Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Friday 8/10/18
Atlanta at N.Y. Jets (NFL Network, 7:30 p.m. ET)
The Atlanta Falcons will be searching for the final piece of the offensive line charged with protecting Matt Ryan when they open their preseason schedule.
Meanwhile, many expect the three-man quarterback competition of the New York Jets to last the entire summer. It's been reported that head coach Todd Bowles is in no hurry to make his decision on whether it will be Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater or Sam Darnold under center as the starter in the team's regular-season opener.
The coach said he has an idea of how the Jets will use their quarterbacks in the preseason opener against Atlanta on Friday, but wants to discuss it with his staff before revealing the plan. In fact, there's no guarantee that McCown will even play against the Falcons.
Falcons
Head Coach: Dan Quinn
Quarterback Rotation: Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Garrett Grayson, Kurt Benkert (Rookie – Virginia)
Jets
Head Coach: Todd Bowles
Quarterback Rotation: Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold (Rookie - USC)
Preseason Coaching Stats
Dan Quinn, Atlanta: 5-7 SU, 4-8 ATS, 5-7 O/U
Todd Bowles, New York: 6-6 SU, 7-5 ATS, 4-8 O/U
For updated injury reports on the Falcons, we suggest following D. Orlando Ledbetter and Vaughn McClure via Twitter.
For updated injury reports on the Jets, we suggest following Rich Cimini and Manish Mehta via Twitter.
Preseason Results - Last Two Years
Atlanta
2017 (0-4 SU, 0-4 ATS, 1-3 O/U)
Atlanta (-1, 36) 20 at Miami 23
Atlanta (+3, 39) 13 at Pittsburgh 17
Atlanta (-3.5, 42.5) 14 vs. Arizona 24
Atlanta (-3, 37) 7 vs. Jacksonville 13
2016 (3-1 SU, 2-2 ATS, 1-3 O/U)
Atlanta (-3, 37) 23 vs. Washingtonm 17
Atlanta (-1, 38.5) 24 at Cleveland 13
Atlanta (PK, 41.5) 6 at Miami 17
Atlanta (-3.5, 37.5) 17 vs. Jacksonville 15
New York Jets
2017 (2-2 SU, 3-1 ATS, 1-3 O/U)
New York (+2.5, 37) 7 vs. Tennessee 3
New York (-4.5, 37) 6 at Detroit 16
New York (+4.5, 36) 31 at N.Y. Giants 32
New York (-1.5, 36) 16 vs. Philadelphia 10
2016 (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS, 1-3 O/U)
New York (-3, 36.5) 17 vs. Jacksonville 13
New York (-3, 38.5) 18 at Washington 22
New York (PK, 42.5) 20 vs. N.Y. Giants 21
New York (-3.5, 37) 6 at Philadelphia 14
Detroit at Oakland (NFL Network, 10:30 p.m. ET)
The Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions have practiced together a couple times this week before for their preseason opener Friday at the Oakland Coliseum. The practice was conducted in a controlled environment after Raiders coach Jon Gruden met with first-year Detroit coach Matt Patricia in the offseason.
Patricia declined to say how much quarterback Matthew Stafford and the rest of the Lions starters will play on Friday. Although he won't be on the field very long, Stafford is relishing playing in a game after mostly practicing against Detroit's defense before the two workouts with Oakland.
Gruden will be making his return to the Coliseum sidelines for the first time in 17 years. He's produced solid numbers in the preseason during his previous stops in Oakland and Tampa Bay. Quarterback Derek Carr and the rest of Oakland's starters will only play a series or two, with the majority of playing time being doled out to the rookies and fringe players on the roster according to reports.
Lions
Head Coach: Matt Patricia
Quarterback Rotation: Matthew Stafford, Matt Cassel, Jake Rudock
Raiders
Head Coach: John Gruden
Quarterback Rotation: Derek Carr, EJ Manuel, Connor Cook
Preseason Coaching Stats
Matt Patricia, Detroit: First Year
John Gruden, Oakland: 30-16 SU, 25-19-2 ATS, 22-24 O/U
For updated injury reports on the Lions, we suggest following Dave Birkett and Justin Rogers via Twitter.
For updated injury reports on the Raiders, we suggest following Vic Tafur and Jerry McDonald via Twitter.
Preseason Results - Last Two Years
Detroit
2017 (2-2 SU, 3-1 ATS, 2-2 O/U)
Detroit (PK, 35.5) 24 at Indianapolis 10
Detroit (-4.5, 37) 16 vs. N.Y. Jets 6
Detroit (+3.5, 43.5) 28 vs. New England 30
Detroit (+3.5, 35.5) 17 at Buffalo 27
2016 (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS, 2-2 O/U)
Detroit (-3, 35.5) 30 at Pittsburgh 17
Detroit (PK, 41.5) 14 vs. Cincinnati 30
Detroit (-2.5, 42.5) 9 at Baltimore 30
Detroit (-3, 37.5) 31 vs. Buffalo 0
Oakland
2017 (0-4 SU, 0-4 ATS, 2-2 O/U)
Oakland (-3.5, 40) 10 at Arizona 20
Oakland (-3, 41.5) 21 vs. L.A. Rams 24
Oakland (-3, 42) 20 at Dallas 24
Oakland (+2.5, 41) 13 vs. Seattle 17
2016 (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS, 3-1 O/U)
Oakland (-2.5, 37.5) 31 at Arizona 10
Oakland (-3, 42.5) 12 at Green Bay 20
Oakland (-3, 40.5) 14 vs. Tennessee 27
Oakland (-1.5, 38) 21 vs. Seattle 23
Falcons vs. Jets Preview and Predictions in NFL
The Atlanta Falcons had a psychological barrier to overcome last season. They had blown a huge lead in the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots, and lost their offensive coordinator to boot. We can't sit here and tell you that they were able to reach the same level of achievement in the 2017 campaign, but they did manage to get to the playoffs and win a road game in Los Angeles, before running out of luck against the eventual champion Eagles.
Although they didn't get close to a playoff spot, the New York Jets overachieved last year, if you really wanted to put things into perspective. They had gotten rid of some of their veteran talent and were looking at a season with a journeyman quarterback. There were actually members of the New York press who wondered if they would win a game. Well, they did a lot better than that, winning five games and being eligible in several others. The quarterback situation was still something that had to be addressed, and they did that in the draft and with a free agent signing, not to mention holding onto that journeyman signal-caller who had a surprisingly good season.
These teams will get together for the pre-season opener on Friday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
TV: 7:30 PM ET, NFL Network. LINE: Jets -2.5. O/U: 34.5
ABOUT THE FALCONS: Interestingly enough, this is a team that scored 540 points in its Super Bowl season, and saw that figure dip all the way down to 353 last year. If you listen to some critics, they'll say it had an awful lot to do with Steve Sarkisian taking the offensive coordinator position from Kyle Shanahan, who became the head coach in San Francisco. Matt Ryan did not have the same kind of season, as he had just 20 touchdown passes and twelve interceptions. They lost wide receivers Andre Roberts and Taylor Gabriel but did spend a first-round draft pick on Calvin Ridley, in their continuing quest to find a worthy complement to Julio Jones. The backup quarterbacks, who will play a prominent role here, are veteran Matt Schaub (who was once the MVP of the Pro Bowl), Garrett Grayson and Kurt Benkert, the latter an undrafted free agent out of Virginia who may get a lot of second-half playing time. Head coach Dan Quinn takes great pride in the progress his defense has made, and he'll be looking to get something out of rookie Deadrin Senat, a third-round pick out of South Florida, as he tries to replace departed defensive tackle Dontari Poe. Linebacker Foye Oluokun, a sixth-round pick out of Yale, is also getting a long look playing at all the LB positions. The Falcons (10-6 SU, 7-9 ATS last year) are +150 to win the very competitive NFC South and priced at +1350 to win the Super Bowl.
ABOUT THE JETS: The guy who is under the microscope is, of course, Sam Darnold, who was taken with the third pick in the draft. His time in camp has been limited, however, as he was late on coming together with management on his rookie contract. Josh McCown is the guy who is #1 on the depth chart, after 67% and a ratio of 18 TD's to just nine interceptions, but another guy drawing interest is Teddy Bridgewater, who has missed the better part of the last two seasons with a knee injury. Don't forget that he was a Pro Bowl QB for Minnesota prior to getting hurt. He feels as if he can compete for the starting spot. The secondary allowed just 59% completions to opposition quarterbacks, and safety Jamal Adams is a coming star. Trumaine Johnson is the new vet, having signed a big free agent contract in the off-season. The Jets' third-round draft pick, Nathan Shepherd, a defensive lineman who played Division II ball at Fort Hays State, is the only rookie who is #1 on the depth chart. Within a period of three days, linebacker Dylan Donahue, a fifth-round pick last season, has entered two guilty pleas to DUI charges, one of which took place in Montana and the other in the Lincoln Tunnel, and he is no doubt going to be suspended by the NFL. To what degree, we are not certain yet. The Jets (5-11 SU, 8-6-2 ATS in 2017) are the longshot in the AFC East, priced at +1150 to win the division. And they are 125-1to win Super Bowl 53.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Matt Bryant, all of 43 years of age, will not play for the Falcons, so David Marvin, who was with national runner-up Georgia last season, will get a chance to handle the kicking duties.
2. Andre Roberts, who caught one pass for the Falcons last year, has moved to the Jets as a free agent, and it looks as if he will handle punt and/or kick return duties, as he did with Atlanta.
3. Atlanta's Dan Quinn has not been a winner in the pre-season as an NFL head coach, with a 5-7 straight-up and 4-8 ATS record. New York's Todd Bowles has been a little better, with 6-6 SU and 8-4 ATS marks.
PREDICTION: Jets 21, Falcons 13
__________________
Lions vs. Raiders Preview and Predictions in NFL
Both the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders made coaching changes, but only the Silver and Black produced a genuine blast from the past. Can either of these teams who aren't all that far away, take the steps that are needed to make their way back to the playoffs? That is the question as they get together on Thursday night.
Matt Patricia, who had been the New England Patriots' defensive coordinator for the last six seasons, was hired by the Lions, as management was not altogether confident going forward any longer with Jim Caldwell. Of course, the defense in the Motor City needs work, but one of Patricia's principal orders of business will be to re-establish the running game, which had disappeared.
The biggest news in the Bay Area was the return of Jon Gruden to coach the Raiders, who are planning the 2020 move to Las Vegas. Gruden has stayed close to the game as a commentator for ESPN, but there is little doubt that he will be experiencing a few speed bumps as he brings himself back into a business that has changed since he last prowled the sidelines for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The rumor was that Gruden was set to come back to the Bucs, but Oakland owner Mark Davis (son of Al) came with a lucrative ten-year offer.
So Gruden is at it again, and in front of Raider Nation in the pre-season opener at the Coliseum.
TV: 10:30 PM ET, NFL Network. LINE: Raiders -3. O/U: 36
ABOUT THE LIONS: Detroit (9-7 straight-up, 8-7-1 against the spread last year) proved it was serious about the ground attack in the off-season by signing LeGarrette Blount, a guy with plenty of playoff experience, as a free agent and drafting Auburn's Kerryon Johnson in the second round. They are also doing a great deal of re-tooling along the offensive line, with rookie first-round pick Frank Ragnow the likely starter at left guard. The idea with all of this is that they can take the pressure off quarterback Matthew Stafford if they can run the ball with some authority. Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, who was kept on the staff by Patricia and has a great rapport with Stafford, talked a lot about the run game a year ago, so now we'll see if this finally happens. Darius Slay is the firmly entrenched starter at one corner position, but Patricia feels as if he will let individual situations dictate who is used at the other corner spot at any given time. And as a result, the team may wind up keeping more defensive backs than usual. Ezekiel Ansah. the team's best pass rusher, who had knee surgery in the off-season, started camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list but has now been activated and will travel with the team to Oakland. The Lions are currently priced at +500 to win the NFC North and +3500 to capture the Super Bowl title.
ABOUT THE RAIDERS: Oakland made the playoffs two years ago but limped into the post-season when Derek Carr got hurt, and they went quietly against Houston. Last season they were 6-10 straight-up and 4-9-3 ATS. Carr is a priority for Gruden, a former college quarterback who has his own particular motivational methods. You're going to see some new receivers this season; Martavis Bryant (who calls Gruden a "mastermind") has moved over from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Jordy Nelson, who had thrived for years in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers, will essentially fill the void left by Michael Crabtree's departure. If you were following that story, you know that Rodgers was not at all happy to see Nelson go. So Amari Cooper may have better people to compliment him in this West Coast-style attack. Giorgio Tavecchio, who made 76% of his field goal attempts last season, was cut, and rookie Eddy Pineiro, who was not drafted, is considered the favorite to win the job. Marshawn Lynch has caught the favor of Gruden very early. “I love him. I love being around him,” the head coach says about the veteran back who came out of retirement last season and ran for 3.7 yards per carry. Connor Cook, who started the Raiders' playoff game a couple of years ago, and former Buffalo first-rounder EJ Manuel are the other quarterbacks listed on the depth chart. Oakland is priced at +250 to win the AFC West title, and +2800 to win Super Bowl 53.
EXTRA POINTS
1. When Jon Gruden was previously a head coach, he was a 65% (30-16) straight-up proposition in the pre-season.
2. Matt Cassel, who has 81 career starts under his belt and has been with seven different teams, is one of the quarterbacks who will see action for Detroit. His relationship with Patricia goes back to their days with the New England Patriots (2005-08).
3. The Raiders have allowed fewer sacks over the last two seasons than any other team in the NFL (42). Over that period, the Lions have yielded twice as many (84).
PREDICTION: Raiders 21, Lions 14
__________________