Evaluating Preseason NFL Games

It happens every year. People risk their money on preseason game after preseason game, and they don’t understand when their supposedly iron-clad bets prove to be nothing of the kind.

In short, when it comes to the NFL preseason, your best bet is to play it safe. Why? In the preseason, inconsistency is the name of the game. And you thought teams were inconsistent during the regular season? In preseason, it’s magnified by a factor of 10. However, if you want to have a little fun with football and can’t wait till the regular season, here are some tips that should help you avoid crying in your beer before the season even begins:

•    Go Low: Remember, these games are impossible to predict, so it’s not worth risking any more than a tiny portion of your bankroll. Save your money for September.

•    Second to Last is Best: If there’s one game to bet on in the entire preseason, it’s the second game to last. That’s the game where teams generally try to bring their best lineup and play them for a reasonable length of time. It’s still impossible to tell just how much the starters will play, but you can usually bank on at least a half. Conversely, don’t waste your money on the last game of the preseason, as many of the starters won’t even see a snap in that contest.

•    Defense Over Offense: Defense trumps offense, especially in the preseason. This is because most offensive stars are not even trying to play at 100%. They’re slow to the hole and quick to forfeit a catch if it looks like they might pay a high price. Count on the starting offense to play it safe 90% of the time. The second and third string players are the ones who will be playing to their maximum capabilities.

These tips should bring you an enjoyable preseason of betting before you devote all your energy to the real thing come the second week in September.