What You Need To Know
We Understand that the NFL Preseason doesn’t get started until the Hall of Fame Game between Jacksonville and Las Vegas on August 4th but from a gambling perspective, there is an immense amount of preparation that goes into it and those preparations have already begun here at TakingVegas.com
We are going to share some insight as to why the Preseason is an extremely valuable time of the year to wager and why it should be taken very seriously. For starters, we want you to understand that numerous sportsbooks, especially in Las Vegas and online, will limit the amount of money you can bet on a Preseason Football game. Why do you think that is?
Reason To Play Preseason
If it was hard to win during the Preseason, sportsbooks would not be limiting you. They would want as much money from you as possible, but they know this is a time of the year that sharp bettors can make money, so they protect themselves.
The oddsmakers are also not good when it comes to putting point spreads on these games and if you don’t believe that statement, here are the facts.
Last Year Results
Including the Hall of Fame Game in 2021 and week 1 of the Preseason there were 17 games played. Of those 17 games, 13 games were not within 3 points of the closing point spread. We will take it a step further. 9 games were not within 7 points of the closing point spread.
In Preseason Week 2, of the 16 games played, 11 games were not within 3 points of the closing point spread and 7 games were not within 7 points of the closing point spread.
In Preseason Week 3, of the 15 games played (Arizona and New Orleans got canceled), 10 games were not within 3 points of the closing point spread and 7 games were not within 7 points of the closing point spread.
So, let’s do some simple math here. Of the 48 total Preseason Games played, 34 games were not within 3 points of the closing point spread (70.8%) and 21 games were not within a full touchdown of the closing point spread.
Final Thoughts
People who say there is no value to betting on the NFL Preseason or that they would rather wait until the Regular Season to place their bets are just not very bright. That’s saying it nicely.
The key to betting on the Preseason is studying the depth charts and understanding who will be playing and when. Depth charts prove way more valuable in the Preseason than they do during the Regular Season. Also, you must be aware of what coaches take these games seriously and which coaches couldn’t care at all. Competition among players on teams is important as well. Teams that have more competition within their lineups tend to fare better in Preseason games than the teams who have a steadier, set lineup.
We will be doing podcasts once the Preseason gets underway and in each of those podcasts, there will be free picks. But, we just wanted to jump-start you with an article trying our best to make you understand that the Preseason is a time of the gambling year that you should take very seriously.
