NFL Preseason Best Bets:

We’re still a few weeks away from the start of the NFL regular season, but there’s football to bet on right now. Week 2 of the NFL Preseason begins on Thursday, August 15th, when the New England Patriots host the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. There will then be 13 games on Saturday, August 17th, as well as two more games on Sunday, August 18th. I’m going to get into some of my favorite bets of the week below, so make sure you keep reading if you’re hungry for some action. However, I’d advise betting less on these games, as there’s just so much uncertainty when it comes to playing time and motivation.

If you haven’t already, you should really check out our 2024 NFL Betting Guide. You’ll get in-depth previews of all 32 teams, a bunch of futures from our incredible VSiN staff and deep dives on all of the awards markets. The guide is also packed with useful betting trends and nuggets. Also, by signing up for a VSiN Pro subscription, you’ll get a refresh of the guide late in August. That will tell you everything you missed in training camp and preseason, so you’ll be up to speed by the time Week 1 rolls around. You’ll also get even more best bets from our analysts.

 

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Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots – Thursday, August 15th at 7:00 pm ET

On Tuesday, there was a lot of noise about the Eagles dominating a joint practice with the Patriots. Beat writers that were in attendance said that Philadelphia’s defense smothered New England’s offense. However, I’m not trying to overreact to that type of news. The reality is that the Eagles aren’t planning on playing their starters in this game. From everything we’ve heard from Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni, it sounds like Jalen Hurts and the rest of the team’s key pieces will sit the entire preseason. Instead, he used the joint practice as a way to get his guys some valuable reps. So, no matter how bad you think the Patriots are, how can you not side with New England here?

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo still has a lot to figure out with this young New England team, so he’s going to use the preseason game to do that. And Mayo is going to want his players to fight. New head coaches are doing what they can to build winning habits right away, and the preseason is no exception. That’s hard to ignore when facing a Philadelphia team that is 2-6 in the preseason since Sirianni became head coach.

Bet: Patriots -2.5 (-105)

New York Jets at Carolina Panthers – Saturday, August 17th at 7:00 pm ET

The Jets were able to win their first preseason game, earning a 20-17 victory over the Washington Commanders. New York didn’t play its starters in that game, but the team was still able to overcome the fact that Washington did — even with the Commanders jumping out to an early lead. Quarterbacks Andrew Peasley and Adrian Martinez did good things for the Jets in that one. Peasley threw for 73 yards with a touchdown and no picks, and Martinez threw for 104 yards with no interceptions. Martinez also added 24 yards on the ground. Honestly, the quarterback play in this game is the focal point for me.

It sure seems like Bryce Young will be sitting this one out, as the Panthers seem content to let their offense get comfortable through joint practices. Well, that’s bad news for Carolina’s preseason hopes. In the opener against the Patriots, Jack Plummer and Jake Luton both struggled to move the ball. I don’t see things getting any better against a New York defense that is deep beyond the starting unit. The Jets are also well coached on that side of the ball.

Look for New York’s defense to keep Carolina from putting up points in this game, and don’t be surprised if Martinez and Peasley find some success here. Martinez is especially intriguing because of his ability to run the ball. That’s big in sloppy games like these. Braelon Allen also looked like a man amongst boys for New York in the preseason opener, rushing for 54 yards on six carries. He should see a couple of series in this game, and that will allow the Jets to do some damage offensively. They also have solid running backs behind him.

Bet: Jets -3.5 (-110)

Dallas Cowboys at Las Vegas Raiders – Saturday, August 17th at 10:00 pm ET

The Cowboys only scored 12 points against the Los Angeles Rams in the opening week of preseason, but I think Dallas will get involved in a bit of a shootout with Las Vegas. There aren’t many teams that have the type of talent that the Cowboys have at the quarterback position. Trey Lance and Cooper Rush are both plenty capable of marching Dallas down the field, especially against Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the Raiders scored 23 points against the Minnesota Vikings last week, and they played their starters a bunch in that one. Well, with Las Vegas still not ready to commit to Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell under center, don’t be surprised if both of them get plenty of action in Week 2.

I know it can be hard to play an Over in the preseason, especially on one of the highest totals of the week. But Las Vegas and Minnesota combined to score 45 points last week, and there’s no reason to believe that the Raiders won’t turn in a similar effort this week. Committing to trotting out the starters is half the battle, and it sure seems like Vegas head coach Antonio Pierce plans on seeing this group again.

Bet: Over 39 (-112)

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