NFL Preseason Thursday
Photo Credit: Yahoo
We are getting closer and closer to the regular season. It starts tonight with two NFL preseason games. We will try and have some handicaps for the games using as much information as we can to peel off some winners for y’all.
NFL Preseason Record: (0.00 units)
6:00pm cst: Houston Texas -3.5 vs. New England Patriots; Total 35.5
The story in this matchup will be the quarterbacks, and rightfully so. The No. 2 draft pick this past spring, CJ Stroud, will be making his anticipated debut with the Houston Texans tonight. Nobody knows how many reps he will get, but Houston will have Davis Mills and Case Keenum backing him up. The Texans also have a deep running back and wide receiver corps. Again, we are not sure how much playing time the projected starters will get, so it is good to know how deep these rosters are.
The Patriots will most likely start Mac Jones, and of course there will be the anticipated return of Bailey Zappe. I doubt he gets a lot of playing time, but he should get the majority out of the bunch. Behind them, there will be Malik Cunningham from Louisville, who is great at scrambling and making plays, and Trace McSorley, who already has four years under his belt. New England has a lesser-known but strong backfield.
This is still preseason, and the number is still important. With the spread being 3.5, this definitely favors the Patriots, who are getting more than a field goal. The Texans do have plenty of weapons at their disposal, but I do not see them taking many risks with CJ Stroud in the first game. There is a good chance he gets shut down after three drives or the first quarter. Both defenses should be ready to go. New England’s rookies on defense, Christian Gonzalez from Oregon and Keion White from Georgia Tech, are making their debuts. Do not forget about the Texans’ rookies Henry To’o To’o and Will Anderson Jr. This should be a fun game, but I feel like you have to take the points here. Bill Belichick against rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans. This line should be closer to 2 or 2.5 due to the uncertainties with Houston.
Pick: Patriots +3.5 (-115)
9:00pm cst: Minnesota Vikings vs. Seattle Seahawks -3.5; Total 35
This should be an entertaining game. I think there will be plenty of offense in this one. I doubt Kirk Cousins will play, but I am looking forward to watching rookie Jaren Hall from BYU. He has a strong arm and enjoys throwing the deep ball. He will have some nice targets too, including rookie WRs Jordan Addison from USC, Jacob Copeland from Maryland, Lucky Jackson from WKU and Thayer Thomas from NC State. There are so many to choose from. The Vikings also have some running backs who are ready to compete for the second-string spot behind Mattison, such as DeWayne McBride from UAB and Abram Smith from Baylor. On paper, there is a ton of young talent on the Vikings offense with opportunities to compete for playing time this fall.
The Seahawks are in the same boat in regard to looking for young talent to step up to fill the depth chart. Seattle lost a strong prospect early in camp when Zach Charbonnet from UCLA got injured. Like a typical Pete Carroll team, they are deep and filled with running backs, such as DeeJay Dallas and rookies Kenny McIntosh from UGA, Wayne Taulapapa from Washington and SaRodrick Thompson Jr. from Texas Tech. If Geno Smith does not play, which I do not think he will, the Seahawks still have Drew Lock and rookie Holton Ahlers from ECU. That is some solid talent. I am a fan of Ahlers, who was a four-year starter at East Carolina and is tough as nails. We cannot forget to mention the WR group, which is starting to receive plenty of hype heading into the season with rookie additions such as Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Jake Bobo.
As you can tell, I am excited to watch this game with all the talent taking the field tonight, especially when most are fighting for playing time this season. I feel like we will see a lot of points scored tonight. With that in mind, I also think the Vikings will keep it close because of the many players competing for playing time. It does not hurt that they are getting more than a field goal as well.
Pick: Vikings +3.5 (-110) & Over 35 (-112)
Thanks to those that took the time to read. Questions? Leave a comment. Want info on more games that your book offers? Let me know. Follow along on our socials and good luck to us!
COLLEGE FOOTBALL FANS:
Download our FREE 2023 College Football Preview Magazine!
FREE FREE FREE On Our Home Page or Click Below
