The NFL betting preseason kicks off on August 7th with the Hall of Fame game between the Green Bay Packers and the Indianapolis Colts, and end on September 1st. How the league’s top 5 favorite teams fare during this appetizer for the regular season can change how fans bet on football.
Odds of top 5 favorite teams to win Super Bowl 51:
• New England Patriots +695
• Seattle Seahawks +920
• Carolina Panthers +950
• Green Bay Packers +1095
• Cincinnati Bengals +1950
New England Patriots preseason match-ups:
• Vs. New Orleans Saints (week 1)
• Vs. Chicago Bears (week 2)
• At Carolina Panthers (week 3)
• At San Francisco Giants (week 4)
While Tom Brady is only suspended for the first four games of the regular safe to say, it is an absolute given that the patriots will use the preseason to test out backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
Seattle Seahawks preseason match-ups:
• At Kansas City Chiefs (week 1)
• Vs. Minnesota Twins (week 2)
• Vs. Dallas Cowboys (week 3)
• At Oakland Raiders (week 4)
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson really picked up his game in the last half of the 2015 season, throwing for 24 touchdowns and only one interception. While that pace is not quite sustainable for an entire campaign, NFL betting fans wonder whether that momentum will be carried through 2016, and that question will be at least partially answered when the Seahawks’ preseason begins in Kansas City.
Carolina Panthers preseason match-ups:
• At Baltimore Ravens (week 1)
• At Tennessee Titans (week 2)
• Vs. NE Patriots (week 3)
• Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (week 4)
The Panthers lost cornerback Josh Norman – who signed with the Washington Redskins. Could the loss of a single player turn a favorite into an underdog in the eyes of people who bet on football? That’s another question for the preseason to answer, but the Panthers have a great QB in Cam Newton, a great head coach in Ron Rivera, and already survived the loss of a key player such as wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in 2015.
Green Bay Packers preseason match-ups:
• Vs. Indianapolis Colts (Hall of Fame Game)
• Vs. Cleveland Browns (week 1)
• Vs. Oakland Raiders (week 2)
• At San Francisco 49ers (week 3)
• At Kansas City Chiefs (week 4)
QB Aaron Rodgers was not the same without his favorite target wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who tore the ACL in his right knee even before the 2015 regular season got underway. Nelson will be back this year, though; presumably starting with the Packers preseason.
Cincinnati Bengals preseason match-ups:
• Vs. Minnesota Twins (week 1)
• At Detroit Lions (week 2)
• At Jacksonville Jaguars (week 3)
• Vs. Indianapolis Colts (week 4)
The Twins, Lions, Jaguars, and Colts will find it difficult to score against the Bengals, whose defense allowed the second-fewest points-per-game last season. And with an offense led by Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, and Tyler Eifert, NFL betting fans can expect the Bengals to finally make it past the Wild Card round in next season’s playoffs.