The NFL preseason is a bettor’s delight.
Spreads remain relatively short, starters often aren’t playing too many snaps—if any—and coaches aren’t going too deep into their playbooks. Typically, if you follow where things are headed in the lead up to the game, you should have a pretty good idea of how things are going to turn out.
That’s what we’re here to help you with as you get the weekend started.
With a five-game slate on tap Friday night, let’s dive into some notable injuries and playing-time questions as the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions get ready to play some (meaningless) football.
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Detroit Lions (-2.5) vs. Atlanta Falcons
Notable Falcons Injuries:
- Bryce Rodgers, DT, on IR (Undisclosed)
- Bryan Edwards, WR, Questionable (non-contact practice participant this week)
- Vincent Taylor, DT, on IR (Achilles)
- Deion Jones, LB, on PUP (Shoulder)
Notable Lions Injuries:
- Jameson Williams, WR, Out (Knee)
- Greg Bell, RB, on IR (Hamstring)
- Quintez Cephus, WR, Questionable (Leg)
- Romeo Okwara, LB, on PUP (Achilles)
Notable Players Expected To See Limited Snaps:
- Lions QB Jared Goff
- Falcons DT Grady Jarrett
- Falcons TE Kyle Pitts
Notable Players Expected To See Significant Snaps:
- Lions QB David Blough
- Lions QB Tim Boyle
- Lions LB Malcolm Rodriguez
- Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson
- Lions CB Jeff Okudah
- Lions WR Tom Kennedy
- Falcons QB Marcus Mariota
- Falcons QB Desmond Ridder
Betting Trends
The public absolutely LOVES the Lions tonight, according to Action Network. Here’s how it breaks down:
- 67 percent of bets on the spread have Lions (-2.5)
- 72 percent of the money wagered on the spread is on the Lions
- 80 percent of bets placed on the moneyline are backing the Lions
- 92 percent of the money placed on the moneyline is on the Lions
- 70 percent of all money wagered on the over/under is backing Over 35.5 points (68 percent of all bets on the point total)
Jacksonville Jaguars (-1.5) vs. Cleveland Browns
Notable Jaguars Injuries:
- Nathan Cottrell, RB, on IR (Undisclosed)
- Christian Kirk, WR, Questionable (Ankle)
- Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Questionable (Hamstring)
- Devin Lloyd, LB, Questionable (Undisclosed)
- James Robinson, RB, Out (Achilles)
Notable Browns Injuries:
- Silas Kelly, LB, on IR (Undisclosed)
- Jakeem Grant Sr., WR, on IR (Achilles)
- Michael Woods II, WR, Questionable (Hamstring)
Notable Players Expected To See Limited Snaps:
- Browns QB Deshaun Watson
- Browns WR Amari Cooper
- Browns RB Nick Chubb
- Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence
- Jaguars QB C.J. Bethard
- Jaguars LB Josh Allen
- Jaguars RB Travis Etienne
Notable Players Expected To See Significant Snaps:
- Browns K Cade York
- Browns CB M.J. Emerson Jr.
- Browns DE Alex Wright
- Browns CB Greg Newsome II
- Jaguars WR Laquon Treadwell
- Jaguars WR Zay Jones
- Jaguars WR Jamal Agnew
Betting Trends
The public likes the Browns, but that could change if Watson is ruled ineligible to play before kickoff. Per Action Network:
- 71 percent of all bets on the spread favor Cleveland
- 80 percent of all money wagered on the spread favors Cleveland
- 71 percent of all bets on the moneyline like Cleveland
- 57 percent of the money wagered on the moneyline is backing the Jaguars
- 54 percent of bets on the point total are on the over
- 81 percent of the money wagered on the point total is on the under
Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5) vs. Arizona Cardinals
Notable Cardinals Injuries:
- Kyler Murray, QB, OUT (COVID)
- Marquise Brown, WR, Questionable (Hamstring)
- Zach Ertz, TE, Questionable (Calf)
- Maxx Williams, TE, Questionable (Knee)
Notable Bengals Injuries:
- Joe Burrow, QB, OUT (Appendix)
- Tee Higgins, WR, OUT (Shoulder)
- Drew Sample, TE, Questionable (Knee)
Notable Players Expected To See Limited Snaps:
- Bengals S Dax Hill
- Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase
- Begnals Edge Joseph Ossai
- Cardinals RB James Conner
- Cardinals LB Zaven Collins
Notable Players Expected To See Significant Snaps:
- Cardinals QB Trace McSorley
- Cardinals QB Jarrett Guarantano
- Cardinals LB Victor Dimukeje
- Bengals QB Brandon Allen
- Bengals QB Jake Browning
Betting Trends
There’s a real divide between the spread and the moneyline in this one, per Action Network
- 80 percent of money wagered on the spread is backing Arizona with the points
- 56 percent of all bets placed on the spread are riding with the Bengals
- 69 percent of all moneyline bets and 81 percent of the money wagered there is on the Bengals
- 55 percent of all bets on the point total have the Under, along with 84 percent of the money wagered
Philadelphia Eagles (-1.5) vs. New York Jets
Notable Eagles Injuries:
- DeVonta Smith, WR, Questionable (Groin)
- Jason Kelce, C, OUT (Elbow)
- Greg Ward, WR, Questionable (Toe)
- Boston Scott, RB, Questionable (Concussion)
Notable Jets Injuries:
- Mekhi Becton, OT, OUT (Knee)
- Greg Zuerlein, K, Questionable (Toe)
- Ty Johnson, RB, Questionable (Hamstring)
Notable Players Expected To See Limited Snaps:
- Jets QB Zach Wilson
- Jets WR Corey Davis
- Jets DE Carl Lawson
- Eagles QB Jalen Hurts
- Eagles C Cam Jurgens
- Eagles DT Jordan Davis
Notable Players Expected To See Significant Snaps:
- Eagles QB Gardner Minshew II
- Eagles QB Carson Strong
- Jets CB Sauce Gardner
- Jets RB Breece Hall
- Jets WR Denzel Mims
Betting Trends
The sharps are leaning Jets pretty comfortably, per Action Network:
- 62 percent of money wagered on the spread favors New York
- 58 percent of bets on the spread are taking the Eagles
- 60 percent of bets on the moneyline are backing the Eagles
- 88 percent of money wagered on the moneyline is on the Jets
- 78 percent of money wagered on the Over/Under is on the over
- 98 percent of the bets on the Over/Under have the under.
San Francisco 49ers (-2.5) vs. Green Bay Packers
Notable 49ers Injuries:
- Jason Verrett, CB, OUT (Knee)
- Jordan Matthews, TE, on IR (Knee)
- Charvarius Ward, CB, OUT (Undisclosed)
- Arik Armstead, DE, OUT (Knee)
Notable Packers Injuries:
- Mason Crosby, K, OUT (Knee)
- Robert Tonyan, TE, OUT (Knee)
- David Bakhtiari, OT, OUT (Knee)
- Randall Cobb, WR, Questionable (Foot)
Notable Players Expected To See Limited Snaps:
- Packers WR Amari Rodgers
- Packers WR Romeo Doubs
- Packers QB Jordan Love
- 49ers QB Trey Lance
- 49ers WR Elijah Mitchell
Notable Players Expected To See Significant Snaps:
- 49ers WR Danny Gray
- 49ers WR Ray-Ray McCloud
- 49ers QB Brock Purdy
- Packers QB Danny Etling
Betting Trends
With the Niners suiting up a few more starters than Green Bay, the public is fading the Packers, per Action Network:
- 71 percent of bets on the spread have the Niners covering
- 84 percent of the money bet on the spread is on the Niners
- 73 percent of bets on the moneyline are backing San Francisco with the money split pretty evenly
- Both the bets placed and the money wagered favor Over by a pretty wide margin
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