Many people think that only sucks and degenerates bet on meaningless preseason games.  If you study up, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Follow the Money

The main reason why preseason is profitable is because betting it is a game of information rather than the game play itself.  Coaches will tell you what they are going to be doing.  Professional bettors get this information to their advantage.  Look no further than lines that move drastically (2 or more points).  If you simply just look at line moves you can tell where pros are betting.  If you can get news before the line moves, even better.

Coaching

Each coach tends to look at preseason games differently. Quite often they will explicitly say in press conferences what their game plan is and how much each string of players will be playing.  If you are like me, and can’t dissect every teams game plan, you can simply follow the money/line moves.  For instance, in Thursday’s, August 3rd Hall of Fame game, the Jets opened up as 2.5 to 3 point underdogs.  As of now, the Jets are now the favorite at -1.5.  Just from that, you can tell where the money is betting this.

Coaches also have track records on outcomes of games.  See here for a breakdown of coach’s past performances (https://walterfootball.com/betting_pre.php)  Jim Harbaugh and the Ravens haven’t lost a preseason game since 2015.  Yes, you read that correctly,, 23 straight wins.  Another example, Mike Tomlin is 15-4 since 2017.  Clearly, there are some coaches that want to win these games and some that could care less.

Totals

Totals in preseason week 1 are generally in the mid to low 30s.  The average total last year was 35.1.  The average points scored was 43.9.  Overs went 13-3 in 2022 week 1.  The current trend is scoring in these games.  Pay attention to where these numbers open and see if the books have adjusted.  Many of these games flew over the total.  2 went over by a half point (depending upon your book).  Numbers matter.  Make sure to shop around for the best you can get.  You can do so by downloading WAGERWIRE.  Use the referral code “SPORTSBETSPLITS” to receive your bonuses.