Saints.      

08/19 08:00 PM EST   NFL   (415) MIAMI DOLPHINS VS (416) DALLAS COWBOYS.
Take: (415) MIAMI DOLPHINS. 
Reason: Miami has a lot of talent on the roster but has underachieved the last few years. Bringing in a new coach appears to have helped, winning at the NY Giants in Week 1, 27-10. The defense allowed just 69 yards passing and the QB rotation is good with Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore. Dallas has to be careful with QB Tony Romo coming off an injury, so rookie QB Dak Prescott and Jameill Showers will carry the load. Miami is 9-1 ATS in Week 2 of preseason while Dallas is 0-6 ATS. Play Miami.

08/18 05:00 PM  NFL   (405) OAKLAND RAIDERS VS (406) GREEN BAY PACKERS.
Take: (405) OAKLAND RAIDERS
Reason: NFLX Systems Release: Oakland.
Green Bay is home but dealing with a lot of injuries. Green Bay is still without WR Jordy Nelson after losing him in last year's preseason, and this week they lost WR Jeff Janis (broken right hand). WR Randall Cobb didn't play last week either (calf injury). The team has had a rough week with Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers facing PED suspensions from the league. Meanwhile Oakland coach Jack Del Rio is 22-17 ATS in August after a 31-10 win at Arizona last week. Derek Carr and Matt McGloin anchor a strong August QB rotation and the young defense impressed, forcing two turnovers as the Cardinals' QBs went just 15-of-40 passing with no TDs and two picks. McGloin threw a pair of first-quarter touchdown passes and RB George Atkinson III scored on runs of 53 and 35 yards. Play Oakland.

8/18 04:00 PM  NFL   (401) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES VS (402) PITTSBURGH STEELERS.
Take: (401) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Reason: The battle for the pride of Pennsylvania, so this is not your usual preseason game where the visiting team doesn't care. The Eagles have a first-year coach in Doug Pederson. Despite an injury to rookie QB Carson Wentz, who won't play, the Eagles still have a very strong rotation with QBs Bradford and mobile Chase Daniel. Pittsburgh has a young defense that struggled badly last year and still has major concerns after a Week 1 30-17 home loss to Lions. The secondary was shredded as Detroit QBs were 28-42, 284 yds, 2 TDs, 1 pick. Play the Eagles.      

8/13 05:00 PM NFL (277) DALLAS COWBOYS VS (278) ST. LOUIS RAMS.
Take: (278) ST. LOUIS RAMS
Reason: It's a big deal in LA for this one: The Rams will officially make their return to Los Angeles. QB Case Keenum will start and is in a battle with the No. 1 overall pick, former Cal signal-caller Jared Goff. Dallas Coach Jason Garrett cares little about preseason games with a 6-14 record. Starting quarterback Tony Romo is expected to see little, if any, action; a surgically repaired collarbone limited Romo to only four games last season. In addition, backup Kellen Moore will not play due to a broken fibula. That means rookie Dak Prescott could get the bulk of the playing time after the Cowboys selected him in the fourth round of the NFL draft. Former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott is doubtful to play for the Cowboys on Saturday night in Los Angeles because of a hamstring injury. All the cards point to a one-sided rout for the home team. Play the LA Rams.

8/11 05:00 PM NFL (261) DENVER BRONCOS VS (262) CHICAGO BEARS.
Take: (262) CHICAGO BEARS
Reason: A road trip for the defending champs to open preseason, so they have nothing to prove. Denver lost some key players on defense in the offseason, as well as their top two QBs. Cb Aqib Talib won't play, either. The Broncos have been getting shaky play at QB in practice from their newcomers, Marc Sanchez, Trevor Simien and rookie Paxton Lynch. Chicago was 1-7 at home last season and has plenty to prove. Head coach John Fox was fired by Denver two years ago, so he wouldn't mind sticking it to his old boss. Chicago has an impressive August QB rotation with Jay Cutler and Bryan Hoyer. Play Chicago.

08/11 07:30 PM EST   NFL   (257) CAROLINA PANTHERS VS (258) BALTIMORE RAVENS.
Take: (258) BALTIMORE RAVENS
Reason: Carolina is off an NFC championship, so they have nothing to prove on the road in Week 1 of preseason. They have 3 rookies in the secondary. Baltimore is home with plenty to prove after a train wreck season. QBs Ryan Mallett, Josh Johnson and Jerrod Johnson have plenty of experience. John Harbaugh is 20-12 SU in preseason, 19-13 ATS, and the Ravens are 8-1 ATS in Week 1. Play Baltimore.      

9/03 07:00 PM EST NFL (103) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES VS (104) NEW YORK JETS
Take: (103) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Reason: The Jets had an area rivalry game against the Giants last week and rolled, so they are feeling good and have nothing to play for. They face a Philadelphia Eagles team with Chip Kelly, who is different from all other coaches in preseason. Philly is 3-0 SU/ATS this preseason because Kelly rolls out his hurry-up attack that is unique and no coach wants to game plan especially for it. He also as the deepest August QB rotation of any team, getting strong play from backups Tim Tebow, Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkeley -- and 2 are former NFL starters. A year ago in Week 4 of preseason they also played the Jets -- and won 37-7. Play the Eagles.

08/30 04:00 PM EST   NFL   (279) HOUSTON TEXANS VS (280) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Take: (280) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Reason: The Houston Texans named Brian Hoyer the starting QB in advance of game vs. the New Orleans Saints, after which backup QB Ryan Mallett pouted publicly, showing his immaturity. This is the first road game for Houston after opening with two home games and they didn't look sharp last week, losing 14-10 to Denver. The Saints have had plenty of offense but are winless as they've been resting the starting secondary -- until now. Sean Payton is on a 6-4 SU NFL preseason run and a year ago they won at Indy in Week 3, 23-17. Winning at home will be much easier. Play the Saints!

08/29 08:00 PM EST    NFL   (271) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES VS (272) GREEN BAY PACKERS
Take: (271) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Reason: Green Bay has been in mourning this week with the loss of star WR Jordy Nelson, a tough blow to a Super Bowl favorite. Now they have rookie WRs filling in, but how many more injuries can the team risk in August? Philadelphia (2-0 SU/ATS) is in town, a team no one wants to game plan for with their no-huddle attacking offense. The Eagles also have a dynamite QB rotation for August with Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow and Matt Barkeley. Chip Kelly is 4-0 SU/ATS his last four preseason games winning by scores of 31-21, 37-7, 36-10 and 40-17. The Eagles are also 5-0 ATS the last five years in Week 3 of preseason and make it 6-0 ATS here. Play the Eagles.

08/29 04:00 PM EST   NFL   (257) PITTSBURGH STEELERS VS (258) BUFFALO BILLS
Take: (258) NFL Inner Circle: Play the Bills.
A good spot for the home team. The Bills play their final home game while the ailing Steelers are playing their 4th game already. The Steelers QBs will be Big Ben, Landry Jones, Tahj Boyd and they add Mike Vick this week. The offensive line took a key hit with the injury to POuncey and there is attrition to Pittsburgh's linebackers: The Steelers' inside 'backers Lawrence Timmons, Ryan Shazier and Vince Williams have all missed time this week. The injury to kicker Shaun Suisham, a torn ACL, means the Steelers have had to scramble in the kicking game, too. Buffalo has great defensive depth and they have been dominant in two preseason games. QB E.J. Manuel has been named the starter for Saturday's game vs. Steelers and the backups are sound with Matt Cassell and Tyrod Taylor. Coach Rex Ryan wants to see a quarterback string together quality practices and separate himself from the competition. Play the Bills.      

8/23 08:00 PM EST   NFL   (427) DALLAS COWBOYS VS (428) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Take: (428) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Reason: Second straight road game for Dallas and they showed nothing at San Diego last week, a 17-7 defeat. After Tony Romo the Dallas QB rotation is weak with Brandon Weeden, Dustin Vaughn and Jameill Showers. Next week is the Dallas home opener, the Week 3 dress rehearsal, so they will be focused for that game. San Francisco plays at home for new 49ers coach Jim Tomsula. Colin Kaepernick gets TE Vernon Davis and WR Anquan Boldin back, and they've been gelling with WR Torrey Smith. San Francisco has good depth on defense and more motivation for this one than the disinterested visitors. Play the 49ers.

08/16 1:00 PM EST   NFL   (281) INDIANAPOLIS COLTS VS (282) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Take: (282) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Reason: Have to back the home field in this one as the Colts have nothing to show or prove. The Colts are off 3 straight 11-5 seasons, as well as an AFC title game appearance. Coach Chuck Pagano is 1-2 SU in Weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4 of NFLX, a 4-8 preseason record overall, caring little for August. Meanwhile the Eagles are home and loaded with speed on offense, a style that's so tough to defend. This offense ranked sixth in passing with 272 yards per game, 9th in rushing (124.5 pg) and third in points (29.6 ppg) under Chip Kelly. They add for 27-year old RB DeMarco Murray, off a monster season with Dallas, 1,875 yards, 4.7 ypc. And Kelly has the deepest QB rotation of any team in preseason with Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, G.J. Kinne and Matt Barkley fighting for spots. Play Philadelphia.

8/15 08:00 PM EST   NFL   (277) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS VS (278) HOUSTON TEXANS
Take: (278) HOUSTON TEXANS
Reason: San Francisco has had a tumultuous offseason, losing its coaching staff and a slew of talented stars. They have a lot of work to do and slots open, clearly taking a step back talent-wise. One of the flaws the 49ers had even before John Harbaugh left was drafting the last three years, stockpiling picks but misfiring on a bunch, including high picks that had to retire early. They head to Houston to face a talented and deep Texans team in the second year under coach Bill O'Brien, a hard driving coach. There is even a QB battle between Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett. A year ago in their first home preseason game the Texans crushed Atlanta, 32-7, and this will be similarly one-sided. Play the HOUSTON TEXANS.      

8/14 10:00 PM EST   NFL   (273) DENVER BRONCOS VS (274) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Take: (274) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Reason: Denver heads out on the road, a veteran team with nothing to prove. QB Peyton Manning won't play against this attacking defense, so the Broncos go with Brock Osweiler, Zac Dysert and Trevor Siemian. Seattle has great depth and defense along with a huge home field edge, even in August. The Seahawks are 25-11 ATS in preseason under Pete Carroll. Seattle is even more dominant at home, 26-2 SU, 19-9 ATS at home. When these teams last met in August on this field it was two years ago and Seattle beat Denver at home, 40-10, in Week 2. It was 33-7 at the half. Manning actually played a lot and was 11-16, 163 yards, 1 TD, no picks, but Denver had 4 TOs, while Seattle had 129 yards rushing. Play Seattle.      

08/13 10:00 PM EST   NFL   (261) DALLAS COWBOYS VS (262) SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Take: (262) High Roller Systems Play: San Diego Chargers.
A tough week for Dallas, losing DT CHris Whaly in practice and now starting preseason with two straight road games. Dallas lost star RB DeMarco Murray in the offseason and this defense is still weak, short on depth. Dallas coach Jason Garrett is 7-10 straight up, 5-11-1 ATS in preseason, caring little for winning in August. The Dallas starters won't play against the Chargers, so they are stuck with a bad QB rotation with Brandon Weeden, Dustin Vaughn and undrafted rookie Jameill Showers. The Dallas secondary is still a weak spot and the defense has been banged up in practice this week. Meanwhile San Diego is home and has a strong August QB rotation, deep on experience, with Philip Rivers, Kellen Clemson, Brad Sorenson and Chase Rettig. A year ago San Diego was 2-0 SU/ATS at home allowing 7 and 9 points. They opened preseason against this Dallas team and dominated, 27-7, with an edge in yards 395-274. San Diego has been rumored to move to Los Angeles but that's unlikely now. Even so, look for the Charger faithful to be out in full force showcasing their excitement for a win, even if it's preseason. Dallas is on a 1-7 SU/ATS preseason run under Garrett, so jump on the home team. Play San Diego.

08/13 07:30 PM EST   NFL   (253) NEW YORK JETS VS (254) DETROIT LIONS
Take: (254) DETROIT LIONS
Reason: And you think you've got problems? The New York Jets cleaned house with the coaching staff circus of Rex Ryan to try and get more professional....and the starting QB gets punched in the jaw this week in the locker room and is out 2 months! The Jets are scrambling on the eve of the first preseason game, now forced to go with newcomer Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter, with rookie Bryce Petty and Jake Heaps in reserve. So do you risk Fitzpatrick getting hurt in Week 1 of preseason knowing he's now your starter when the games count? They face a Detroit Lions team that is home and has a deep, experienced QB rotation with Stafford, Orlovsky and Kellen Moore. Since taking over as general manager early in the Lions' 0-16 season of 2008, general manager Martin Mayhew has completed a roster overhaul -- just two players, receiver Calvin Johnson and long snapper Don Muhlbach, remain from that team -- that has elevated the Lions from the dregs of the NFL to what should be a regular playoff contender. The Lions went 11-5 last year, tying the mark for second-most wins in franchise history. Detroit was 3-1 in preseason last year and holds all the cards in this one. Play Detroit.      

8/09 08:00 PM EST   NFL   (241) PITTSBURGH STEELERS VS (242) MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Take: (242) MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Reason: Preseason football isn't so much about which team is better, rather it's about which team, or should I say, which coach wants to win more. Last year, the Steelers were 1-3 both S/U and ATS in the preseason and the year before that they were 0-4 both S/U and ATS. And that was after missing the playoffs in 2013/14. Mike Tomlin clearly has not been concerned with winning in preseason the last few years. Conversely, the Vikings were 4-0 S/U and 3-1 ATS last preseason. That was after a 1-3 S/U and ATS mark in 2013 and 1-3 S/U and ATS in 2012. For a team like Minnesota that is desperately trying to get back into the playoffs, the preseason suddenly becomes a lot more important. Pittsburgh will be happy to go through the motions here on Sunday and get out of Canton without any injuries. Minnesota is the more motivated of these two clubs to establish a winning ways in preseason. I'm taking the Vikings here in the Hall of Fame game.

08/28 07:00 PM EST   NFL   (103) DETROIT LIONS VS (104) BUFFALO BILLS
Take: (104) Inner Circle: Buffalo Bills.
A motivated home team against a visiting team that could care less. Detroit is a veteran team with a new coach who goes easy on his veteran players: Jim Caldwell is 5-10 ATS in preseason. They come off a win over the Jags at home and have nothing to prove. Their only other road game was a 27-26 loss at Oakland giving up 404 yards (306 passing) and the Raiders were 7-of-14 on third down. Buffalo plays its 5th game and plays only its second home contest. Quarterback EJ Manuel and Buffalo's starting offense isn't expected to get much rest in the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. "Yes, absolutely, I'm looking to play those guys," Coach Doug Marrone said this week. "I think, obviously, we're much further ahead on (the defensive side) of the ball than we are (on offense)." Marrone's concerns on offense came after Manuel and company were booed off the field while trailing 24-0 at halftime of an eventual 27-14 preseason home loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday. And new Buffalo DC Jim Schwartz was fired by Detroit in the offseason as head coach. Play the Bills!      

8/28 06:00 PM ESt  NFL   (101) ATLANTA FALCONS VS (102) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Take: (102) Jim Feist's RARE High End NFL Systems Release: Jaguars.
Atlanta is a star studded team thinking more about a winning season than this game. They also have a huge game on deck against division rival New Orleans, a revenge game, as well. And beyond QB Matt Ryan the Falcons have T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree. Coach Mike Smith is 0-4 ATS in Week 4 of preseason and they face a young, hungry rebuilding Jacksonville team that has upgraded the QB position with rookie Blake Bortles. Jacksonville is 1-0 SU/ATS at home this preseason, shutting down Tampa Bay in a 16-10 win. They are off a pair of one-point road losses at Chicago and Detroit and this defense is deep, playing well. Atlanta hasn't been playing well anyway, losing the last two games 24-17 and 32-7. Jacksonville won the Week 4 meeting at Atlanta a year ago, 20-16, and winning at home will be more one-sided, so grab the home team. Play Jacksonville!      

8/23 09:00 PM  NFL   (277) HOUSTON TEXANS VS (278) DENVER BRONCOS
Take: (277) HOUSTON TEXANS
Reason: Denver has nothing to prove, off wins over the Seahawks and 49ers. And do you really want to risk Peyton Manning against a good Houston defense? Houston is off a 32-7 rout of Atlanta and has a new coach in Bill O'Brien, who has plenty to prove to his players, fans and new boss. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 9 of 12 passes for the Texans, guiding the offense much more smoothly than he did against the Cardinals. O'Brien said Fitzpatrick's performance carried over from a strong week at practice. A year ago Denver was favored over St. Louis at home in Week 3, and barely squeezed out a 27-26 win (down 20-10 at the half). Play Houston!

8/23 05:00 PM  NFL   (273) MINNESOTA VIKINGS VS (274) KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Take: (273) MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Reason: Inner Circle Insider: Vikings.
Minnesota is 2-0 preseason with a deep QB rotation and a hard driving new coach in Mike Zimmer. Zimmer is very good and the kind of vocal leader who pushes guys even in preseason. This is a dynamite QB rotation with Matt Cassel and Teddy Bridgewater still competing for the starting quarterback spot, and Christian Ponder - the Vikings' former QB of the future turned first-string clipboard-holder -- still in the mix. They face a Kansas City team that didn't have a good offseason. The Chiefs have a QB rotation of Alex Smith, Aaron Murray, Chase Daniel, Tyler Bray -- not exactly impressive. The defense that fell apart in the second half of last season hasn't look good, allowing 28 and 39 points in August. Play the Vikings!

8/23 07:30 PM  NFL   (269) WASHINGTON REDSKINS VS (270) BALTIMORE RAVENS
Take: (269) WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Reason: Washington (2-0) is looking good and playing hard for its new coach. The defense is very much improved, and is giving up 11.5 ppg if you discount the miracle TD the Browns tallied on the final play Monday night. The Washington Redskins have a good/experienced QB rotation for August in Kirk Cousins, Robert Griffin and Colt McCoy, and the offense has been upgraded with newcomer WR DeSean Jackson. This is a short trip, too, and Washington is 7-0 ATS in Week 3 of preseason. The Ravens have little to prove after beating the 49ers and Cowboys and this QB rotation is weak after Joe Flacco, with Tyrod Taylor and Keith Wenning. After starting 2-0 last preseason the Ravens were at home to Carolina and showed nothing in a 34-27 loss, turning it over 4 times. Grab the new coach and the deep QB rotation. Play Washington.

8/22 05:00 PM  NFL   (259) OAKLAND RAIDERS VS (260) GREEN BAY PACKERS
Take: (259) OAKLAND RAIDERS
Reason: Oakland has a young team and a coach on the hot seat, so these preseason games mean more than most teams. They have a decent QB rotation anchored by Matt Schaub, Matt McGloin and Trent Edwards. Schaub and the rest of the first unit will play into the third quarter in Green Bay. Green Bay is off a great game, so there is little to prove, and this offense is only averaging 18.5 ppg in August. One change is coach Mike McCarthy has instructed DC Dom Capers to simplify the defensive playbook and schemes as the secondary gave up too many big plays, so this D is still a work in progress. Play the Oakland Raiders.      

08/22 04:30 PM  NFL   (257) NEW YORK GIANTS VS (258) NEW YORK JETS
Take: (258) NEW YORK JETS
Reason: Rivalry Game of the Week: NY Jets.
The Giants, their QB and their head coach have a pair of Super Bowl titles the last seven years, so what do they have to prove to the folks of New York in this game? The Jets, though, haven't been to a Super Bowl since 1969 and Rex Ryan has been a good preseason coach. The Jets have won two of the last three preseason meetings with the Giants, including 24-21 last year as the offense erupted for 420 yards (388 passing). Yes, this game means more to them than the Giants. In fact, a year ago Eli Manning was 8-of-20 for 83 yards against the Jets in preseason. He hasn't look that good in this preseason, either, as they are learning a new offense under first-year coordinator Ben McAdoo but it hasn't been smooth or productive. Even in last week's win Manning finished just 1 of 7 for 6 yards and the defense allowed 177 yds in 1st 2 quarters. Play the NY Jets!

08/22 04:30 PM  NFL   (255) CAROLINA PANTHERS VS (256) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Take: (255) CAROLINA PANTHERS
Reason: You need tough defense to play the Patriots and Carolina has a talented, deep, hard hitting defense. They are allowing 17 ppg and come off a 28-16 win over KC. The QB rotation is excellent for preseason with Cam Newton and veteran Derek Anderson. Pats Coach Bill Belichick doesn't like to show much in Week 3 of preseason as he doesn't want his Week 1 opponent in the regular season to have game film of what the starting units will do. Belichick is 0-6 ATS his last six Week 3 preseason games. Play Carolina.      

8/21 07:30 PM EST  NFL   (251) PITTSBURGH STEELERS VS (252) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Take: (251) PITTSBURGH STEELERS.
Reason: The Steelers have a nice experience one-two QB punch with Ben Roethlisberger and Bruce Gradkowski. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin would not commit to an exact number, but all the starters will play for an extended period of time in the third preseason game against the Eagles Thursday night in Philadelphia. In the past, Tomlin has played his starters for a half and sometimes more in the third preseason game. Pittsburgh has a lot of depth on a talented young defense and the first-team offense really clicked last week when using the no-huddle. They will score on this small Philadelphia defense that has given up 76 points in two games, the most in the NFL. The Eagles (0-2 SU/ATS) gave up 491 yards (399 passing) to the Bears in Week 1, then last week surrendered 42 points and 250 yards rushing at the Patriots. The Philadelphia Eagles are decimated with injuries at the wide receiver position, and they will likely be without Jeremy Maclin and Josh Huff. Riley Cooper may play, but he's hobbled and will probably play limited snaps. The same goes for the veteran Maclin, who is rehabbing from a torn ACL. The secondary couldn't keep all three New England Patriots quarterbacks off the scoreboard. Tom Brady threw a touchdown, Ryan Mallett threw one and ran one, and then Jimmy Garoppolo threw two of his own. The visitors are balanced on offense and have a much superior defense. Play the Steelers!

08/17 04:00 PM EST  NFL   (427) DENVER BRONCOS VS (428) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Take: (428) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Reason: The Broncos (1-0) got their big win last week at home against Seattle, the team that smoked them in the Super Bowl. They played well on both sides of the ball, so there is really nothing to play for in this one. There's no way John Fox and the coaching staff with risk Peyton Manning (4 neck surgeries) much against the 49er defense, so the backups aren't impressive with Brock Osweiler, Zac Dysert and rookie Bryn Renner. They don't want to risk several of the veteran newcomers on defense either with LB DeMarcus Ware (Dallas) and CB Aqib Talib. Meanwhile San Francisco has hard driving Jim Harbaugh running the show, a guy who is 8-5 ATS in NFL preseason. They showed nothing in last week's loss at Baltimore, a 3,000 miles trip, so expect the 49ers to come out focused and playing more starters after that awful performance. They have stockpiled RB depth with 2nd-year RB Marcus Lattimore and rookie RB Carlos Hyde (Ohio State, 2nd round) along with the best O-line in NFL. There is great depth at wideout with new WR 28-year old Stevie Johnson (597 yards with the Bills), rookie Bruce Ellington and Brandon Lloyd. San Fran was 3-1 SU/ATS last preseason, losing opener, and look for a huge bounce back effort in front of the home fans. Play the 49ers.      

8/16 08:00 PM EST  NFL   (423) ATLANTA FALCONS VS (424) HOUSTON TEXANS
Take: (424)  NFL Preseason High End NFL Systems Release: Houston Texans.
NFL teams in preseason that are off a shutout loss are 33-24 SU, 33-23-1 ATS that next game. What that shows is that for a team to get shutout everything has to go wrong, especially in this day and age with all the rules favoring offense. Those teams often bounce back with a vengeance the next week, as the coaching staff is embarrassed and frustrated and demands a better effort. For this game, the Houston Texans got smoked by Arizona last week, 32-0, in Bill O'Brien's first game as coach. O'Brien comes with a good pedigree, working under Bill Belichick as offensive coordinator, then he did a great job at Penn State under difficult circumstances. New coaches want to do well in the first preseason, as the new owners and fans are watching them closely and drawing judgments. After the disaster in the desert they come home for this one. This is not a Houston team lacking for talent. Two years ago they were a potential Super Bowl challenger in the AFC before a train wreck 2013 campaign. They have a lot of depth and talent and will have a chip on their shoulder for this one. The Atlanta Falcons are in town, a veteran team with little to prove. Atlanta coach Mike Smith has a weak preseason record. They are off a win over Miami, but Smith is still 2-11 SU and 4-9 ATS in his last 13 preseason games with the Falcons. He is also 1-5 SU in Week 2 of preseason. This has all the makings of a huge bounce back spot by the embarrassed team playing their first home game against a team whose only interest is staying healthy and getting out of town. Play the Texans!

08/16 07:30 PM EST  NFL   (419) BUFFALO BILLS VS (420) PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Take: (420) PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Reason: This is a tough situational spot for Buffalo, their third preseason game -- and all will be away from home. The Bills QB rotation is unimpressive with EJ Manuel, Jeff Tuel, Dennis Dixon and Thad Lewis, averaging 16.5 ppg so far. Coach Doug Marrone is 2-4 SU in preseason and heads to Pittsburgh, always a tough place to play. The Steelers have great youth and depth on defense, as well as a fine one-two QB punch of Ben Roethlisberger and Bruce Gradkowski. Look for a big effort by the home team while Buffalo coasts before heading home to play their final two preseason games. Play the Steelers!      

08/16 04:00 PM EST  NFL   (411) GREEN BAY PACKERS VS (412) ST. LOUIS RAMS
Take: (411) NFL TV Steamroller: Packers.
Can't back the Rams as a favorite, which they were last week and lost at home. St. Louis does not have an impressive QB rotation with Sam Bradford, Shaun Hill, Garrett Gilbert and Austin Davis. The lost in Week 1, 26-24 at home to the Saints. The Rams defense allowed 375 yards, including 123 rushing. The Rams had 14 penalties for 118 yards! The stadium appeared to be at less than half capacity not long after the opening kickoff and dwindled to perhaps one-third by the finish for the matchup. Green Bay gets to use Aaron Rodgers this game, after sitting last week. They also improved the ground attack immensely last season and even last week they had 146 yards rushing against Tennessee. Last year the Packers showed nothing in Week 1 (17-0 home loss to Arizona) then pounded the Rams, 19-7, in this building. Play Green Bay.      

08/15 10:00 PM  NFL   (407) DETROIT LIONS VS (408) OAKLAND RAIDERS
Take: (408) OAKLAND RAIDERS
Reason: Can't see the Lions being into this one. Detroit is a long way from home, 3,000 miles, and new coach Jim Caldwell is 5-8 ATS in preseason. He worked under Tony Dungy, who cared little for preseason and also had bad straight up and spread records in August. Lions receiver Calvin Johnson was a healthy scratch last week after offseason finger and knee surgeries and won't play much if at all. They face an Oakland team that is home and there is pressure on the team and the coaching staff to win. The Raiders have a decent/experienced QB rotation with Matt Schaub, Trent Edwards and Matt McGlin. The Raiders plan to be a run-heavy team, and Maurice Jones-Drew (4 touches for 24 yards), Darren McFadden (23-yard run) and Latavius Murray (7 carries for 28 yards) all looked good last week at Minnesota. Look for a big effort by the home team against the disinterested visitors. Play Oakland!

8/15 10:00 PM EST  NFL   (409) SAN DIEGO CHARGERS VS (410) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Take: (410) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Reason: Inner Circle Bailout: Seattle.
San Diego plays its first road game and has nothing to prove after vaporizing Dallas last week. Most starters for San Diego are expected to play two or more series. That means more of QBs Kellen Clemens and Brad Sorenson, and the Chargers are just 2-3 in preseason under Mike McCoy. It's never easy to play in CenturyLink Field as fans will be gearing up for Seattle's first home game in 2014. Seattle Head Coach Pete Carroll said Thursday there are limits to what his team will show Friday and this guy is 22-11 ATS in preseason! The Seahawks played their preseason opener without three starters on the offensive line, but Max Unger, Russell Okung and James Carpenter are back where the offense needs them, practicing this week. When these teams met last year in preseason Seattle rolled 31-10 -- in San Diego! Now they are in the loudest stadium in football. Play Seattle!