Rating: 4 Unit NFLX Play of the Week

The Pats own a 9-2 SU and 8-3 ATS mark in this preseason series. In addition, Belichick is 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS at home during the preseason when coming off a home game. In addition defending Super Bowl champions are 7-19 SU and 8-16-2 ATS in their first preseason road game since 1991, including 0-6 SUATS when facing an opponent playing in its second preseason home game.

Rating: 2 Units

The Broncos are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 Saturday games. While the Underdog is 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings between these two teams.

Rating: 2 Units

  Dallas was favored in each of its preseason games last season, while the Niners stand 1-4 SUATS in home openers the past five NFLX seasons. It also goes hand in hand with Frisco’s icy 1-4 SUATS mark in preseason openers the last five years. What’s more important, though, is the fact that NFL teams that failed to make the playoffs the previous season despite finishing the year 6-2 or better are a dismal 2-14 ATS as favorites in preseason openers.

Rating: 2 Units

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll continues to lay the groundwork for success by making the preseason his top priority. He’s learned that winning starts here and it’s evident given his 34-14-1 ATS career mark in NFLX games with Seattle. In addition, Carroll has also hosted teams currently residing in the AFC South on eight different occasions during his NFL career, winning all eight games by an average win margin of more than 13 PPG. If you're still not convinced consider that Carroll is 20-5 ATS against AFC opponents during the preseason.

Rating: 2 Units

No team had a more glaring weakness in one unit than the Vikings did at offensive line last season. Free agent OTs Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers are huge upgrades. QB Sam Bradford is an accurate-but-conservative passer, and while his WR group is weak, maybe improved blocking will allow him to make more big plays. Rookie RB Dalvin Cook is a special talent who should be the focal point of the offense before long. DEs Danielle Hunter, Everson Griffen and Brian Robison combined for 28 sacks last season on the league's 3rd ranked defense, while DTs Linval Joseph and Shariff Floyd are space-eaters in the run game. In the secondary, S Harrison Smith and CB Xavier Rhodes are among the top performers at their positions, the latter allowing a league-best 42% completion percentage and 39.2 QB Rating on passes thrown his way last year.

Rating: 2 Units

Head coach Jay Gruden gets the most out of his offense, leaving the franchise to wonder if QB Kirk Cousins is the long-term starter or just a guy who benefits from fantastic play-designs. Jordan Reed is the best TE in the NFC and a matchup nightmare, and the rebuilt WR group of Terrelle Pryor, Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson is promising. RBs Rob Kelley and rookie Samaje Perine will battle for touches in Washington's effective run game. After two-straight seasons as a bottom-five defense, new coordinator Greg Manusky is installing an aggressive, physical scheme. OLB Ryan Kerrigan is the top pass-rusher, but his counterpart Trent Murphy will miss four games with a PED suspension. The defensive line may consist entirely of new starters, including first-round draft pick DE Jonathan Allen, and the secondary needs to improve after adding former Cardinals S D.J. Swearinger.

Rating: 2 Units

Chicago's offense will center around RB Jordan Howard, who ran for 961 yards in his last nine games as a rookie. But opponents will stack the box against one of the league's weakest passing games. QB Mike Glennon was brought in to keep the seat warm for No. 2 overall draft pick Mitchell Trubisky, and after losing WR Alshon Jeffery in free agency, Chicago is hoping 2015 first-round draft pick WR Kevin White is finally ready to contribute. Coordinator Vic Fangio has the pieces in place to make Chicago's defense a strength. Veteran LBs Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman anchor a solid front seven that has depth and talent on the edge. 2016 first-round pick Leonard Floyd showed flashes of pass-rushing dominance as a rookie, and free agent signing CB Prince Amukamara reinforces a secondary that was inconsistent and riddled by injuries last season.

Rating: 2 Units

NFL teams that have just enjoyed winning back-to-back home games (Cleveland) during the preseason are a solid 60-33-2 ATS (13-5 last two seasons) when taking to the road in the preseason since 1983. Better yet, have these teams come into this game as dogs and they are a whopping 22-5-1 ATS!

Rating: 2 Units

Baltimore was the league's most pass-heavy team last season, and has indicated they'd like to run more often. The problem is that their options at RB are Terrance West and Buck Allen, with pass-catcher Danny Woodhead bound to see plenty of playing time. West did, however, run well last season, as he rushed for a career-high 774 yards. Off an up-and-down season, QB Joe Flacco needs third-year WR Breshad Perriman and newly-acquired, oft-injured WR Jeremy Maclin to become serious threats. Baltimore's defense boasted the league's second-best third-down conversion rate last season, and made significant upgrades to their secondary with the signings of S Tony Jefferson and CB Brandon Carr, along with first-round draft pick CB Marlon Humphrey. DT Brandon Williams is an elite run-stuffer, LB C.J. Mosley is as good in coverage as any linebacker and edge-rusher Terrell Suggs still has some gas left in the tank.

Rating: 2 Units

It’s dress rehearsal week in the NFL and with it we turn to coaches that have shown a strong desire to make a determined effort to win games while utilizing veteran starters during this week. We need look no further than to Pete Carroll, who tackles the preseason like the regular season year in and year out. Enter the perfect fodder, the Chiefs. Kansas City is 5-14 SU and 7-12 ATS in dress rehearsals since 1998, including 1-6 SUATS the last seven against NFC opponents. KC is also 0-3 SUATS away in the preseason against .500 or greater opponents following an away game. Seattle coach Carroll is 8-3 SUATS during Week Three of the preseason in his NFL career, including 8-0 SU and 7-1 ATS as a favorite and 3-0 SUATS at home – with every win by double-digits.

Rating: 2 Units

The genius of head coach Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady is their ability to change the game plan week-to-week, anticipating their opponents' approach and praying upon their weaknesses. The rich got richer this offseason, as the defending champions added weapons in WR Brandin Cooks, RBs Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead and TE Dwayne Allen. On top of that, TE Rob Gronkowski, arguably the best ever at his position, enters the year fully healthy. Devoid of stars, New England's bend-don't-break defense allowed the fewest points in the NFL last season. They win with scheme as opposed to individual talent. CB Stephon Gilmore joins a solid secondary that rarely gives up big plays, and DE Kony Ealy will inject some life into the pass rush. LB Dont'a Hightower is an old-fashioned bruiser in the middle of the defense, while DT Alan Branch is unmovable against the run.

Rating: 2 Units

Carolina moved away from the power running game that was so effective in 2015, using more three-wide formations and running QB Cam Newton far less often. The offense struggled: Newton regressed as a passer (his 52.9% completion percentage was a career-worst) while receivers rarely created separation. First-round draft pick RB Christian McCaffrey is effective as a power runner and a slot receiver, and second-rounder WR Curtis Samuel is also a moveable chess piece with run-after-catch ability. New coordinator Steve Wilks, a Carolina assistant since 2012, won't be changing a thing about the Panthers' 4-3 scheme. LBs Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and Shaq Thompson are the most athletic and effective linebacking corps in the league, though Davis is bound to slow down at age 34. The defensive line was too inconsistent last year, and the Panthers' inexperienced secondary was asked to cover for too long on too many plays.

Rating: 2 Units

Philly home games have gone 14-6 O/U over the last nine seasons. That’s a strong percentage of 70%. But the Eagles are not just a strong OVER team at home. They’re a strong OVER team PERIOD. In fact, since the 2007 season, the Eagles have gone 29-11-1 O/U in ALL of their preseason games. It doesn’t matter whether they’re at home (14-6 O/U) OR on the road (15-5-1 O/U).

Rating: 2 Units

The running game for the Giants is an afterthought, with a middling offensive line working in front of 2016 fifth-rounder RB Paul Perkins. Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's D held opponents to 15 points per game in the second half of last season. S Landon Collins is a playmaker whose coverage deficiencies are masked by the excellent CB combo of Janoris Jenkins and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. DT Damon "Snacks" Harrison is a run-stuffer while DE Olivier Vernon sets the edge on running plays as well as anyone, though he and DE Jason Pierre-Paul have little help on the pass-rush.  Cleveland's defense has been stockpiling young talent. No. 1 overall draft pick Myles Garrett joins edge-rushers Emmanuel Ogbah and Carl Nassib, who both showed promise as rookies last year. The Browns locked up productive LBs Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey long-term, CB Joe Haden is still one of the league's better coverage men and hybrid rookie Jabrill Peppers is likely to play all over the formation.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 units

Rating: 2 Units

Houston head coach Bill O’Brien, a former New England assistant, and his Texans will remember the 34-16 playoff pounding they incurred against the Patriots last season. In addition, these same two squads will meet in Week Three in Foxborough during the 2017 regular season. With that, you can rest assured Bill Belichick will not show much in this contest, offering O’Brien zilch.  Preseason home teams that won 4 or more preseason games last season are 12-0 SU and 11-1 ATS the last five years.

Rating: 2 Units

I realize that the Chiefs have knocked the Bengals off five straight times in these not-ready-for-prime time games. And yes, Andy Reid is a road warrior, albeit just 13-23 SU away during the preseason. The Bengals counter, though, with a sparkling 8-3 SUATS record at home in preseason games against AFC opposition. It ties in with Marvin Lewis’ stellar 17-11 SU and 16-12 ATS mark as a host in preseason contests. It compares favorably to the Chiefs’ 1-12-1 SU and 0-14 ATS log in Game Two during the preseason.

Rating: 2 Units

New head coach Anthony Lynn implemented a creative and effective running game in Buffalo, and now has RB Melvin Gordon at his disposal. A subpar O-line was reinforced by rookies Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney and free agent OT Russell Okung. QB Philip Rivers is the maestro of the offense, and the healthy return of No. 1 WR Keenan Allen will benefit him greatly. The TE duo of Hunter Henry and Antonio Gates gives Rivers plenty of options. DE Joey Bosa played like a superstar as a rookie last season, and is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Edge-rusher Melvin Ingram is also a potent blitzer, and the young LB tandem of Jatavis Brown and Denzel Perryman is promising. CBs Casey Hayward and Jason Verrett have a chance to be among the NFL's best cornerback duos if Verrett gets back to full speed after tearing his ACL last October.

Rating: 2 Units

Andrew Luck has the tools to be an MVP, but still holds on to the ball too long and doesn't have a great supporting cast. WR T.Y. Hilton has become a more complete player and is a lethal deep threat, while WRs Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett have work to do. 34-year-old RB Frank Gore is almost running on empty, but Indy is devoid of better options in the backfield. The young offensive line needs to take a step forward this year. Matthew Stafford was playing at an MVP level before injuring his throwing hand in Week 14, leading Detroit to a record eight comeback victories.

Rating: 2 Units

Three years removed from his last productive season, RB Marshawn Lynch is an enigma, though he'll be running behind a stellar O-line. Defensive Player of the Year DE Khalil Mack is not only a lethal pass-rusher, but also an exceptional run-defender. He and OLB Bruce Irvin combined for 18 sacks and 11 forced fumbles last season, but Oakland got very little production from the rest of the front seven. The young secondary was problematic last season, though 2016 first-rounder S Karl Joseph showed promise and first-round draft pick CB Gareon Conley should contribute right away.  This could end up being QB Carson Palmer's final chance to reach his first Super Bowl, as he'll be 38 by the time the season ends. The focal point of the offense will again be RB David Johnson, who led the NFL with 20 touchdowns and 2,118 yards from scrimmage in 2016. WR Larry Fitzgerald led the NFL in receptions as a 33-year-old last season, but he's now far more of a possession receiver than the big-play threat he was earlier in his career.

Rating: 2 Units

LA QB Goff has little talent to worth with, however, as WR Robert Woods might be his No. 1 target. RB Todd Gurley was a huge disappointment last season, but should benefit from improved O-line play. New coordinator Wade Phillips, one of the all-time greats in that role, has a talented front seven to work with. All-Pro DL Aaron Donald is an aggressive gameplan-wrecker, and Robert Quinn is as quick as any edge-rusher. LB Alec Ogletree and hybrid DB/LB Mark Barron both cover a ton of ground, but need work on diagnosing and reacting to plays. The secondary is full of question marks beyond CB Trumaine Johnson. The clinchers:  Rams are 0-4-1 ATS Game One of the preseason and 2-7 SUATS vs NFC North

Rating: 2 Units

Head coach Mike Mularkey's smash-mouth running game worked wonders last season, thanks to the excellent blocking of OTs Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin. RBs DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry will continue to grind behind a solid, young O-line. QB Marcus Mariota's quick release, accuracy and improving field-reading skills are promising, and Tennessee figures to limit his running after both of his pro seasons ended with leg injuries. Coordinator Dick LeBeau worked his magic in his first year with Tennessee, and the Titans were the 2nd-ranked run defense in 2016. Massive-but-quick DT Jurrell Casey is a playmaker up front, while the OLB combo of Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan combined for 19.5 sacks. The secondary was a major weakness last season, so the Titans drafted CB Adoree' Jackson in the first round after signing CB Logan Ryan and S Johnathan Cyprien. Whether you call it "rebuilding" or "tanking," the Jets are not setup to succeed on offense this year. QB Josh McCown is a placeholder with an injury history, and QBs Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg are far from ready to contribute. The receiving group is a who's-who of players better suited for punt-gunner duties.  Tennessee is 5-1 SUATS Saturdays during the preseason

Rating: 2 Units

The Bucs are 5-0 SU and 4-0-1 ATS in preseason in this series while the Bengals are 3-11 SUATS in the preseason vs the NFC South, including 1-5 SUATS at home.  To finish it off the Bucs are a stellar 11-4 SU and 12-3 ATS in their last 15 preseason away games against AFC opponents.

Rating: 2 Units

Mike Tomlin approached the preseason opening his career 19-6 SU and 14-10-1 ATS the first five seasons. Since then he seems to have lost interest as evident by his 6-15 SU and 4-16-1 ATS mark in NFLX games since 2012,  Compounding the issue is the fact the Steelers beat Big Blue by 10 points during the regular season last year. The Steelers’ 0-6 SU and 0-5-1 ATS log in preseason openers of late cements it.

Rating: 2 Units

Following a 4-0 SUATS preseason, Philadelphia opened the 2016 campaign on a 3-0 SUATS win skein when the bye week arrived. It all went south thereafter when the Eagles dropped 9 of their next 10 games – including a 14-point home loss to the Packers – before closing out with a pair of season-ending wins and covers. Tonight the Eagles take on an opponent they are 3-0 SUATS against in exhibition games, and a foe in Green Bay that is 1-3 SUATS as a home favorite in season openers. In addition, Philadelphia is 4-1 SUATS in preseason road openers the last five years.

Rating:  2 Units

Houston's roster may be just a QB away from title contention. Rookie QB Deshaun Watson will be the starter before long, but is severely lacking experience in a pro-style offense. Stud WR DeAndre Hopkins never built a rapport with Brock Osweiler last season, and second-year WRs Will Fuller and Braxton Miller should have increased roles in 2017. RB Lamar Miller would benefit from a quality passing game to keep defenses honest. The world received further proof of how astoundingly overrated DL J.J. Watt is, as the Texans gave up the fewest yards in the NFL despite Watt having been limited to one solo tackle over three September games before being placed on injured reserve. Their defensive front is stocked with pass-rushing talent, DE Jadeveon Clowney and LB Whitney Mercilus among them, and opponents have not yet found a solution to their blitzing schemes.

Rating: 3 Unit NFLX Play of the Day

Los Angeles is coming off winning back-to-back home games during this preseason. One might think these teams are primed for a letdown. However, one of my favorite football analysts, Lee Corso, would say, “Not so fast, my friend!” That’s because teams in this role are a solid 50-28-2 ATS (3-0 last season) when taking to the road off a pair of home victories in the preseason since 1983.   If these same teams go as dogs and they respond huge, going 20-5-1 ATS.

Rating: 3 Unit NFLX Play of the Day

Green Bay is coming off winning back-to-back home games during this preseason. One might think these teams are primed for a letdown. However, one of my favorite football analysts, Lee Corso, would say, “Not so fast, my friend!” That’s because teams in this role are a solid 50-28-2 ATS (3-0 last season) when taking to the road off a pair of home victories in the preseason since 1983.   If these same teams go as dogs and they respond huge, going 20-5-1 ATS.

Rating: 2 Units

Lots to like in this Week Three matchup, starting with the Bills’ 3-0 SUATS initial road game record the past three preseasons. On the other side of the coin, Washington has struggled in preseason games when favored versus AFC East opponents (6-10 ATS). In addition, a rare third straight home game is likely to result in too much home cookin’ for the Skins. The fact that Buffolo took it on the chin in a 10-point defeat as road favorite during the regular season last year – a loss that denied them a winning season – puts it all in a clearer perspective. And with that, we dare you to be a square tonight.

Rating: 4 Unit NFLX Game of the Week

Bill Belichick to go full bore tonight in his quest to find the lineup he’ll need to open the season without QB Tom Brady. New England brings a 4-0 SUATS mark this year into preseason skirmishes against NFC South competition. And thanks to the schedule maker, Bill Belichick’s team owns a distinct 2-day rest advantage over the Panthers this evening. Given Carolina’s struggles in this series (1-6 SU and 0-6-1 ATS in preseason contests), and Bilichick's 5-0 SUATS log on Fridays in exhibition games the last four years, I cement my contentions with THE CLINCHER: Carolina is 0-8 ATS in preseason home openers versus AFC opponents.

Rating: 2 Units

I am working a pretty simple angle on this one, specifically back any team looking to avenge both a regular season and a preseason loss to today’s preseason opponent. This Texan team that leveled the Saints on both such occasions last season. A 14-point loss in New Orleans paved the way to a winless preseason last year, while an 18-point hammer-job in Houston denied the Crescent City boys a winning season in 2015. The Saints’ 6-1 ATS all-time record in their last seven away preseason games at AFC South sites fits tonight's game next to the host team’s 2-5 SUATS mark in this series.

Rating: 2 Units

Manning will likely see his first action of the pre-season against what is normally an overaggressive Ryan defense in August. Protecting the franchise QB against over-aggressive rough-and-tumble opposing defense on the road is why the Colts sat Andrew Luck at Buffalo in Week 1. Very, very predictably, the Giants’ first-string defense put a strong pass rush on Miami’s first-string offense last week. But Miami has straight, drop-back quarterbacks. The Bills’ Tyrod Taylor and E.J. Manuel can move around and mess up that pass rush. The Bills used a pass-heavy, 28-42 Run-Pass split in the pre-season opener, something they wouldn’t do in a regular season game unless they trailed by two scores. Meanwhile, the Giants’ back-up offensive line was lousy in pass protection vs. the Dolphins and figures to be worse here against a 3-4 front that will blitz from anywhere

Rating: 4 Unit NFLX Game of the Week

Pete Carroll has been been nothing special in home openers against NFC opposition, where they are 1-3 SUATS in his career. Worse, Carroll remains winless in preseason contests against Minnesota (0-3 SUATS). Another clincher, though, is the Vikings’ DOUBLE REVENGE aspect they take into this affair as Seattle not only handed them their worst loss of the season last year in a 38-7 win at Minnesota the first week in December but also ended their campaign with a 10-9 win in the Twin Cities in the opening round of the playoffs as well. With revenge the Vikes enter with a sterling 8-2 SU and 7-2-1 ATS mark in Game Two’s of the preseason. The Vikings are also 8-1 SU and 7-2 ATS in preseason play under head coach Mike Zimmer, including a pristine 3-0 SUATS with revenge.

Rating: 2 Units

The Houston Texans are opening this season as the defending AFC South champions, but they will also be looking to make amends for a Wild Card Game horror show that they would sooner forget. They were shelled by the Kansas City Chiefs in that one, and much of the blame was pointed in the direction of the QB position, which has been a problem for the Texans for a few years now. That may explain why they spent a small fortune in acquiring Brock Osweiler from the Denver Broncos. We are going to have to wait a little longer to see what sort of impact he can make, but top to bottom, this looks like a very good team. It's almost impossible to pick out mismatches in preseason, but this seems to strike me as one. The Texans have only played in San Francisco twice in their team history, and ended up losing both times. Those were games against very different 49ers teams. I think Houston easily covers as a 3-point dog.

Rating: 2 Units

The distinction of being the absolute worst head coach to have bet on in NFL pre-season action – among head coaches currently employed as such -- belongs to Jason Garrett of the Cowboys. Under his leadership, Dallas is 6-14 ATS in pre-season action. With #1 QB Tony Romo coming off an injury season with surgery, and back-up QB Kellen Moore having gone down with a season-ending ankle injury already, Dallas’ negative trend in these August games would seem to have a fine chance to continue

Rating: 2 Units

Seatle coach, Pete Carroll, comes in at 27-13-1 ATS in his NFL career during the preseason. In addition, Carroll is 12-6 SU and 14-4 ATS versus AFC West division teams. On the flip side, Carroll’s counterpart, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid, is a slow starter going 4-10-3 ATS in preseason openers.  THE CLINCHER: Seattle is 22-4 ATS in preseason games versus AFC West opponents.

Rating: 2 Units

Miami struggled on both sides of the ball last year ranking 26th in total offense and 25th in total defense. Starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill returns for his fifth season with the team. He has been a reliable quarterback starting in all games in his four seasons in the NFL. The Dolphins have an experience backup in Matt Moore entering his ninth season. He has been with the Dolphins since the 2011 campaign. In Moore’s NFL career he has started a total of 24 games. He has thrown just 30 passes the past four years with Miami. Zac Dysert a MAC conference product out of Miami Ohio has spent four years in the NFL as a backup and has never played a regular season game. Brandon Doughty is a rookie out of Western Kentucky who could see some playing time. This will be the first game for head coach Ben McAdoo who was the team’s offensive coordinator the past few seasons. He inherits the 32nd and last rated defense in the NFL last season. Eli Manning returns under center for the Giants and will see a series or two. Ryan Nassib is the backup who enters his fourth year with the team. Logan Thomas is in camp for New York. Thomas has spent three years in the NFL as a backup. Expect the Giants to come out with more intensity in an effort to impress their new coach.

Rating: 2 Units

Last year the Broncos wer 3-1 in the pre-season (but with the motivation of opening with Seattle, who’d beaten them a few times in a row, including the Super Bowl, then the team that fired Kubiak, Houston, for a 2-0 SU and ATS start). They also had two quarterbacks who’d been with the team for a few years. Now they have two new guys at the #1 and #2 spots – one of them a rookie -- learning Kubiak’s offensive system as well as getting familiar with their new teammates. Teams head-coached by Mr. Fox, now of Chicago – including this Denver franchise, of course – are 10-4 SU in Week 1 pre-season action, including a year ago, when the Bears came out in their first game under Fox’s direction and waxed Miami 27-10 at Soldier Field, scoring 24 of their 27 points in the second half with Jimmy Clausen quarterbacking. The Bears’ defense got 3 INTs against Miami’s back-up quarterbacks.

Rating: 2 Units

Baltimore rookies reported a week earlier than the Carolina rookies, and coach John Harbaugh has led his Ravens to victory in seven of his eight Week 1 pre-season games. The Ravens are off a disappointing season; the Panthers are off a Super Bowl appearance, after which, in May, they signed head coach Ron Rivera and all his assistants to contract extensions. No real urgency for Carolina to perform for the scoreboard here. The Panthers’ highly publicized cornerback openings will be fought for by rookies. If the Ravens need to work on anything, it’s their passing game after all of last season’s injury interruptions and uncertainty in the transition to then-first season offensive coordinator Marc Trestman.

Rating: 2 Units

Niners rookie coach Jim Tomsula will be anxious to see exactly what he has in this dress rehearsal while Denver figures to keep a creaky Peyton Manning under wraps as much as possible this late in the preseason. San Francisco is 5-0 SUATS in final preseason away games while Denver is a lousy 1-5 ATS in preseason home openers off a pair of road games.  Denver is also 1-8 ATS in preseason Game Three’s. In addition, the underdog is 5-2 SU and 7-0 ATS the last seven preseason games in this series.

Rating: 2 Units

Eagles Chip Kelly’s August machine has rolled to 36-10 and 40-17 victories over Indianapolis and Baltimore. Those were home, this is their first road game, and the Packers are playing their 2015 home opener off a loss. But Philly’s most embarrassing defeat in the 2014 regular season was a 53-20 loss on this field, so this could be one exhibition spot where, revenge, could actually be in play. Plus Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Pro Bowl receiver, got hurt in last week’s loss at Pittsburgh.

Rating: 2 Units

Vikings’ head coach Mike Zimmer is the new “Mr. August,” unbeaten in pre-season action since taking over as Vikings’ head coach last season. Dallas backers in the team’s first home game of 2015 would be going against the Vikings’ 7-0 SU, 6-1 ATS record under Zimmer. The Vikings’ defense has allowed a mere 0 second-half points vs. Pittsburgh, 7 second-half points vs. Tampa Bay, 3 second-half points vs. Oakland.

Rating: 2 Units

Tonight, it’ll be Brady against what figures to be the Panthers’ best defensive personnel for 2.5 quarters, so it’s kind of a wash. But a Brady-led offense vs. a Cam Newton-led offense is an edge for the visitors, and New England has better overall depth. Panthers’ Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil limped off the field during last week’s fake home win.

Rating: 2 Units

The Steelers are now 2-11-1 A TS in their last 14 pre-season games under head coach Mike Tomlin. Before that, they’d had one of the best August records. Given that Jones has played so many offensive snaps at quarterback in the first two games, anyone else who might see more action in this game for Pittsburgh will basically be getting his first serious reps of the season. Ben Roethlisberger threw only 3 passes against Jacksonville last Friday night. The Steelers’ defense, transitioning to Cover-2 this season, has been fortunate to have opened against a pair of second-season quarterbacks in struggling offenses: Minnesota’s Teddy Bridgewater, and Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles.

Rating: 2 Units

The Patriots’ QB situation isn’t very good as far as winning an August NFL game is concerned. Extended time with Jimmy Garoppolo under center is not a good thing. He’s playing with different personnel packages, which a quarterback at any level is rarely asked to do in a game. The Packers should have scored a lot more than 22 points vs. the Patriots last Thursday night. They were only 1-for-4 in the red zone, most opportunities from inside the 5, and they never put in a goal line offense in those situations.  Without Drew Brees taking a snap, the Saints’ offense scored 27 points on the road at Baltimore in their first action of the season. Does their offensive system get good numbers? Sure does. Three quarterbacks not named Brees combined to complete 25 of 39 passes (that’s 64.1%) and were sacked only once. Back-ups Ryan Griffin and Luke McCown each threw a touchdown pass vs. Baltimore.

Rating: 2 Units

John Fox is very effective during Week 1 in pre-season games, his Week 2 record as a head coach, however, is his worst: 5-8 SU. Although the Bears scored 24 second-half points in their home-opening win vs. Miami, neither Jay Cutler nor Jimmy Clausen, the only two QBs used, threw a touchdown pass. The Chicago defense, a huge question mark, had the pleasure of playing against two non-NFL quarterbacks, Josh “Has Been” Freeman who was a horrible 5-for-16, and MacLeod Bethel-Thompson, who was also sub-50% in a pre-season of vanilla defenses. Ryan Tannehill marched Miami down the field and into the end zone vs. the Bears’ first-team defense, and Andrew Luck should do the same thing.

Rating: 2 Units

Baltimore coach Harbaugh comes into this one with a very good 9-4 ATS career mark as a preseason underdog, including 8 wins in straight-up and has a 5-1 ATS record in road openers. Philly comes into thie ons off a Sunday home contest with Andrew Luck and the Colts, while owning a horrible 2-4 SUATS mark in the second of back-to-back homers. The biggest edge in today’s contest, though, comes due to the schdule as the Ravens opened the season last  Thursday, giving them a 3-day rest advantage.  In addition,  whatever John Harbaugh does in between August games, and during August games, has resulted in the Ravens winning 20 of them and losing only 9 under his watch.

Rating: 2 Units

Seattle head coach Pete Carroll approaches the preseason with the same intensity as the regular season, with an outstanding 25-12-1 ATS mark. In addition, the Seahawks own and amazing 22-7 SU and 22-5 ATS log in preseason games when facing AFC opponents. Although KC won last week they have horrible preseason numbers as they are 0-11-1 SU and 0-12 ATS in Game Two of the preseason and 1-11 SUATS on Fridays. To top it all off, Pete Carroll is 5-1 ATS in preseason games off a loss, having not dropped back-to-back games since 2011.

Rating: 2 Units

The decent offensive unit of Atlanta should go zip-zip down the field for a quick 7 or 10 points under Matt Ryan, against a home team that can’t play catch-up. As for what may happen after Ryan sits, Falcons’ head coach Dan Quinn said the battle for the backup quarterback spot behind Ryan is 100 percent a competition. When the Falcons returned to practice Monday, they no doubt began putting a plan in place for T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree to toss the ball all over the field in their follow-ups to a first game in which Atlanta scored 31 points

Rating: 2 Units

Manuel needs some reps with the 2s, his best-case scenario for production. Although Buffalo lost their home opener to Carolina, they held the football for 37:10. Tyrod Taylor will start this game after Matt Cassell started the Bills’ opener.

Rating: 2 Units

The Chiefs go into today's contest with a 9-34-1 ATS overall mark in preseason play the past five seasons. Kansas City is also 1-11 SUATS in its first away game; 2-15 SUATS on Saturdays; and 3-19 ATS in its last 22 games against NFC opponents. Andy Reid hasn’t helped matters, either, covering the spread in just two of eight preseason games since coming over to KC. Reid has a 1-7 SU and 1-6-1 ATS career mark away in exhibition openers. Meanwhile, the Cardinals will welcome QB Carson Palmer back knowing they are 6-1 ATS home in preseason openers, while head coach Bruce Arians has won and covered both of his preseason openers to the tune of 17-0 and 32-0.

Rating: 2 Units

The Andy Dalton/A.J. Green connection won’t be dialed in for much damage on this night. The Bengals should be able to run pretty well against the Giants’ defense, and that’s probably what Marvin Lewis wants to establish. But the Giants will probably be in better position to pass the ball up and down the field. When you can do that, your defense can give up record amounts of rushing yards and you still can win. Under Marvin Lewis, the Bengals’ worst pre-season week has been Week 1, where they are 5-8 SU. In Tom Coughlin’s tenure, the Giants have winning records in all weeks except for Week 3

Rating: 2 Units

Manuel’s practice stats have been best when he has been with the second unit, playing against the Bills’ second-string defense. Tyrod Taylor has seen plenty of August action at quarterback in previous seasons as the Baltimore Ravens’ third-string quarterback. He can move an NFL offense just fine against third- and fourth-string defensive players. The Panthers, for more than five years now, have not moved very well against 3-4 defenses. The Bills are transitioning back to Ryan’s preferred 3-4 from one season in Jim Schwartz’s 4-3. They had played it before under the prior defensive coordinator, Mike Pettine, a Ryan clone. It should be a smooth switch.

Rating: 2 Units

John Fox is the new head coach in his home debut for Chicago. This is a pre-season “angle” and Fox has another pre-season angle on his side: his teams at Carolina and Denver have historically come out strong, at 9-4 SU in Week 1.  After starter Ryan Tannehill’s exit last year, Miami went the entire rest of the way with a dude named Seth Lobato in a 16-10 loss at Atlanta. Lobato is no longer on the roster, but Josh (Ugh!) Freeman is, and so is McLeod  Bethel-Thompson. The Chicago offense probably won’t light up the board here. But under the defensive-minded Fox, in front of the home fans, the Bears should be making a point to re-instill pride in the defense, which lost its way during two seasons of the Mark Trestman offensive-minded regime.

Rating: 2 Units

The Saints are 8-1 ATS in their last nine preseason games versus AFC opponents, and 7-1 ATS in their last eight overall exhibition games.  Baltimore plays Philadelphia next week and is 1-6 SUATS in preseason games before playing the Eagles.  Solidifying the pick, the Saints head coach Sean Payton is 11-5 SU and 13-3 ATS on the road in preseason games, including 9-1 ATS as a dog.

Rating: 2 Units

With such thin quarterback depth and Tom Brady possibly slated to miss the first four regular season games, the Pats need to be careful about exposing Garappolo to defensive pressure in these four pre-season games. Not that it behooves Green Bay to play anything but vanilla defense in a practice game this non-conference foe. But if the Pats are running while the Pack, a good passing team, is passing, then the edge would go to the short road dog.

Rating: 2 Units

Pittsburgh’s quarterback rotation behind Ben Roethlisberger’s cameo has Landry Jones in it. He has been throwing red-zone interceptions in practice. Any QB rotation with Jones in it is a plus for the other side. The Steelers are 1-7 SU (straight-up) the last two pre-seasons; the Vikings were 4-0 SU in August last year, Zimmer’s first as head coach.  In addition, Pittsburgh is expected to be moving away from former 11-season defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau’s zone-blitzing scheme. The defensive roots of head coach Mike Tomlin is the Cover-2. Expecting better pure pass rushing from the front four, after they were 3-4 relying on the blitz for a decade, would seem to be a bit of a risky proposition right off the bat.

Rating: 2 Units

Seattle is 8-0 SU and 7-1 ATS in this series. 7-1 SU and 8-0 ATS in Game Four of the preseason, 6-0 in their second away game and 21-4 SU and 23-2 ATS vs AFC (13-1 away).

Rating: 2 Units

The Saints are 3-0 SU and ATS in the pre-season so far.Before last week,they were 7-1 SU in Week 3 under head coach Sean Payton. Next year, the Week3, “dress rehearsal” record will be 8-1 SU going into that game. But in Peyton’s tenure, the Saints are only 1-7 SU in the “dress-down game,”Week 4.With that kind of poor record, and the task of playing an opponent as talented and nasty as the Ravens are they don’t want to give anybody anything

Rating: 2 Units

Detroit is  6-0 SUATS in this series, 6-0 SUATS in Game Four of the preseason, 7-1 on Thursdays, 5-1 SUATS in their away game and, 17-5 SUATS versus AFC.

Rating: 2 Units

Kansas City is 1-8 away in Game Four of the preseason, 2-10 away off a home game, 6-26 vs NFC, 1-9 SU and 2-8 ATS in their second Away game, and 3-7 on Thursdays.

Rating: 2 Units

Jeff Fisher, St. Louis head coach, has a 12-4 SU record in Week 4 games and is known for playing his starters longer in this last tune-up than most, if not all, NFL head coaches.With Bradford out, it behooves him to ramp up the offensive game

plan to help get Shaun Hill,Austin Davis, and even rookie Garrett Gilbert as up to speed as they possibly can be

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>San Diego is 1-4-3 on the road off a road game,  7-23 on the road versus the NFC, and 2-4 SUATS on Sundays. The 49ers are 4-0 SU and 3-0-1 ATS in the series versus San Dieto,  6-1 in game three of the preseason and 6-1 SUATS on Sundays including 3-0 SUATS at home.</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>Houston is 2-10 SU and 4-8 ATS in game two on the road during the preseason. Denver is  4-1 SU and 3-1-1 ATS in this series versus Houston and 5-2 at home versus the AFC during the preseason.</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>The Saints are 7-0 their second road game during the preseason, 6-0 SUATS on the road in game three of the preseason, 6-0 versus the AFC, 6-1 SUATS in game three of the preseason, 6-1 on the road during Saturdays,  and 6-1 away off a home game. The Colts are 2-7 SU and 3-6 ATS versus the NFC during the preseason</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>Rams are 6-0 in game three of the preseason, 6-0 on the road off a home game, 3-0 on the road on Saturdays,  and 14-4 SUATS versus the AFC.</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>Chicago is 1-5 SUATS in their first preseason road game, 3-10 versus the NFC, and 6-12 on Fridays. Seattle is 4-0 SUATS on Fridays, 7-1 at Home in game Two of the preseason, 9-2 in Game Three of the preseason, and 5-2 home off a preseason home game.</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>Giants are  1-3 away in game four of the preseason, 1-3 SUATS away off and away game. The Jets are 16-6 SU and 15-6-1 ATS in this series versus the Giants.</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>Broncos are 0-8 ATS in the preseason off a SU win, including 0-5 ATS under John Fox. They are also 0-4 ATS in preseason games after playing the Seahawks. The Broncos are also 0-4 SUATS away in Game Two of the preseason. The Niners are 6-0 SU and 5-0-1 ATS home in the preseason off an away game.</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>Baltimore is 5-1 in the L6 first preseason road games and 13-6 on the road after a home game.  While the Cowoboys are 0-4 SUATS in game two of the preseason and 3-8 on Saturdays</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>Indianapolis is 1-9 SUATS in their first home game of the preseason,1-5 at home in game Two of the preseason, 2-8 SU and 3-7 ATS home off a road gamse as well as 2-7 SU and 3-6 ATS versus the NFC.</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>Detroit is 8-2 SUATS away off of a home game and 17-5 SUATS versus the AFC.  Oakland is 1-5 SUATS home off and away game and 1-3 SUATS in their first preseason home game.</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>Seattle is 5-0 in this series, 4-0 SUATS in Friday games. Seattle is 21-4 SU and 23-2 ATS versus the AFC, 10-1 SUATS at  home off and away game, 3-1 at home in Game Two of the preseason and, 5-2 in their first preseason home game.  While San Diego is 7-23 on the road versus the NFC during preseason.</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>New England is 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS in this series, 3-1 SUATS in Game Two of the preseason and,3-1 SUATS in their first preseason home game. Philadelphia is  0-3 on the road in game two of the preseason.</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>The Steelers are  0-4 versus the NFC, 0-4-1 on the road in Game One of the preseason, and 1-9-1 on the road their L12. The Giants are 6-3 in their L9 Game Two Preseason contests.</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>Oakland is 3-11 versus the NFC (1-5 away) including 1-3-1 away in Game One of the preseason. While Minnesota is 12-4-1 versus the AFC (7-2 home) including 4-2 at home in Game One of the preseason.</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>Buffalo is 1-11 SU and 1-10-1 ATS versus the NFC and 1-10-1 when playing on Fridays during preseason. While Carolina is 5-0 versus the AFC</p>

<p>Rating: 2 Units</p>

<p>The Giants have offensive line issues with Chris Snee’s very recent retirement and all starting positions except RT Justin Pugh involving return from surgery. The Bills have one of the best pass rushes in the NFL, something that the Giants no longer have. Coaches like to establish physicality in the rushing attack in early pre-season games, another thing the Bills have been doing better than the Giants. System-wise, on offense, Buffalo is a year ahead of the New York, which is in the first year of new coordinator Ben McAdoo’s re-do of whatever it was that Kevin Gilbride had been attempting to orchestrate. Bills’ new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is switching back to a 4-3 from the one-season 3-4 of Mike Pettine, a better overall fit for the unit’s personnel.</p>