This is an 8* play on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While we obviously wouldn't be surprised by an outright victory, we will in the end recommend grabbing as many points as you can as we expect the visitors to at the very least, take this one down to the wire. Bills' QB EJ Manuel is expected to see most of the time in this one as he's yet to even play with any of the other starters at this point in the preseason. Whoever is under center for the home side is not going to be able to rely on much of a run game today as Bryce Brown, Bobbie Dixon and LeSean McCoy are all out with injury. Also note that the Bills are hurting at the WR position as well, as Percy Harvin, Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Chris Hogan will all be sitting. And note that Buffalo's defense won't be unveiling any of its exotic schemes in the preseason, instead waiting until Week 1 before letting the rest of the World see their looks, not surprisingly, opponents have really been taking advantage of the Bills vanilla unit in the preseason. Pittsburgh starts QB Ben Roethlisberger, new backup Mike Vick is expected to see some garbage time. Other than injuries to C Maurkice Pouncey and DE Stephon Tuitt, the visitors come into the "dress rehearsal" very healthy. In last week's 24-19 win over Green Bay, Pittsburgh's defense was its usual dominant self, under the direction of new coordinator Keith Butler, the unit racked up six sacks in the victory. We think the oddsmakers are way off on this one, play on the STEELERS.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* FRIDAY NIGHT SCORPION on the Kansas City Chiefs.

AAA Sports will have their full analysis for this selection posted shortly. No later than 6 hours before game time.

This is a 10* M.N.F. GAME OF THE MONTH on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sometimes we feel that it's necessary to completely dissect a game, looking at trends, motivational and situational factors as well as individual player matchups and weather reports etc. And in other contests we believe a more common sense approach is the best way to handicap a game and that's the case here. Which of these team's "wants" this one more? It's a fair question. In our opinion, this is a fantastic situational play as the Bengals come to town off a satisfying 23-10 win at home over the Giants in Week 1, making this Week 2 matchup a contest which wouldn't be too hard to envision the visitors "looking past" with a game at home vs. Chicago in the all important "dress rehearsal" in Week 3 next week. Conversely, Tampa Bay will be eager to perform in its first game in front of the home town crowd, a spirited effort in Week 1 resulted in a 26-16 loss to Minnesota in Week 1, but it was just a late TD away from covering with the 3.5 points it was afforded in that one. And for us, it's as simple as that for this GAME OF THE MONTH pick, the situation is overwhelmingly working in favor of the home side in our opinion, play on the BUCCANEERS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* UNDERDOG DESTRUCTION on the St. Louis Rams.

For Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, it will be his first time back in Tennessee since he left the team after the 2010 season. We think this is an underrated situational factor and look for the veteran bench boss to play to win here. The Titans looked good on the road last week, but we're expecting a step back in front of the home town crowd; Tennessee would fall 31-24 to the Falcons in Week 1. Rookie QB Marcus Mariota opened the game with two turnovers, but looked good in going 5 for 5 in his final series. Backup Zach Mettenberger was 8 for 11 for 129 yards and two TD's. Tennessee though looked poor in the run game, averaging just 1.9 YPC, which won't get any easier facing this stout Rams defensive unit. St. Louis will be extra motivated offensively today as well after a lacklustre 18-3 loss to the Raiders last week. When he was on the field, he looked brilliant, QB Nick Foles led his team 70 yards on the opening drive for 3 points. Also note that the Rams will be putting an added emphasis on cleaning up their sloppy play after committing 14 penalties in Week 1. We think there are enough factors working in favor of the RAMS to pull the trigger on this one and while we obviously would not be surprised by the outright victory whatsoever, we will in the end recommend grabbing as many points as you can.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Minnesota Vikings.

We like Teddy Bridgewater and the home side to continue to roll in Week 2, the Minnesota pivot would go 7 for 8 for 86 yards last week and he'll have a big opportunity to tear apart this porous Raiders defensive unit and weak secondary. Derek Carr on the other hand looked a bit shaky in his time last week, he'd go 6 of 9 for 43 yards and an INT. Carr and his backups are going to be in tough today as the Vikings defense was all over the Bucs last week, sacking Jameis Winston multiple times. In this meaningless Week 2 preseason contest, we expect the Raiders to simply go through the motions today as they get set to prepare for their full dress rehearsal in Week 3 at home to Arizona. A great situational play on the surging VIKINGS, who will look to take advantage of home field before two tough road games to end the preseason, at Dallas and Tennessee respectively.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the UNDER between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts.

Andrew Luck is only expected to see a few snaps today, but RB Frank Gore is expected to finally see some time. Defensively the Colts will be looking to take advantage of a Bears offensive unit which will be without the services of standout rookie WR Kevin White. Like Luck, QB Jay Cutler is only expected to see a few snaps. Chicago though will be leaning heavily once again on RB Senorise Perry, who had 10 carries for 89 yards and a TD last week; Perry and Jacquizz Rodgers will be in a fight to by the No. 1 backup to Matt Forte. Indianapolis got destroyed defensively last week, the unit will be looking to atone for the disastrous effort. A great situational play in our opinion, indeed making the UNDER the savvy move in this contest.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the UNDER between the Miami Dolphins and the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers will feature a stout defensive unit once again this season, but there's no question that the offense took a major blow when starting WR Kelvin Benjamin suffered a season-ending knee injury during practice this week. Carolina's offense will revolve around QB Cam Newton, but he'll see very little time under center today, instead the unit will be trying to establish its run game, the absence of DeAngelo Williams this season means the onus falls on short-yardage specialists Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert. Miami will also be leaning heavily on its QB, Ryan Tannehill this year, but the starters for Miami are only going to see a quarter at the most of action in this one. The Fish were ranked 12th overall last season in total defense, but the signing of Ndamukong Suh is poised to push the unit into the Top 5 this year. We're expecting a "chess match" today, an added emphasis by both teams to limit turnovers and mistakes and to protect the ball, so in a contest where field position becomes paramount, all signs do indeed point to the UNDER as the savvy move in this contest.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* SCORPION on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Seattle is coming off a loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 1 of the preseason, while the Chiefs steamrolled the Arizona Cardinals. With a Week 3 full "dress rehearsal" at San Diego next week, we're expecting Seattle to simply go through the motions and work on a few things today. Last week Seahawk fans saw their team manage just 181 total yards of offense and remember, Seattle's 24-20 loss at Arrowhead in 2014 would drop the team to 6-4 at the time. The Chiefs clearly have something to build off after their impressive 34-19 victory in Week 1 in Arizona though and with coach Andy Reid on the hot seat this season, we look for the bench boss to continue to dial up the intensity throughout the preseason. All signs do indeed point to the CHIEFS as the savvy move in this contest.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* SITUATIONAL DESTRUCTION on the Cleveland Browns.

The Bills will be starting Tyrod Taylor under center to start this game, he's expected to see at least a quarter of playing time, but likely quite a bit more; Taylor will then make way for EJ Manuel, who is expected to see up to a full half of work in this contest. Buffalo suffered more injuries to its already depleted RB core after LeSean McCoy went down with an issue earlier in the week though, also missing are Fred Jackson, Bobbie Dixon, Bryce Brown and Karlos Williams. Also note that WR's Percy Harvin and Sammy Watkins are also both out with injury. Suffice it to say, all signs point to the visitors going through the motions today as they look to escape Cleveland without any more major setbacks. The home side on the other hand will be eager for a better performance after falling 20-17 to the Redskins in its opener. One bright spot last week for the Browns was the play of beleaguered QB Johnny Manziel who was 7 for 11 passing for 42 yards to go along with a rushing TD; starter Josh McCown was 5 for 5 for 33 yards and a TD. This is a great situational play, the Browns need to punch one into the win column for something positive to lean on before heading into the Week 3 "dress rehearsal," while the Bills will already be planning for that contest. Play on CLEVELAND.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* SHOOT-OUT on the OVER between the Detroit Lions and the Washington Redskins.

Both teams come in off victories in Week 1 of the NFLX season, but each would see the total fall below the posted number. Detroit hammered the Jets 23-3, while Washington won 20-17 over the Browns. We're expecting a hard-fought battle between these two hungry teams in Week 2 and believe their overall determination will translate into production on the field. For the Lions, QB Matt Stafford looked sharp in his opening drive, taking his team down the field for a major score. We won't see much of Stafford in this one either, but we will see a lot of rookie RB Ameer Abdullah, who had 67 yards on seven carries, including a 45-yarder. Washington's Kirk Cousins would outplay Robert Griffin III, completing 12 of his 14 passes for 154 yards; note that both pivots will see time in this one. Whoever is under center will be looking for WR Rashad Ross, who had five catches for 65 yards last week. With each team putting added emphasis on the offensive side of the ball, we definitely look for this wide open affair to eclipse the posted number as the game comes down the stretch; play on the OVER.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Kansas City Chiefs.

We think the focused and determined visiting side can catch the home team a bit disinterested and complacent here and while we would not be surprised with an outright victory, we will in the end recommend grabbing as many points as you can. Arizona got off to a huge start last year, but would falter down the stretch due to injury, while after a massive campaign in 2013, the Chiefs took a step backwards last season. The Chiefs offense struggled at the WR position, but the addition of Jeremy Maclin to the passing game is expected to pay big dividends for QB Alex Smith. On the other side of the field, Arizona's No. 1 receiver Michael Floyd has suffered an unfortunate injury in training camp and will be forced to miss some time. QB Logan Thomas is expected to see the bulk of repetitions for the Cardinals, while the running game is reportedly struggling in training camps, which prompted the team to extend an offer to former Jets RB Chris Johnson. We like the Chiefs' game-plan here and think their back-ups and wannabe's have a clear upper-hand on the home side's; play on KANSAS CITY.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After a successful showing in a victory over Pittsburgh in the Hall of Fame Game last Sunday, we think the home side now comes in a bit complacent in this Week 1 scrimmage against a Buccaneers team which will feature a ton of different players duking it out for a position on the team once the regular season comes around. The Vikes are going to give Teddy Bridgewater a few more snaps, but he'll be gone before the end of the first quarter. Adrian Peterson won't be suiting up at all for the home side, so expect to see a heavy dose of Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon. The main story line for the Bucs will be the debut of rookie QB Jameis Winston, who is expected to see a good amount of time on the field. RB Charles Sims will also have added incentive here as he looks to cement his place as a firm No. 2 option behind wrecking ball Doug Martin. Tampa Bay did most of its work in the offseason on the defensive side of the ball, this unit will have plenty of position battles going on throughout the preseason, a factor which invariably leads to production on the field. While we clearly wouldn't be shocked with an outright victory, we do feel that the conditions are definitely right for a very tight game and we'll therefore recommend grabbing as many points as you can.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* play on the Houston Texans.

Oh how the mighty have fallen, the 49ers are now considered a team in transition, while the Texans are viewed as an under-the-radar team. San Francisco finished 30th in passing last year and struggled defensively, ranking 25th in passing TD's allowed. The team went out and added Torrey Smith and Reggie Bush, but it's obviously going to take some time for all the new pieces to gel. Houston was just 2-14 in 2013, but then went 9-7 in 2014 and narrowly missed the playoffs. The Texans were one of the best defensively, recording 34 takeaways last year, the most in the league. Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts III are expected to fill the void left by WR Andre Johnson. Houston though has some key position battles going on which we feel will be the difference, the fight between Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer will be interesting for QB and the team will also be looking to fill the void left in the backfield due to the Arian Foster injury. The QB battle in HOUSTON turns out to be the difference here.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* ART OF WAR on the New York Giants.

Back-ups and wannabe's will be battling it out in this one on Friday night and while we wouldn't be surprised to see an outright victory, we feel that the savvy move is to grab as many points as you can with the visitors. Both Marvin Lewis and Tom Coughlin will once again be on the hot seat this season, another mediocre campaign for either will likely be the final nail in the coffin. New York comes to town with a bunch of injuries, but it doesn't matter obviously, the starters were not going to see much or any time in this one. The Giants have a ton of depth at the WR position this season and we can expect the visitors to test these youngsters from start to finish today. The Bengals did not make any major moves in the off-season, but its rookie class offers some excitement, keep your eyes on TE's CJ Uzomah and Tyler Kroft. With New York reportedly looking to test its young receiving corps, all signs do indeed point to the visitors as the sharp move in this contest. Play on the GIANTS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* ART OF THE GAME on the OVER between the New York Jets and the Detroit Lions.

AAA Sports will have their full analysis for this selection posted shortly. No later than 6 hours before game time.

This is a 10* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings.

What you see is what you get each year from Pittsburgh, which builds through the draft, doesn’t sign a lot of free agents and basically comes at you. How much Ben Roethlisberger has left is a question asked every September given the number of hits he takes. The biggest change will be at defensive coordinator, where legend Dick Lebeau is gone – which may mean the LBs will be freer to attack the pocket.

The Vikes have Adrian Peterson back and things seem to have calmed down a bit in Minnesota. But then again, Mike Wallace has been on board for only a few months. Vikes are looking for a huge Year 2 improvement from Teddy Bridgewater and if they get it they can make things sticky in the North.

Of course, in the preseason, the starters see little to no time whatsoever until the third week, which is considered a "dress rehearsal" for the real thing. So with each team's stars either not even suiting up, or seeing just a few snaps, it will then be left up to the backups and wannabe's.

Pittsburgh was 0-4 SU/ATS in the preseason in 2013/14, while the total went 1-3. Last year the Steelers would go 1-3 SU/ATS, with the total once again going 1-3.

Minnesota was 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in the preseason in 2014/15 and saw the total go 1-3.

It's hard to imagine either team looking to open up the playbook today, all signs would point to much more of a "chess match," where running and protecting the ball, managing the clock and limiting mistakes and field position ultimately determine the winner.

Play on the UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* ATS BLOWOUT on the Oakland Raiders.

Week 4 of the preseason is considered to be the “trickiest” one of all to handicap, however there’s no question which team will be more motivated here; all signs point to a comfortable cover for the home side. It’s safe to say that coach Pete Carrol is happy with what he’s seen out of the ‘Hawks first team offense over the last two games, two weeks ago Russell Wilson and company racked up 260 yards and 24 points in the first half vs. the Chargers, before then gaining 250 yards while scoring 31 points vs. Chicago last week. Starters for the visitors will see very little time (if any) today, meaning that we have a clear opportunity to take advantage of as the Raiders are still working out some serious issues with their first units on both sides of the ball. There is a legitimate QB battle going on in Oakland for the No. 1 spot as Matt Schaub and Derek Carr will be looking to impress in an effort to seal the deal. I don’t think we need to overanalyze this one, I expect the defending champs to simply go through the motions today and look for the hungry and determined home side to ride its talent to at least the cover; play on the RAIDERS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* MOTIVATIONAL MISMATCH on the Buffalo Bills.

This games means a lot more to the Bills than it does to the visiting Lions who will simply go through the motions and consider themselves victors if they can leave Buffalo without any injuries. Bills’ starting QB EJ Manuel and his first unit are expected to see more than usual playing time for the fourth week of the preseason as the coaching staff is less than impressed so far with the chemistry: “Yes, absolutely, I'm looking to play those guys," head coach Marrone said this week. "I think, obviously, we're much further ahead on (the defensive side) of the ball than we are (on offense)." We can expect the first string offense to see extended time today: "If we want to be a great offense, we have to be able to do it against their starters, not their bench," RB C.J. Spiller echoed. "I wouldn't say discouraged. We're disappointed. If we want to be a great offense, we have to be able to do it against their starters, not their bench.” We’ll see a lot of Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore today under center for the visitors as the Lions try to figure out their No. 1 backup. Week 4 is always tricky, but this is a great spot to exploit I feel, Buffalo needs something positive to come into the regular season after such a dismal start, I look for the home side to find a way to cover the spread at the end of the night; play on the BILLS.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Arizona Cardinals.

Two teams with big expectations for the 2014 NFL campaign go head to head in Week 3 of the preseason, for a number of different reasons I feel that the conditions are right for a lower-scoring, “chess match” style of contest and will ultimatley expect this total to sneak below the posted number once the final whistle sounds. The Cardinals are coming off a last-second loss to the Vikings last week, Arizona was actually leading with just 1:07 left to play before the team allowed Vikes’ rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater to drive the length of the field for the winning score. QB Carson Palmer will face his old team here, he would drive the Cardinals 93 yards on the team’s opening drive which was capped off by a 1-yard TD rumble. Cincinnati comes town still looking for its first preseason victory, it would stumble 25-17 vs. the Jets last week. QB Andy Dalton was 8 for 8 for 144 yards and a major score; the defense looked a bit better and will certainly be playing with a chip on its shoulder here. A great situational play in my opinion as both teams are coming off tough losses, I fully expect an emphasis to be put on the defensive side of the ball as all signs do indeed point to the UNDER as the sharp wager in this one.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* BLOCKBUSTER on the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers have yet to score a single point in the preseason after two games, but suffice it to say, I fully expect that to change this weekend. San Fran suffered a 34-0 beatdown at the hands of the Broncos last week, RB Frank Gore saw his first action and rushed for 12 yards on two carries. The leading passer was McCleod Bethel-Thompson, who was 6 of 8 for 79 yards. "It's the preseason, but it all means something," said San Francisco left tackle Joe Staley afterwards. "Scoring points is the name of the game and we haven't done it. It will be a real test this week to see how we rebound from this." After a decent start to the 2014 campaign, San Diego took a step back in losing 41-14 in Seattle last week, QB Philip Rivers played just a single series, was just 2 of 4 for 20 yards, while his backup Kellen Clemens finished 14 of 21 for 149 yards and two major scores. Week 3 means that both teams will be playing their starters for the majority of the contest, for the most part it’s just been the backups and wannabe’s for San Francisco thus far, but with the first team units getting an extended chance, I look for the winless home side to find a way to get the job done at the end of the night; play on the 49’ERS!

AAA Sports

This is a 10* WEEK 3 NFLX TOTAL OF THE YEAR on the OVER between the Houston Texans and the Denver Broncos.

Two teams with big aspirations for the 2014/15 NFL season go head to head in the all important Week 3 of the preseason, when the smoke does finally clear at the end of this one I look for this total to sneak above the posted number. These teams held joint sessions mid week, something that definitely benefited the Texans last week as they’d bounce back after a rough opener in Arizona to hammer the Falcons 32-7 at NRG Stadium; Houston also had joint sessions with Atlanta. Starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was 9 of 12 for 97 yards and a TD, while RB Jonathan Grimes had 42 yards off nine carries. It was an all around performance for Houston which would go on to score TDs on offense, on defense and special teams. The Broncos are 2-0 to start the preseason, after beating Seattle in Week 1 they’d go on to obliterate the 49ers 34-0 at Levi’s Stadium last weekend. QB Peyton Manning was 12 of 14 for 102 yards and a TD; over the first two contests Manning is 22 of 27 for 180 yards. Backup Brock Osweiller also dominated in going 10 of 13 for 105 yards, including a 33-yard TD pass; also note that third-string Zac Dysert was extremely effecient in going 8 for 11 for 63 yards, including a 16-yard TD strike. I think a classic shootout is a brewin’ between these two offensive minded clubs, look for this total to go OVER the number as the game comes down the stretch.

AAA Sports

 This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts.

What should once again be a couple of the league’s most prolific starting QB’s this year square off in Week 3 of the 2014 NFL preseason, but for a number of different reasons, I feel that all signs point to this contest sneaking below the posted number once the final whistle sounds. Saints’ pivot Drew Brees has yet to see a snap in the preseason, he makes his debut today though and suffice it to say, I think it’ll take a while for the veteran to get back into “NFL game shape”; don’t get me wrong, Brees is as sharp as they come, he’s one of the elite and I expect him to have a big game, however this will be his first “real” contest and I feel his timing and chemistry will be “off” for a little bit. New Orleans hasn’t needed its star QB to date, it’s played to a couple of higher-scoring affairs including last week’s 31-24 win over the Titans in the Superdome. Backup QB McCown was 12 of 20 for 117 yards, while RB Mark Ingram carried five times for 19 yards, while also adding a 23-yard TD reception in the victory. However, New Orleans comes to town facing a defense which was embarrased last week and which will be playing with a chip on its shoulder. On the other side of the field, Indianapolis comes into Week 3 at 0-2 despite QB Andrew Luck looking dominant in last week’s crushing 27-26 setback to the Giants, going 12 of 18 for 89 yards and one TD, leading the first team offense to three scoring drives on the night. There is no question that the Indianapolis defense will be looking to atone for that brain-fart, as New York would put up 27 unanswered points in the final 10 1/2 minutes to erase the 26-0 deficit. Putting points on the board is not an issue for either side, a big emphasis for the remainder of the preseason will be on the defensive side of the ball, all signs point to the UNDER as the sharp wager in this one.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* BLOCKBUSTER on the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas comes into this contest 0-2, while the Fish have split a pair of road contests to open the 2014 NFL preseason; while the outright win is obviously not out of the question, I think the Cowboys can keep this one close enough to at the very least sneak away with the ATS cover. Miami lost in Atlanta in Week 1, but rebounded for a 20-14 victory over Tampa Bay last week, backup QB Matt Moore would finish 13 of 19 for 158 yards and a TD. Starting QB Ryan Tannehill was 9 of 14 for 110 yards. Dallas lost its second in a row in last week’s 37-30 shootout in Baltimore. Starting QB Tony Romo played just two series, going 4 of 5 for 70 yards, including tossing a 31 yard TD pass to Dez Bryant, who would finish with three catches for 59 yards. Also note that RB DeMarco Murray had 34 yards on eight carries. These teams have some recent history of playing in the preseason, they met in the Hall Of Fame Game last year and the ‘Boys would pull off the 24-20 win. DALLAS can put some points on the board as evidenced by last week’s output, all signs point to the cover.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the OVER between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Buffalo Bills.

While they will always claim an 0-2 start means nothing in the preseason, for most teams, getting a victory in Week 3 becomes pretty important if their winless at this point, the Bucs come to Buffalo having dropped their first two, including a 20-14 setback to the Fish last weekend. Tampa starting QB Josh McCown was 5 of 7 for 46 yards and a major score; note that third-string QB Mike Kafka would post a TD pass late. This of course will be the fourth game for the Bills who would play in the Hall Of Fame Game, last week they lost a tough one in Pittsburgh which would hit a FG as time expired to lift the Steelers to a 19-16 victory. Starting QB EJ Manuel was 17 for 27 for 148 yards and one INT; Anthony Dixon was a bright spot, rushing 10 times for 26 yards and the team’s lone TD. A great situational play: with both teams struggling over the first two games and with the offensive starters getting the majority of playing time today vs. a couple of suspect defensive units, I look for these clubs to open up the playbook and expect this total to sneak OVER the posted number as the game comes down the stretch.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks.

Chicago is 2-0 in the preseason, but will have to play its last two games on the road and a date in the Pacific Northwest vs. the defending champions will be a difficult task in Week 3; when the smoke does finally clear at the end of this one, I look for this total to sneak below the posted number. Chicago would beat the Jaguars 20-19 last week, the Bears would need a 5-yard TD run with 50 seconds left to secure the 1 point victory. Chicago starting QB Jay Cutler was 7 for 9 for 75 yards. After losing their opener in Denver, the Seahawks would crush the Chargers 41-14 last week, starting QB Russell Wilson was 11 of 13 for 121 yards and added another 31 on the ground. This is a great situational play in my opinion, despite a couple of Top 10 QB’s facing off here, these teams live and die with their defensive units, I think we’ll see a classic chess match style of game where field position will ultimately decide the outcome, all signs point to the UNDER as the sharp wager in this one.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Detroit Lions.

The starting QB position has not been decided in Jacksonville, we’ll see a bunch of both rookie Blake Bortles and veteran Chad Henne this week; I think this is a detriment for the Jaguars offense and look for the Lions first team defense to take advantage. When the smoke does finally clear at the end of this one, I expect this total to sneak below the posted number. Last week Jacksonville fell 20-19 in Chicago, Bortles finished 11 of 17 for 160 yards. I think it’s significant to note, that as well as Bortles played in that game, the defense was even better, the Bears would score two very late TD’s against the Jags second unit, backups and wannabe’s. Henne was 12 for 17 for 130 yards. Detroit can empathize, it’s also coming off a late-game setback in Oakland as the Raiders would score a TD with just six seconds left, the Lions ultimately falling 27-26. Starting QB Matt Stafford was 9 of 10 for 88 yards and two TD’s. I think this is a golden opportunity for Detroit’s defensive unit, Jacksonville’s first team offense isn’t set this week, chemistry will be lacking, all signs point to the UNDER as the sharp wager in this one.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots.

A couple of the league’s most exciting and prolific starting QB’s go head to head in Week 3, however I feel this particular contest sets up as more of a “chess match” and look for this total to ulimtately sneak below the posted number. Patriots’ QB Tom Brady was an effecient 8 for 10 for 81 yards, a TD and an INT which led to a defensive TD in last week’s 42-35 shootout victory over the Eagles. Backup Jimmy Garoppolo was 6 of 12 for 72 yards and two major scores. The Panthers Cam Newton wasn’t quite as effective in his first start last week, he was 4 of 9 for 65 yards, his team would go on to beat the Chiefs 28-16 though. The scuttlebutt out of the Patriots camp this year was that its defense was supposedly on par with the offense, and so far that’s definitely not been the case in the preseason, but Week 3 means that the starters will see most of the action today, I think the unit finally shows up in front of the home town crowed. On the other side of the field, the Panthers have been one of the best defenses the last couple of years, the first unit will have a chip on its shoulder this week. When these teams played last year in the regular season, Carolina would prevail 24-20, I think we’ll see a similar combined score this time around as well, play on the UNDER.

AAA Sports

This is a 10* NFLX TOTAL OF THE YEAR on the OVER between the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins.

Both teams played to a couple of lower scoring UNDERS in Week 1 of the NFLX preseason, but I think the conditions are right for a higher-scoring shootout when these two hopeful teams clash on Monday night. Last week Cleveland opened with veteran QB Brian Hoyer, but everyone’s attention was on the Browns once Johnny Manziel hit the field. Both were decent, and each will once again get a chance this week and with that opening contest out of the way, I think they’ll play much better this time around. Hoyer was 6 of 14 for 92 yards, while Manziel was 7 of 11 for 63 yards, plus an additional 27 rushing yards in the 13-12 setback at Detroit. Washington had no problem whatsoever putting points on the board vs. what was supposed to be a vastly improved Pats defense, winning 23-6. The Redskins outgained New England 387-270, which included a 177-63 advantage on the ground. The starting offense looked great (for the minimal amount of time it was on the field), Robert Griffin III opened the game with a methodical 11-play drive which would ultimately end in a field goal. Colt McCoy was actually the best performer with a 150.9 passer rating. When you throw in the capable Kirk Cousins to the rotation, this trio should once again have a big day vs. the Browns second unit. A great situational play: Cleveland will be focusing on improving offensively, both Manziel and Hoyer are fighting for the starting job. Washington continues to progress here I think, each of these pivots is in line for a very productive night; all signs point to the OVER as the sharp wager in this contest.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* BLOCKBUSTER on the San Francisco 49ers.

There is a legitimate QB battle going on in San Francisco and I believe that will turn out to be the difference at the end of the day in this one. No, the QB battle is not for the No. 1 spot, starter Colin Kaepernick will see just a few snaps before making way for Blaine Gabbert and Josh Johnson. Game 1 of the preseason meant something to the Denver Broncos as they’d ultimatley hold on for the win over the Seattle Seahawks; I think this game sets up as a classic mental letdown spot for the visiting team though. The 49ers on the other hand are coming off a listless 23-3 setback at Baltimore and with that awkward game out of the way, the home side can get down to business and start making some head way on both sides of the ball in front of the home town crowd. It’s pointless getting into individual player matchups in the preseason, as starters for both sides see little to no time whatsoever, backups and wannabes will be going head to head here; that said, I think the best way to handicap the preseason is on a “situational” basis, and in my opinion this is a fantastic spot for the 49ers; look for the home side to pull away down the stretch for the comfortable ATS cover, play on SAN FRANCISCO.

AAA Sports

This is an 8* BLOCKBUSTER on the Houston Texans.

Houston is coming off a 32-0 loss in Arizona in its first game of the preseason, while Atlanta would hold on for a 16-10 win at home over Miami. The Texans come in eager to put some points on the board and to play a lot more aggressively on the defensive side of the ball and I think that when the smoke clears at the end of this one, that these teams will both be at 1-1. Texans’ starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick looked pretty ordinary in his first start for his new team, completing only six passes with two INT’s. So should we read a lot into Houston’s performance? Obviously not, Game 1 of the preseason is absolutely meaningless, and with that awkward contest behind them, the Texans can look to make a marked improvement in Week 2. And don’t look now, reinforcements are supposed to be back in the line-up today (at least for a while before making way for the backups and wannabe’s), as RB Arian Foster, WR Andre Johnson and LB Brian Cushing all returned to practice this week. Like the Texans, the Falcons were major disappointment in 2013, the defensive line was a major culprit in giving up 44 sacks of QB Matt Ryan; suffice it to say, I think Atlanta has its hands full this week vs. JJ Watt and Clowney. And should we read anything into Atlanta’s 16-10 victory over Miami? While the Falcons certainly looked better than Houston did last week, I’ll caution in reading anything into it at all (remember, the Chargers looked great in their opener, only to then get annihilated in Seattle in their Week 2 matchup). Houston has something to prove to here, I think the Falcons go through the motions and in the end, the home side pulls away down the stretch for the comfortable ATS cover; play on HOUSTON.

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This is an 8* BLOCKBUSTER on the Seattle Seahawks.

I think this is a great situational play, I expect the Seahawks’ backups to come to play today and look for the second and third units to ride the wave of emotion in front of the 12th Man and to ultimately find a way to get the job done at the end of the night. I played the UNDER in Seattle/Denver last week, another great situational play. With that difficult and distracting matchup out of the way, the defending champs can put their full focus on the field today, I think we’ll see a much more explosive unit on both sides of the ball. It was a tough/weird game all around, as the contest was delayed for 45 minutes at one point because of lightning. ‘Hawks backup QB Terrelle Pryor was quite good in the pressure packed situation I thought, finishing with 137 yards; of course starter Russell Wilson shone in his limited time, going 4 of 6 for 37 yards and led his team to a major score on its second possession. The Chargers dominated an inept Dallas team 27-7 in their preseason opener, the Cowboys defense was no where to be found and San Diego would rack up a staggering 395 yards of total offense. All three QB’s saw time and performed well, but suffice it to say, I think this team runs into a brick wall early today and throws in the white towel after getting punched in the face by this hungry ‘Hawks second defensive unit. This is a tough spot for anyone to play in, I think the Chargers check out of this one early and the home side romps to a decisive victory; play on SEATTLE.

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This is a 10* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants.

I write this analysis on Friday morning, the day after the first full day of 2014 preseason NFL action and we saw a bit of everything; low-scoring, sloppy affairs, but also high-scoring shootouts. There are many ways to handicap a professional sporting contest, different methodoligies and approaches and I like to think that I utilize many of them and remain flexible at all times. That said, I have found that when handicapping the NFL preseason, that the most effective method is to look at contests from a situational angle; ie: motivation, scheduling, recent performance and overall team goals. It’s hard to say how good the Giants are after their Hall Of Fame Game win over the Bills, but what we can say for sure is that they won. The offense wasn’t spectacular and the defense was good enough. I think it’s also safe to say that New York will be a little sharper this week as it prepares to take on a Steelers team which comes into the 2014/15 campaign with big expectations. Let’s start off by saying the obvious: starters for both teams will see limited, to no time whatsoever in this game, in fact over 100 different players will see extensive time today. There is no doubt that Pittsburgh has the potential to put some points on the board this year with the likes of LeGarrette Blount, Le’Veon Bell, Heath Miller, Dri Archer, Markus Wheaton and Antonio Brown; however, with starting QB Ben Roethlisberger seeing only a couple of snaps (if that), and with many of these other listed players also sitting, Pittsburgh can concentrate on trying to fill in some holes on both sides of the ball today. The same goes for New York’s first team, Eli Manning and company will see just a few series before exiting for the backups and wannabes. A big note here, with Giants’ RB David Wilson’s career now over due to a neck injury, the home side will definitely be focusing on filling that role, it will be trying multiple backs today, including Andre Williams and Rashad Jennings. Giants’ backup QB Ryan Nassib looked shaky at times last week, he’ll face a Steelers’ second team defense hungry to make the roster. Pittsburgh backup QB Bruce Gradkowski will also have his hands full vs. a Giants unit that is looking to make a statement in front of the home town crowd. I’m expecting another “chess match” style of game today, field position will ultimately decide the winner and when all is said I done, I look for this total to sneak UNDER the posted number.

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This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the OVER between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Many have Tampa winning its division, I personally think that’s a bit of a stretch. After a couple of miserable campaigns, both of these teams will be looking to push the tempo on the offensive side of the ball during the preseason and as such, I expect this total to eclipse the number as the game comes down the stretch. Jacksonville is coming off a 4-12 season, which included a four game win skein in a five game stretch during the second half of 2013. Jacksonville would use its first round pick (the third overall), to secure rookie QB Blake Bortles; the Jags also brought in RB Toby Gerhart to bolster the ground attack. There is now a legitimate QB battle in Jacksonville, as veteran Chad Henne will be pushed by Bortles throughout the preseason; this is definitely significant as each pivot will be giving his full concentration to every snap. Also note that with Justin Blackmon gone, rookie playmaker Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson will also have something to prove over the next month. The Bucs will go with veteran free agent QB Josh McCown, who will surely benefit in throwing to Vincent Jackson and rookie Mike Evans, two extremely talented (and tall!) receivers. With both teams looking to make a statement and with more focus put on the offensive side of the ball by each, all signs point to a higher-scoring affair; play on the OVER.

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This is a 10* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos.

I am a situational handicapper which will always look to take advantage of lop-sided numbers and trends. I also take into account motivation, revenge and recent history. Handicapping the preseason can be tricky of course, as starters for the most part only see a few snaps before making way for the back-ups and wannabes. Despite this being a meaningless game, there will obviously be a lot of emotions going on with the players on the field today as last season’s Super Bowl contestants square off once again just a few months later. However, it’s already been reported that starters for both team’s will see extremely limited, to no time at all in this contest. Seattle knows it will be in a dog-fight for the first ten minutes, but then Denver will take the foot off the gas after the first string exits. I’m not reading into the hype that the Bronco’s are trying to send a message and guess what? Neither will the Seahawks, they have absolutely nothing to prove and will be eager to test out their new talent on both sides of the ball. Peyton Manning won’t play long and from then on we’ll see a heavy dose of Brock Osweiller, who will be handing off to a squadron of RB’s who are fighting for the second and third spots. This isn’t the Super Bowl. This isn’t Week 1. This is the first game of the preseason, and as such, I’m expecting a sloppy contest which i dominated by defense and the run attack and in my opinion all signs point to a lower-scoring, “chess” match style affair; play on the UNDER.

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This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins.

Washington hired Jay Gruden as head coach after four seasons under Mike Shanahan; Gruden of course comes over after being the offensive coordinator for the last three years for the Bengals. While he was likely to only see a few snaps anyways, note that Redskins new acquistion DeSean Jackson hurt his knee earlier in the week and will likely be held out here. Also note that 2013 top receiver Pierre Garcon will also be sidelined with hamstring issues for Washington. The Patriots sport some pretty big names and all eyes will be on their new man, Darrelle Revis, arguably the best defender in the league; Revis has been dominant in practice and drills, repeatedly picking off Tom Brady in workouts. Also note that Vince Wilfork is back following a ruptured Achilles last season. The scuttle-butt out of New England is that the defense is on par with the offense for the first time in a half decade with the potential to be a Top 5 D. Note that Brady will be without the services of TE Rob Grokowski and backup TE Michael Hoomanawanui. The Redskins will also be looking to make a statement in the preseason on the defensive side of the ball after being one of the worst in that department in 2013, and as such would draft Stanford all-American linebacker Trent Murhpy with their first selection. Starters will see only a couple of snaps, with back-ups and wannabe’s fighting furiously for the coaches the rest of the way. With each side putting an added emphasis on improving defensively in the preseason, all signs point to this first one sneaking below the posted number; play on the UNDER.

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This is a 10* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between the New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills.

So here we go, the start of the 2014/15 NFL preseason, the first game on the schedule is always the Hall of Fame Game. Last year the Cowboys would beat the Dolphins 24-20, the total sailing well above the posted number. For a number of different reasons, I think this years game will be a much tighter, lower-scoring affair and look for the total to stay below the number. The New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills square off today, a couple of teams that certainly have more questions than answers on both sides of the ball. New York’s offensive line was a mess last year and QB Eli Manning struggled with consistency. The Giants’ running game was atrocious as well, the unit put up the franchise’s worst numbers since the mid 1940’s. We can expect New York to try and establish the run throughout the preseason as it looks to iron out the kinks; whether it’s David Wilson, Michael Cox, Rashad Jennings, Peyton Hillis or rookie Andre Williams getting the ball, they’re going to have their hands full running behind this suspect line. One area that New York did make significant strides in the offseason in was in the defensive backfield with the additions of veteran CB’s Walter Thurmond and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The Bills can empathize, consistency has not been the teams strong point the last few seasons and it will once again suffer in that department this year. Buffalo hired Jim Schwartz as its new defensive coordinator and he’ll shift the team from an attacking 3-4 to a wide nine 4-3 front. The offense will be a work in progress as well under second-year QB EJ Manuel. While the starters could see a few snaps tonight, expect them to quickly take a back seat to the backups and wannabe’s and on a hot and humid and potentially rainy night, I think all signs point to the UNDER as the sharp wager this year.

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