Want to make some cash on the NFL Preseason? Friday gives us 6 NFLx games to pick apart and we found some decent value on a couple of them.
Here are 2 Best Bets for Friday, August 11. Get the winner of Giants-Lions and Broncos-Cardinals right here! Best of luck with your picks!
Lions +2.5 over Giants
The Giants finished a respectable 9-7-1 last season. It could be viewed as a letdown after having a strong start like they did but nonetheless, that record in the toughest division in the league is nothing to sneeze at.
The Giants brought in a bunch of new weapons for Daniel Jones during the offseason. Parris Campbell, Jamison Crowder, and Jeff Smith round out the new receiving corps, while Darren Waller is a legitimate threat at the tight end position. Saquon Barkley was healthy last season and put-up solid numbers.
However, the majority of these guys will not see time in this matchup with the Lions. Tommy DeVito, rookie out of Illinois will be under center for most of the game and he will have maybe Jaydon Mickens as his top receiving threat.
The Lions and coach Dan Campbell were able to finally turn things around for the Detroit franchise last season. After a 3-13-1 debut season, the Campbell era was improved with a 9-8 mark. Narrowly missing out on the playoffs, this team will be hungry to get to the postseason this year.
De’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams are no longer roaming the backfield. Instead, they brought in David Montgomery and drafted Jahmyr Gibbs who are likely to split carries. Justin Jackson is a veteran 3rd stringer that will get some run in this 1st preseason game. The QB duties are likely to be split between veteran Nate Sudfeld and the dual threat rookie, Adrian Martinez.
With the Lions being led by a man that believes every competition is one worth winning, we immediately lean towards Campbell and his Lions. The next part that pushes that way is the difference in QB play between the teams.
Martinez could threaten Sudfeld for the backup position behind Goff while Tommy DeVito is stuck in his spot of 3rd string with Tyrod Taylor being the solidified backup for Jones. Give us the Lions and give us the points.
Broncos -5.5 over Cardinals
Things could not have played out much worse for the Broncos last season. In the 1st year with newly acquired QB, Russell Wilson and new head coach Nathaniel Hackett; the Broncos finished 5-12 and Hackett found himself unemployed.
Now, with Sean Payton taking over the head spot, the Broncos are primed to make last year’s season one quickly forgotten. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci will likely take most of the snaps in this initial preseason game.
Newly acquired Marquez Callaway will be the top receiving threat but there are some unknown rookies fighting for roster spots on the backend of the receiving corps. Speaking of fight for roster spots, the defense has a ton of open spots between the 2nd and 3rd strings, most notably the linebackers.
As bad as things were for the Broncos, things were just as bad for the Cardinals. Kyler Murray was a mess and ended his season on the IR and left the team with a 4-13 record. He is not likely to return to the field for quite some time leaving Colt McCoy as the main man.
DeAndre Hopkins, the top receiver for Arizona is no longer on the roster, leaving just James Conner as the staple on offense returning. Rookie Clayton Tune, Jeff Driskel, and David Blough will be under center in this matchup.
While competition can lead to a good thing in the preseason, the Cardinals QB group here seems to be in some dire straits. The stability of Stidham and DiNucci seem like a better option to ride with here. Combine that with the defense of the Broncos that should have a hungry bunch of linebackers ready to make some plays and we think Denver is a solid pick.
