NFL Betting News and Trends For Thursday 8/9/18

Browns vs. Giants Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 6th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/06/2018

Thursday night's pre-season NFL slate brings together the teams that had the first two picks in the draft.

One of the teams, the Cleveland Browns, aren't looking for something from their top pick, the #1 overall, until some point down the road. The other team, the New York Giants, not only expect returns immediately from their rookie, they are hoping that he will be a transformative player for them.

Both franchises could use a turnaround. But the Browns are the side that went winless last season. They posted the second 0-16 ledger in league history (4-12 against the number), then went about making some adjustments to their front office, bringing in John Dorsey, who had been the general manager with the Kansas City Chiefs. They've also made several player acquisitions that have fans looking forward with genuine optimism.

The Giants made the playoffs in 2016, then saw things go all the way downhill last year, with a 3-13 record (7-9 ATS). Ben McAdoo went from an offensive guru to someone who "lost the locker room," and an injury to Odell Beckham Jr. did not help. The unthinkable even happened, as Eli Manning took a seat for one game. Nothing was managed well, and Dave Gettleman, the former GM in Carolina, has taken control, even as he is involved in a battle with cancer.

The pre-season opener for both teams takes place on Thursday night at 7 PM ET at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands.

TV: 7 PM ET, NFL Network. LINE: Giants -2.5. O/U: 34.5

ABOUT THE BROWNS: Hue Jackson was retained as head coach, and even though Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield was the #1 pick in the draft, he is adamant that Tyrod Taylor, acquired from Buffalo, is his quarterback of the here and now. The receiver corps may be a little thin, as Corey Coleman was traded to Buffalo, and Josh Gordon has been in Florida, receiving treatment for anxiety and substance abuse issues. The team made a bold off-season move in picking up Jarvis Landry, who was the NFL's leading pass-catcher with the Miami Dolphins last year, and they are impressed with what they've seen out of fourth-round draft pick Antonio Callaway. There has been a lingering question as to who is going to protect the quarterback's blind side, with All-Pro Joe Thomas having retired. Shon Coleman was slated for the left tackle role, but he has stumbled in camp, so Joel Bitonio has been moved outside from guard, with rookie Austin Corbett stepping into the void he left. Jackson is mourning the loss of his mother and brother, both of whom have passed away in the last two weeks.

ABOUT THE GIANTS: Saquon Barkley, the rookie running back from Penn State, has the potential to completely change the Giants' offense, because of the fact that he can line up in the backfield, split out wide, or go in the slot. As for Beckham, he appears to be healthy less than a year after breaking his ankle, but he is very interested in getting together with the team on a long-term contract. He is "optimistic" that will happen, and even though it is not inked just yet, he is still participating in training camp drills. There are a lot of eyes on Evan Engram in camp. The Giants' second-year tight end led the team with 64 catches last year, but also dropped eleven, more than anyone else at his position. New head coach Pat Shurmur is doing some shuffling around on the offensive line for the spots that have not been solidified. Nate Solder is now installed at left tackle, and rookie Will Hernandez is at one of the guard positions. But right tackle could be a mess, as Ereck Flowers is lacking, John Jerry may not fit in, and other options are shaky. Backup tackles Chad Wheeler and Nick Becton have reportedly not looked good in drills. Cornerback depth is also an area where there has been a great deal of uncertainty. There is a revolving door of guys in and out of camp, and everyone, including special teams ace Michael Thomas, seems to be battling for the free safety job.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Shurmur was the head coach of the Browns in 2011 and 2012, compiling a 9-23 record. He has brought Mike Shula, son of Hall of Famer Don Shula, aboard as the offensive coordinator.

2. The Browns, despite their 0-16 regular season record, were 4-0, both straight-up and against the spread, in the pre-season slate last year. In 2016, however, they were 0-4 SU and ATS in exhibition games.

3. For the Giants, Davis Webb is the backup QB, with heady rookie Kyle Lauletta (Richmond) also in the queue, and the team just signed Alex Tanney, who is with his eighth different team and, unlike Webb or Lauletta, has actually thrown some regular season NFL passes (14, to be exact).

PREDICTION: Browns 17, Giants 16
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Steelers vs. Eagles Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 6th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/06/2018

The Pittsburgh Steelers are transitioning a little, and they know, that to make another trip back to the Super Bowl, not only will they have to overcome a formidable bunch like the New England Patriots, but also the Jacksonville Jaguars, who beat them twice last season, including a playoff game.

For the Philadelphia Eagles, the challenge is a bit different, because they are the defending Super Bowl champions, and thus, they have a target on their backs. There are several teams in the NFC, including the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams, who like to think they have improved themselves enough to mount a charge for the conference title.

Preseason NFL Previews and Predictions

And then there is that matter of whether Philadelphia's quarterback will be ready for the regular season.

This "Battle of Pennsylvania" is slated to take place at 7 PM ET on Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field in the City of Brotherly Love.

TV: Local coverage, NFL Network (Replay). LINE: Eagles -3 O/U: 35

ABOUT THE STEELERS: Offensive coordinator Todd Haley has left for the same position with the Cleveland Browns, and so Randy Fichtner was elevated from quarterback coach to the coordinator job. His rapport with Ben Roethlisberger is excellent, but there are some observers who wonder whether there is enough healthy "friction" to really create a great dynamic, as there was with Haley. That won't be a big factor here, as Landry Jones is likely to make the start in this first pre-season game. Jones was 25-for-37 with one touchdown pass in last year's pre-season, and 41 of 59 (68.5%) with four INT's in the 2016 exhibition slate. He's got five NFL regular season starts. This will also be the coming-out party for Mason Rudolph, the former Oklahoma State quarterback who may find himself on the field to throw passes to former college teammate James Washington, who was a second-round draft pick and had 4,462 receiving yards in his OSU career. Joshua Dobbs is another quarterback on hand; this dual threat had 38 completions in 64 attempts with six sacks and a rushing touchdown in the 2017 pre-season. If you were hoping to see running back Le'Veon Bell in this game, forget it. The rushing-receiving star, who had 1946 yards from scrimmage last season, has been given the franchise tag and is not expected to sign his tender until right before the regular season opener.

ABOUT THE EAGLES: The official word on Carson Wentz is that the Eagles are being cautious with him. The quarterback, who suffered a season-ending knee injury not long before the Eagles made their Super Bowl run, has not been participating in 11-on-11 drills and it is a real possibility that he won't play at all in the pre-season. He's insisted that he could be ready for Week 1 even without any pre-season snaps. Nick Foles, who proved himself to be more than just an insurance policy as he rambled to the Super Bowl MVP award, may not see a lot of pre-season action either. Nate Sudfeld, who was 33-of-56 in the 2017 pre-season, as well as Joe Callahan, a South Jersey kid (Cape May Courthouse) who is with his fourth NFL team, and won a roster spot with Green Bay in 2016 with a strong pre-season (54-of-88, 3 TD's). Offensive coordinator Mike Groh, who took the place of Frank Reich (now the head coach for Indianapolis) says that left tackle Jason Peters, a nine-time Pro Bowler who had both ACL and MCL surgery, is looking as good as ever and that the knee is a "non-issue" right now. Sidney Jones, who came in the second round of the 2017 draft from the University of Washington, missed all of training camp last year, but he is turning heads and may have a chance to snag one of the starting cornerback spots. In his two years as an NFL head coach, Doug Pederson is 6-2 straight-up and 5-3 against the spread in the pre-season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Pittsburgh linebacker Bud Dupree was recently removed from practice and had to be placed in the concussion protocol. The fourth-year pro out of Kentucky was a first-round draft pick in 2015.

2. Callahan played his college ball at Wesley, a Division II school in Delaware, and was the first D-3 quarterback to top 5000 passing yards for a season. That brought him the Gagliardi Trophy, which is Division III's equivalent of the Heisman.

3. Joshua Dobbs may be fighting for a spot on the Steelers' roster, but he doesn't have any problem digesting the schematics of the team's playbook. Dobbs graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in aerospace engineering and a 4.0 grade-point average.

PREDICTION: Steelers 20, Eagles 17
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Redskins vs. Patriots Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 6th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/06/2018

The Washington Redskins have gone through much of the last two seasons wondering who their quarterback was going to be in 2018, because of the uncertainty surrounding Kirk Cousins and his pending free agency. Ultimately, they didn't prevent Cousins from going and signing for the big, big bucks with the Minnesota Vikings, and may have actually upgraded themselves at the QB spot.

The New England Patriots didn't need any quarterback upgrades, although they may, in time, be sorry that they traded Jimmy Garoppolo away to San Francisco. When will the defending AFC champions have to go through that "transitional" phase? Well, probably not as long as Tom Brady is the starter behind center.

These teams are set to meet up in Thursday night NFL pre-season action, kicking off at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA.

TV: 7:30 PM ET, Local coverage and NFL Network (Replay). LINE: Patriots -3. O/U: 37

ABOUT THE REDSKINS: Washington, which was 7-9, both straight-up and against the number, in the 2017 season, made a deal with Kansas City to bring Alex Smith aboard. He should fit just fine into Jay Gruden's offense. And he led the NFL in passing efficiency last season. Cousins got his 4000 yards last year but what he did was not altogether inspiring without guru Sean McVay running the offense. One of the things people have noticed is that Smith developed chemistry very quickly with Josh Doctson, a former first-round pick who has not realized his upside yet, and Paul Richardson, a new acquisition who has come over form the Seattle Seahawks. Colt McCoy and Kevin Hogan are the other quarterbacks on the depth chart. There is a battle at the running back spot, as Rob Kelley wants to be the featured guy. That task is going to be difficult, as the Redskins feel they drafted a first-round talent when they got Derrius Guice with the 59th overall pick. Guice had a bump interview process and was slapped with a "questionable character" tag, which caused him to slip. But a number of people believe he's even better than Leonard Fournette, his LSU teammate who went to Jacksonville in the first round last season. Let's not forget Samaje Perine, the Oklahoma product who once set the one-game NCAA record for rushing yards but was very flat as a rookie. The Redskins are priced at +425 to win the NFC East, which puts them behind the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. They are also +5500 to win the Super Bowl.

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS: One of the things the Pats (13-3 SU, 7-9 ATS last season) wanted to address during this training camp was the left tackle position since Nate Solder departed for the New York Giants. They have two candidates for the spot in first-round pick Isaiah Wynn and Trent Brown, who was acquired from San Francisco. There had been some anxiety at the wide receiver position for some Patriots fans, as Julian Edelman is suspended for the first four games, while Danny Amendola and Brandin Cooks left for other teams. Jordan Matthews, who came from Buffalo in the off-season, injured his hamstring and was cut. So was Malcolm Mitchell, who missed last year with a knee injury. So newcomers will have to carry some of the load. One of them, Cordarelle Patterson, has been to the Pro Bowl before, but as a kick returner. Phillip Dorsett, who the Pats acquired on the eve of the 2017 season, is in his first camp with the team. Braxton Berrios, a sixth-round pick, could be a real sleeper, as he is a "smurf" in the Edelman/Amendola mold. Eric Decker, the veteran who can still be useful, was just signed. As usual, Brady is expected to make it work, regardless of who his set of receivers is. Sony Michel, a first-round pick out of Georgia, has been struggling with a knee problem, which happened to be a concern on the part of some teams when he was being scouted. The report is that he should be ready for the start of the season, but he will miss at least a couple of these pre-season contests. The Patriots are the Super Bowl favorites this season at +600 and they are -625 to win the AFC East.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Redskin left tackle Trent Williams, who has been named to six Pro Bowls but is coming off knee surgery, is in camp and doing just fine. However, Gruden has termed him "doubtful" for this particular game.

2. In four seasons as an NFL head coach, Gruden has posted a straight-up record of 11-5 and an ATS mark of 10-6 in the pre-season. Belichick is 49-44 straight-up and 43-43-6 ATS.

3. After finishing next to last in the NFL in third-down conversions last season, Gruden decided that he would institute more contact in practices early on, in order to make things more physical than they have usually been in his camps.

PREDICTION: Washington 20, Patriots 17
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Cowboys vs. 49ers Preview and Predictions in NFL

NFL Previews 7th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/07/2018

Things looked pretty dismal for the San Francisco 49ers nine games into the 2017 season, as they were still looking for their first victory. They had been fortunate enough to be able to swing a deal with the New England Patriots to acquire Jimmy Garoppolo, who looked very much like the guy Tom Brady was going to pass the torch to when he hung the cleats up. But Garoppolo was entering the final year of his rookie contract and was not necessarily patient. He found a new home, studied the playbook carefully, entered the lineup, and the Niners have not lost since.

That's why there is so much optimism around camp this summer. The 49ers won the last five games of the season with Jimmy G taking snaps, and then he signed a long-term deal to stick around. Team management, which includes former All-Pro safety John Lynch, dedicated much of the off-season to giving their quarterback more weaponry to work with. And there are a number of people expecting this team to at least be in the running for a wild-card spot.

National Football League Preseason Previews and Predictions

The Dallas Cowboys may have been involved in the post-season had they not had to endure the six-game suspension of star running back Ezekiel Elliott. They have had to say goodbye to veteran tight end Jason Witten. And they are still dealing with the controversy that resulted from releasing wide receiver Dez Bryant. But they are excited about some of their additions and hope that they have enough defense to complement the ground attack and a passing game that may rely quite a bit on newcomers.

The 49ers and Cowboys will meet up on Thursday night at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, in the pre-season opener for both teams.

TV: 10 PM ET. NFL Network. LINE: Niners -3.5 O/U: 35

ABOUT THE COWBOYS: With the departure of Bryant, Dallas, which was 9-7 straight-up and 8-7-1 against the number last season, is in the process of sorting itself out at wide receiver. Allen Burns was a productive pass-catcher with Jacksonville - when healthy. Lately, he's been dealing with a strained groin. Deonte Thompson, another free agent pickup, is sidelined. The Cowboys are hoping that third-round pick Michael Gallup out of Colorado State can catch on quickly. They are encouraged at what they have seen so far out of Tavon Austin, who was employed as a hybrid running back/wide receiver by the Rams but has underachieved as a wideout in his NFL career. Somewhere in all of this, they hope to find answers. The Cowboys are still unsure as to how they will use third-year linebacker Jaylon Smith, but they will use him nonetheless. Smith, who hurt his knee in his final collegiate game for Notre Dame but got picked in the first round anyway, sat out a season, then came back rather slowly last year. But this season defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli may elect to blitz more, and Smith says that is a very natural way for him to be deployed. The Cowboys are priced at +375 to win the NFC East and +2000 to win Super Bowl 53.

ABOUT THE NINERS: San Francisco, which ended the season 6-10 straight-up and 10-6 against the number, has had to fiddle around with its offensive line and so it is not a finished product yet. But rookie right tackle Mike McGlinchey, the first-round pick out of Notre Dame, looks like he may be a fixture for years to come. However, it has been noted that he has some ground to make up when it comes to pass blocking. Losing Carlos Hyde out of the backfield was not tragic, as far as head coach Kyle Shanahan was concerned. He liked Jarick McKinnon enough to make the former Minnesota Viking the third highest-paid running back in the league. And when you're paying that kind of money, it's not for a "situational" performer. And there have been raves about the athleticism of the second-round draft pick, wide receiver Dante Pettis of Washington. The most notable addition to the defense is, of course, Richard Sherman, the former All-Pro cornerback who was with the Seattle Seahawks, and saw his 2017 campaign ended with an injury to his Achilles tendon. The jury is still out on him, though; he's been burned a few times in camp and is now sidelined for at least another week with a hamstring injury. The Niners are priced at +200 to win the NFC West and +1750 to emerge victorious in the Super Bowl.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Niners defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has mentioned that the tackling technique he has been teaching his players, going back to last year, will give them the edge when it comes to staying clean with regard to the NFL's new helmet rule. I’ve been exposed to it for the last eight years. "People in the rugby world have tackled without helmets for years and we’ve been teaching that style of tackling..."

2. One of the reserve quarterbacks to keep an eye on is rookie Mike White, who threw for over 8500 yards the last two seasons at Western Kentucky before being taken by Dallas in the fifth round. There were some scouts who thought he might eventually become a starter in the NFL.

3. San Francisco linebacker Reuben Foster, their first-round pick in the 2017 Draft, is suspended for the first two regular-season games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, but he is eligible to practice and take part in pre-season games.

PREDICTION: 49ers 17, Cowboys 10
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Thursday's Preseason Essentials
August 9, 2018
By Tony Mejia

Preseason NFL betting carries an awful reputation since it's easy to dismiss games that don't count in the standings. That's short-sighted.

Every team carries goals into their games and there are often instances where it's clear that one team will be the aggressor. There are games where it becomes clear going in whether teams are looking to test their offense or put very little on display.

The Hall of Fame game saw the favored Ravens barely hold on over the Bears in Canton, failing to cover despite being in position to win most of the second half. In Week 1, we won't see many starters, but there are plenty of angles worth considering. Here's I'm looking at as 30 of the NFL's 32 teams take the field for the first time:

Thursday, Aug. 9

Carolina at Buffalo (-3/34), 7 p.m. ET: The Bills have rotated Nathan Peterman and A.J. McCarron with the first-team offense, so No. 7 pick Josh Allen will play a significant role here with the third team likely deciding the outcome. McCarron and Peterman are looking to impress new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who also has to find receivers he can trust outside of Kelvin Benjamin. Buffalo traded for Corey Coleman this week and got him some practice time, but it remains to be seen if he has any role in this one. It definitely looks like Sean McDermott’s defense, coordinated by veteran Leslie Frazier, is far ahead of the Bills’ offense. Buffalo lost its first three preseason games under McDermott in his first season as head coach.

McDermott was Ron Rivera’s defensive coordinator until 2016, so he knows exactly how his former boss approaches the preseason opener since he’s been a part of more wins than losses in that role. With Norv Turner coming out of retirement to run the offense from the press box and Eric Washington elevated to defensive coordinator to replace current Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks, there is new leadership in place. Cam Newton, called out by former teammate Benjamin for his lack of accuracy, is expected to get at least a series before giving way to Garrett Gilbert, Taylor Henicke and rookie Kyle Allen. Carolina has had awful luck with injuries along its offensive line in camp, so guys who would’ve potentially had little shot at making the team will now be showing out with roster spots on the line.

Chicago at Cincinnati (-2/35.5), 7 p.m. ET: Matt Nagy debuted as head coach of the Bears in the 17-16 Hall of Fame game loss, but since the baseball cap stayed on second-year QB Mitch Trubisky, it’s this next Ohio-based contest, 200 miles southwest of Canton, that truly counts. Nagy hadn’t divulged how long he intended to play Trubisky entering Wednesday but has seen him do his best work of a turnover-filled camp this week, demonstrating an improved grasp on his offense and receivers. Chicago should have an edge on the Bengals considering most of their players have gotten their feet wet and backups Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray each threw for touchdowns, but the Ravens did push the ball down the field against a Bears defense that remains without unsigned top pick Roquan Smith.

While Nagy comes off his first preseason game running his own program, Marvin Lewis will coach in his 62nd, entering his 16th season at 30-31 in exhibitions. This season’s big wrinkles are the addition of defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who was highly coveted once the Lions passed on promoting him to head coach. He’s got a chance to put a special group together, so this will be an interesting opener for them and could set up some must-watch football against Trubisky and a young Bears first-team offense even though linebacker Vontaze Burfict won’t play. Offensively, snapping issues were a concern in the Bengals’ simulated game over the weekend since first-round pick Billy Price is struggling, so that’s something to be aware of if you’re thinking of backing host Cincinnati, who won’t play at home again until the meaningless fourth preseason game.

Tampa Bay at Miami (-1.5/34), 7 p.m. ET: Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill hopes to make his competitive return after tearing his ACL barely a year ago. With Jay Cutler not back, there’s no quarterback controversy despite the acquisition of Brock Osweiler and Bryce Petty, who are looking to push holdover David Fales for the No. 2 spot. Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston won’t play for the first three regular-season games but is expected to get work in behind Week 1 starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. Neither may play much given the team’s lack of depth on the offensive line with Ryan Griffin and rookie Austin Allen expected to finish up. It’s going to be a hot humid night, but thunderstorms should clear out of the area which means rain won’t be a factor.

Miami’s Ryan Tannehill hopes to make his competitive return after tearing his ACL barely a year ago. With Jay Cutler not back, there’s no quarterback controversy despite the acquisition of Brock Osweiler and Bryce Petty, who are looking to push holdover David Fales for the No. 2 spot. Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston won’t play for the first three regular-season games but is expected to get work in behind Week 1 starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. Neither may play much given the team’s lack of depth on the offensive line with Ryan Griffin and rookie Austin Allen expected to finish up. It’s going to be a hot humid night, but thunderstorms should clear out of the area which means rain won’t be a factor.

Cleveland (-1/35) at N.Y. Giants, 7 p.m. ET: Tyrod Taylor will start ahead of Baker Mayfield in the regular-season opener and in this visit to Met Life Stadium, but the No. 1 pick will get more snaps than probably every other QB on the roster as Todd Haley gets his first crack at turning around the Browns offense in his first year as a coordinator under Hue Jackson. With Josh Gordon still away and Coleman traded, this is an opportunity for rookie Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins to continue making plays. Veteran Drew Stanton’s experience is a luxury most teams lack in their third-stringer, which should be an advantage. The Browns were perfect last preseason.

Pat Shurmur begins his tenure as New York’s coach knowing he can’t flop quite as spectacularly as predecessor Ben McAdoo, who was replaced by Steve Spagnolo for the final month of action. Both are gone. James Bettcher will run the defense after doing it in Arizona over the last three years. Shurmur will lean on Mike Shula to help with the offense, but he’s calling plays. No determinations have been made about throwing Eli Manning, Odell Beckham, Jr. or top pick Saquon Barkley out there. Manning probably won’t play but has said he’d like more time than usual to get used to the new offense. Davis Webb, rookie Kyle Lauletta and Alex Tanney will see the bulk of the snaps.

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (-3/33), 7 p.m. ET: The Steelers and Eagles last got together in 2016 in the preseason and Mike Tomlin’s team lost at home 17-0, but don’t expect him to be any more invested than he typically is this time of year over that embarrassment or because his Pennsylvania neighbors finally won a Super Bowl. He doesn’t put much importance on exhibition games and went 3-14 from 2013-16 before a 3-1 finish last season. He’s only won five of 13 career preseason openers and won’t play Ben Roethlisberger or many of his other veterans, ruling out Antonio Brown and staying true to his philosophy regarding this time of year despite the speculation his seat is warming up. There’s been no rotation set, but rookie Mason Rudolph will join veteran backups Landry Jones and Josh Dobbs. Running back James Conner has been the most impressive back with Le’Veon Bell and could get lots of work.

The Eagles take the field as reigning champs for the first time but probably won’t have Carson Wentz back in the mix at all this preseason. Nick Foles will be prepped to start Week 1 but won’t participate here, which means Nate Sudfeld and Joe Callahan will get all the snaps. It would be surprising to see the team’s top receivers work, but their young players have gotten a lot of reps and welcomed in a crowd of over 40.000 to watch practice over the weekend, an experience likely to serve Philadelphia well here. Doug Pederson has won six of eight preseason games and is working with a new coordinator in Mike Groh since Frank Reich took the Colts’ head job.

New Orleans at Jacksonville (-2.5/34.5), 7 p.m. ET: Sean Payton has coached his team to losses in 10 of his last 12 exhibition games and isn’t expected to expose Drew Brees for even a drive here. While Tom Savage will likely start, Taysom Hill and rookie J.T. Barrett should get the bulk of the work and to decide this game. Neither guy should be able to hurt an NFL defense with their arm but can do significant damage with their legs. One rookie worth watching is wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith (UCF), who has been the talk of camp, which is saying something given the talent available on this roster.

After last year’s huge breakthrough where they fell a fourth-quarter collapse short of a Super Bowl berth, the Jaguars will deal with a target on their backs this season. Doug Marrone returns both of his coordinators and has been pleasantly surprised by a more comfortable Blake Bortles settling in early. At this time last season, it looked like his days as Jacksonville’s starting QB were numbered. Chad Henne was closing in and Bortles played poorly in an exhibition game where he was meant to erase all doubt. Although we should see Bortles start here, backups Cody Kessler and Tanner Lee, a rookie from Nebraska who started at Tulane, will play most of this one. The Jags are hoping for solid play out of unheralded guys who have shined thus far like rookie WR D.J. Chark and running back Brandon Wilds.

L.A. Rams at Baltimore (-3/36), 7:30 p.m. ET: Coaching boy wonder Sean McVay won his first two preseason games last year and then went on to post an 11-5 regular-season record, winning the NFC West. Since the Rams are so early into a preseason where McVay is implementing new wrinkles and installing a lot of offense that wasn’t in the playbook last season. QB Jared Goff played and most of the starters participated, but that isn’t expected to be the case in this first contest. Star DT Aaron Donald remains away from the team and the Rams got a lot of work against the Ravens in joint practices this week, so don’t expect much from them in this game. Sean Mannion, Brandon Allen and rookie Luis Perez, the Harlon Hill Trophy winner from D-II champion Texas A&M-Commerce, will look to show what they can do.

The Ravens escaped after turning away a Chicago two-point conversion in their Hall of Fame game win last Thursday, but Lamar Jackson didn’t exactly light it up after a sharp debut from Robert Griffin III. Since John Harbaugh is one of the NFL’s top coaches in the preseason (29-12, .707) and he’s throwing Joe Flacco in the mix for a drive or two, Baltimore has gone from a 1-point favorite to laying the full three at home. There are a few concerns since the offensive line looked to have protection issues against the Bears and struggled in the joint practices against the Rams, but you can understand why they’re favored here with Goff sitting out and most of their roster already owning a game under their belts.

Washington at New England (-3/37.5), 7:30 p.m. ET: It’s Alex Smith time in D.C., which may not excite most of you but has Skins Nation filled with butterflies. He’ll play at least a series to get his feet wet before Colt McCoy and Kevin Hogan take over. Washington hosts its next two contests, so the team can create some positive momentum with a solid showing if they’re prepared to hit the ground running. There’s healthy competition at running back and receiver, so this is a team to keep an eye on since Jay Gruden will want to get a look at all his toys and generate confidence for his group in an effort to flush last year’s disappointment. Being matched up against the defending champion Patriots, who Gruden beat 23-6 in his first preseason game as head coach back in ’14, could be enough motivation to keep young guys hungry and motivated on the road.

Bill Belichick has more uncertainty surrounding his team that any point in the past five-plus years. Former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will coach the Lions on Friday, so linebackers coach Brian Flores will begin his tenure as the Pats’ defensive playcaller under the same system his predecessor worked with. Because much pressure isn’t applied on the quarterback and the scheme is so vanilla this time of year, New England surrendered 31.5 points last preseason after allowing 19.5 points the year before. Tom Brady won’t play this one, which means we should see Brian Hoyer start and rookie Danny Etling under center for most of the evening. It’s not exactly a mystery that he’s no Jimmy Garoppolo or even Jacoby Brissett.

Tennessee at Green Bay (PK/34.5), 8 p.m. ET: New coach Mike Vrabel has been around the block with this football thing, crossing paths with coaching legends on all levels, so there’s no doubt he’s prepared for his first game in the head seat. Veteran defensive coordinator Dean Pees will join him in attempting to put together a stout defense, so they might be ahead of the offense although early word is new coordinator Matt LaFleur has done a nice job keeping them off-balance. That’s easier to do with Marcus Mariota than, say, rookie Luke Falk, who will likely get the bulk of the action after taking over for second-stringer Blaine Gabbert. LaFleur didn’t call plays in L.A. with the Rams as their OC last season and will want to get up to speed in games, but the next two will offer far more ideal circumstances to do so than this one should, especially on the road at Lambeau.

Cheeseheads likely won’t see Aaron Rodgers doing anything other than holding a clipboard since he hasn’t played in a preseason opener since 2015, but there will still be plenty to look at. There’s a new offense that Mike McCarthy and new coordinator Joe Philbin are putting in place, not to mention a first glance at the Mike Pettine-led defense since the former Browns head coach is back doing what he does best. Brett Hundley is hoping to hold off DeShone Kizer, while a young receiving corps that Rodgers chewed out publicly this week hopes to impress when the lights come on. McCarthy has won seven of nine exhibitions, seven of eight preseason games at Lambeau and hasn’t lost an opener since 2014. The Pack has been working out against the Titans all week, so players will be familiar with one another.

Houston at Kansas City (-2.5/34), 8:30 p.m. ET: We’re expecting to see Deshaun Watson. Having made a speedy recovery after tearing an ACL to spoil what was quickly becoming a special rookie season, the standout QB is expected to make a cameo for Bill O’Brien before giving way to backups Brandon Weeden, Joe Webb and Stephen Morris, each of whom have an NFL start under their belt. O’Brien has liked how his offensive line has improved and was pleased with how camp unfolded. It might be one big party if J.J. Watt is unleashed since the word is he’s ready to play if the Texans will let him. With Vrabel hired by Tennessee, Romeo Crennel will assume defensive coordinator duties once again, so the system will be similar. Houston was perfect in the ’16 preseason but went just 1-2 last year in an August sabotaged by Hurricane Harvey.

This is the biggest preseason Andy Reid has had in Kansas City, more important than even the first back in 2013, when he and then-49ers import Alex Smith got together in the hopes of growing together and building a winner. Smith’s time produced success, but Reid is looking for titles in handing the reins to second-year pro Patrick Mahomes, whose arm talent can get everyone a ring. He’s certain to give Reid his share of headaches too and started early by opening camp with a flurry of turnovers, but the 22-year-old has been given a license to test out the offense. That will continue tonight at muggy Arrowhead, but it remains to be seen how long he plays before giving way to Chad Henne, Matt McGloin and potentially, rookie Chase Litton. Reid has won nine of 20 openers and is 36-40 in exhibitions. There were at least 36 points scored in all of Kansas City’s preseason games last season.

Dallas at San Francisco (-3.5/35), 10 p.m. ET DAL-SF Jason Garrett has been put on notice that it’s playoffs or pink slip. Dez Bryant has been discarded. Giant clouds aren’t encircling Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys were back in Oxnard for training camp and have a talented group in place, talking Super Bowl despite failing to make the playoffs again last season. Dak Prescott may get int there for a series, but this matchup with San Francisco will feature Cooper Rush before giving way to rookies Mike White (WKU) and Dalton Sturm (UTSA), both products of Conference USA. We’ll get a good look at Dallas’ depth here since most starters won’t participate. Payton is 23-27 in preseason action and went winless in ’15 and ’16.

Having Jimmy Garoppolo in place for the first time after offering a preview of his capabilities has ramped up the intensity and expectations in Santa Clara. Kyle Shanahan has his quarterback and can make better use of all of his personnel as a result, so it’s no surprise he’s going to get an immediate look at what he’s got on the roster by playing his starters for at least a series. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them out there a full quarter. C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens, both of whom were in the program last year, will wrap up the action and it’s likely that we’ll see a strong effort since the 49ers won’t return home until the fourth and final preseason contest.

Indianapolis at Seattle (-2/35), 10 p.m. ET: Andrew Luck hasn’t taken a snap in a game since Jan. 1 of ’17, so all eyes will be on his return. New head coach Frank Reich’s debut takes a backseat as a result, but it’s not likely that we’ll see much of Indianapolis’ franchise quarterback dropping back to pass since LT Anthony Castonzo was lost to a hamstring issue that will make life more difficult for everyone else this month. Luck will get a quarter, backed by Jacoby Brissett, which means that the Colts will have a chance to test the Seahawks’ defense with their best before giving way to Phillip Walker and Brad Kaaya to split the second half. The Legion of Boom is no more, but Seattle is still going to be tough at home with a loud crowd expected, creating additional obstacles for Reich’s new offensive coordinator, Nick Sirianni, who has worked under Frank Reich and with the Chargers under Mike McCoy and Anthony Lynn. Reich is his mentor, so this will be the beginning of his big break.

The Seahawks have been as reliable a team worth backing this time of year as there’s been since 2012, riding Pete Carroll’s competitive streak and a homefield edge that has shown up despite the games not counting due to the atmosphere at Century Link Field. Seattle has had three perfect preseason runs in that span and will be aggressively carving out what is likely to be a new identity given the loss of leaders like Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas, who continues to hold out. Kam Chancellor is unable to perform, so defensive backs must step up and all eyes will be on rookie Shaquem Griffin and brother Shaquill, who stepped up some last year. There’s a new defensive coordinator in Ken Norton, Jr. who will look to help Carroll figure out new wrinkles. The offense will be new as well since Brian Schottenheimer and a new staff are replacing mainstays Darrell Bevell and Tom Cable. It remains to be seen if we’ll see Russell Wilson for even a series but there is a stable of talented running backs to rotate through, so look for a heavy emphasis on the ground game. Rookie Alex McGough out of Florida International (C-USA, Baby!) will likely be on the field at winning time, so keep that in mind if you’re laying the two-spot.