Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals - Thursday, August 22, 8:20 p.m. ET
Spread: Colts -2.5 (-105), Bengals +2.5 (-115)
Moneyline: Colts (-130), Bengals (+110)
Total: Over/under 36.5 (-105/-115)
The Colts averaged more than 25 points across their two preseason games despite not yet taking Anthony Richardson off of the shelf. They face a Bengals team that was blown out by the Bears last week and is 0-2 in the preseason as the lack of receiving options has made for tough sledding. We like the Colts here because of their offensive ceiling and because they’ve shown more of a fight in the preseason
Colts vs. Bengals pick: Colts -2.5 (-105) at FanDuel
Chicago Bears vs. Kansas City Chiefs - Thursday, August 22, 8:00 p.m. ET
Spread: Bears -2.5 (-115), Chiefs +2.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Bears (-140), Chiefs (+120)
Total: Over/under 35.5 (-110/-110)
The Bears are the stars of the preseason with a 3-0 record and wins of four, 27, and 24 points. Caleb Williams will go against the man he’s often compared to, Patrick Mahomes, and a winless Chiefs team that seems to be waiting for the regular season to fully unleash its best “stuff.” We like the Bears here because they seem determined to build momentum early by dominating the preseason, whereas the Chiefs have their eyes fixed months down the road.
Bears vs. Chiefs pick: Bears -2.5 (-115) at FanDuel
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons - Friday, August 23, 7:00 p.m. ET
Spread: Jaguars -4.5 (-115), Falcons +4.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Jaguars (-210), Falcons (+175)
Total: Over/under 35.5 (-105/-115)
Jacksonville is 2-0 thanks to its quarterback depth, specifically Mac Jones, who threw for an impressive (by preseason standards) 210 yards and two TDs in a 20-7 win last week. Atlanta, on the other hand, will not play Kirk Cousins and shut down Michael Penix Jr., leaving them with Taylor Heinicke and John Paddock under center. That right there is enough to warrant taking the Jags.
Jaguars vs. Falcons pick: Jaguars -4.5 (-115) at FanDuel
Miami Dolphins vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Friday, August 23, 7:30 p.m. ET
Spread: Dolphins -1.5 (-115), Buccaneers +1.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Dolphins (-135), Buccaneers (+110)
Total: Over/under 34.5 (-115/-105)
Mike McDaniel is known for creating explosive offense, and he’s been able to continue that even in a dumbed-down version of his game plan during the preseason. The Bucs lost to the Jaguars 20-7 last week but have played solid defense and are starting to run the ball better after years of struggles.
Dolphins vs. Buccaneers pick: Buccaneers +1.5 (-105) at FanDuel
San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders - Friday, August 23, 10:00 p.m. ET
Spread: 49ers +3.5 (-110), Raiders -3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: 49ers (+155), Raiders (-180)
Total: Over/under 37.5 (-115/-105)
The Niners might be perennial contenders, but they’ve been average and are 1-1 in the preseason through two weeks. Their opponent, the Raiders, are 0-2 with one close and one sizable loss. We see a world in which the Raiders win but fail to cover, seeing as Josh Dobbs had a solid performance last week, and the chaos at QB in Vegas could lead to volatility at the position.
49ers vs. Raiders pick: 49ers +3.5 (-110)at FanDuel
Carolina Panthers vs. Buffalo Bills - Saturday, August 24, 1:00 p.m. ET
Spread: Panthers +4.5 (-110), Bills -4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Panthers (+175), Bills (-210)
Total: Over/under 34.5 (-115/-105)
The Panthers stayed true to their 2023 form and lost both of their preseason games, bringing them to 2-20 since the start of the 2023 preseason. The Bills only beat the Steelers 9-3 last week and were blown out by the Bears in their first outing as their lack of depth at multiple positions has revealed itself. This should be a very low-scoring game, which raises the value of every point and has us looking at the Panthers.
Panthers vs. Bills pick: Panthers +4.5 (-110) at FanDuel
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Detroit Lions - Saturday, August 24, 1:00 p.m. ET
Spread: Steelers -3 (-110), Lions +3 (-110)
Moneyline: Steelers (-165), Lions (+140)
Total: Over/under 36.5 (-115/-105)
The Steelers scored three points last week despite playing Russell Wilson and Justin Fields for the entire game, which is a harrowing sign at the very least. Detroit took down the Chiefs by a point after a dud in Week 1 and looks to be much more explosive. We can’t believe we’re saying this, but they might even have the advantage at QB without Jared Goff stepping onto the field.
Steelers vs. Lions pick: Lions +3 (-110) at FanDuel
Baltimore Ravens vs. Green Bay Packers - Saturday, August 24, 1:00 p.m. ET
Spread: Ravens -1.5 (-105), Packers +1.5 (-115)
Moneyline: Ravens (-120), Packers (+100)
Total: Over/under 34.5 (-105/-115)
The Ravens restored their tradition of winning the preseason by taking down the Falcons last week, scoring 13 points for the second straight week. The Packers only scored two points in a blowout loss against the Broncos and seem to lack in depth compared to Baltimore, which is why the favorites are our pick in this contest.
Ravens vs. Packers pick: Ravens -1.5 (-105) at FanDuel
Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles - Saturday, August 24, 1:00 p.m. ET
Spread: Vikings +2.5 (-110), Eagles -2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Vikings (+120), Eagles (-140)
Total: Over/under 34.5 (-115/-105)
Minnesota lost J.J. McCarthy to injury and likely won’t play Sam Darnold to preserve his health, which leaves Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall to hold down the fort. Philly hasn’t been great on offense but has seen impressive contributions from young players on its defense, many of which could carve out larger roles later in the year. The Eagles have more talent and have played with an edge on defense, which is why we like them here.
Vikings vs. Eagles pick: Eagles -2.5 (-110) at FanDuel
Los Angeles Rams vs. Houston Texans - Saturday, August 24, 1:00 p.m. ET
Spread: Rams +6.5 (-110), Texans -6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Rams (+230), Texans (-280)
Total: Over/under 34.5 (-110/-110)
Stetson Bennett appears to be handling the entirety of the Rams’ preseason and bounced back with a solid game last week as the defense held the Chargers to nine points. The Texans, meanwhile, picked off Daniel Jones two times and moved the ball well in a comfortable 28-10 win over the G-Men. Bennett is going to put the ball in harm’s way, and the Texans showed last week just how opportunistic they can be.
Rams vs. Texans pick: Texans -6.5 (-110) at FanDuel
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Dallas Cowboys - Saturday, August 24, 4:00 p.m. ET
Spread: Chargers +3.5 (-110), Cowboys -3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Chargers (+145), Cowboys (-170)
Total: Over/under 33.5 (-105/-115)
The Chargers’ offense has been a disaster in the preseason, failing to score double-digit points once, and they’ll find it even harder now that they released QB Max Duggan. The Cowboys seem content playing Trey Lance nearly every snap and haven’t allowed more than 13 points in a game yet. This matchup seems to favor Dallas since LA seems mostly incapable of moving the football.
Chargers vs. Cowboys pick: Cowboys -3.5 (-110) at FanDuel
New York Giants vs. New York Jets - Saturday, August 24, 7:30 p.m. ET
Spread: Giants -1.5 (-105), Jets +1.5 (-115)
Moneyline: Giants (-120), Jets (+100)
Total: Over/under 31.5 (-115/-105)
The battle for the Big Apple is on! Daniel Jones threw two interceptions in a preseason matchup, sending the entire Giants fan base into disarray (yet again), while the Jets are 2-0 without Aaron Rodgers taking a snap yet. We like the Jets because of their defense but expect this to be one of the lowest-scoring games of the week.
Giants vs. Jets pick: Jets +1.5 (-115) at FanDuel
Cleveland Browns vs. Seattle Seahawks - Saturday, August 24, 10:00 p.m. ET
Spread: Browns +1.5 (-110), Seahawks -1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Browns (+100), Seahawks (-120)
Total: Over/under 36.5 (-105/-115)
The Browns are normally a run-heavy team, yet they’ve relied on the passing game (to no avail) during an 0-2 preseason start. Seattle is instilling new defensive principles under head coach Mike MacDonald and could have a bit of quarterback controversy on its hands as Sam Howell impressed last week. We like the Browns, despite their performances, since they have been able to move the ball through the air and just haven’t found ways to punch the ball into the end zone.
Browns vs. Seahawks pick: Seahawks -1.5 (-110) at FanDuel
Tennessee Titans vs. New Orleans Saints - Sunday, August 25, 2:00 p.m. ET
Spread: Titans +3.5 (-105), Saints -3.5 (-115)
Moneyline: Titans (+165), Saints (-195)
Total: Over/under 35.5 (-110/-110)
The Titans might not be expected to do much once the regular season starts, but they’re 2-0 in the preseason and allowed an average of 14.5 points. They take on the New Orleans Saints, who may be entering a rebuild sooner than they anticipated. We like the Titans because they’ve been solid on defense and because the Saints’ offense has been totally uninspiring, despite Spencer Rattler supposedly impressing in practice.
Titans vs. Saints pick: Titans +3.5 (-105) at FanDuel
Arizona Cardinals vs. Denver Broncos - Sunday, August 25, 4:30 p.m. ET
Spread: Cardinals +3.5 (-115), Broncos -3.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Cardinals (+145), Broncos (-170)
Total: Over/under 36.5 (-115/-105)
Jonathan Gannon is still yet to prove himself as a winning head coach as the Cardinals are 0-2 and only gained 232 total yards of offense last week. Meanwhile, the Broncos are the highest-scoring team of the preseason and have clarity at quarterback now that Sean Payton named Bo Nix the Week 1 starter. The Broncos seem to be the best bet here with how efficient their offense has been thus far.
Cardinals vs. Broncos pick: Broncos -3.5 (-105) at FanDuel
New England Patriots vs. Washington Commanders - Sunday, August 25, 8:00 p.m. ET
Spread: Patriots +2.5 (-110), Commanders -2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Patriots (+120), Commanders (-140)
Total: Over/under 35.5 (-110/-110)
The second and third picks in the draft will take the field as Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye look to turn the page on a chapter of struggle for their respective franchises. Daniels has been arguably the best quarterback in the preseason, while Maye is still fighting with veteran Jacoby Brissett for the starting job. Both teams have depth issues, but Washington has been better overall and has our support here.
Patriots vs. Commanders pick: Commanders -2.5 (-110) at FanDuel
