NFL preseason odds must be handicapped in a fairly unique way due to the fact that preseason games are not generally played with a huge importance placed on winning. While such circumstances make NFL preseason betting challenging, the best handicappers can often find excellent value in the NFL odds by knowing the correct NFL preseason betting factors on which to focus. One factor that must be taken into consideration when analyzing NFL preseason odds is the coach, because it is often the coach who determines how much effort should be devoted to winning each game.
NFL odds, in fact, are far more determined by the coach than regular season odds. This NFL betting fact is actually quite logical, because in the regular season the players on the field simply do their best to win, but in the preseason the coach plays a larger role in deciding which players are on the field and for how long. For example, a coach who sees a lot of value in winning NFL preseason betting match ups to build momentum for the regular season will likely play his starting quarterback for longer than a coach who just wants to prevent an injury to his starting quarterback. This discrepancy can obviously have a huge impact on the NFL odds and even independently determine the outcome of a game. Therefore, a coach’s decision-making can be far more important to the NFL odds than even the skill of his quarterback.
Veterans of NFL betting are now familiar with the mindsets of many of the coaches in the NFL. Fortunately for those handicapping the NFL preseason odds, a coach’s decisions in the preseason are not wholly unpredictable. Different coaches approach the preseason differently, creating trends that eventually become foreseeable. For instance, some coaches only want to try out new players and protect their starters during the preseason, while other coaches want to prepare their starters for the regular season with game-type circumstances.
You can become accustomed with the different coaches’ preferences by analyzing their success against the NFL preseason odds in past seasons. You may find that some coaches consistently cover the NFL preseason odds, even as underdogs, while other coaches typically fail to cover the NFL odds, even as favorites. This detailed and useful information can prove extremely valuable as you handicap NFL odds and it can sometimes be the sole insight necessary to take advantage of the NFL preseason odds and place a winning bet.