Preseason NFL pointspreads almost never go higher than 3.5 to 4 points – so what the hell is going on in St. Louis that the Rams moved to 7.5-point chalk against the Colts?
Sure it's the preseason and sure the Rams have lots of motivation to start well while the Colts are just trying to settle into their usual winning routine. But 7.5 points?
“Very rare to see a number that high, but the Rams have been very busy in free agency and I think bettors expect them to use those new veterans liberally in the preseason,” said handicapping expert Mike Pickett.
“They added right guard Harvey Dahl, wideout Mike Sims-Walker, DT Justin Bannan, LB Zac Diles and safety Quintin Mikell and gave Steven Jackson some depth with Jerrious Norwood and Cadillac Williams. That’s a lot of new faces who need reps in a new system.”
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Why is that important? Because it means while Indy may play starters and veterans only sporadically, St. Louis figures to field a stronger roster. When the game doesn’t count in the standings, that is a significant edge for the NFL bettor.
It’s the biggest spread of the week and may even climb a bit at shops that specialize in NFL underdog lines like Sportsbook.
But early in the week, the teams that have moved to the top of the Super Bowl futures list with their recent acquisitions are both favored at home.
New England’s home opener is against Jacksonville and the Patriots are 4.5-point preseason faves. New England is currently the early Super Bowl favorite at Sportsbook.
The Eagles meanwhile moved as the third choice for bettors, just behind the defending champion Packers with their slew of new acquisitions. They are favoured by 3.5 points at home against Baltimore.
Both teams open Thursday. See all the preseason NFL odds here.
The aforementioned Packers are small 2-point road favourites at Cleveland on Saturday.
Betting NFL preseason games may seem absurd to the casual fan, but savvy bettors know that this time of year offers the most handicapping data for bettors. Read the NFL exhibition game betting strategy article here at OddsShark.com for more tips and theories.
