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Sportsbook.com is ready as the second week of the NFL Preseason gets underway with a pair of contests involving mostly elite teams. The headliner will be Philadelphia at Indianapolis, which is a Fox Sports telecast, with New England hosting Cincinnati in the other game.
This is often a solid wagering week, as coaches start to really formulate what kind of squad they will put together. Teams coming off losing efforts typically want to rebound, while clubs that won might be inclined to let up a bit and don't give their best efforts.
The Eagles are one such team that is tastier than a Philly cheesesteak in Week 2 of the preseason. Coach Andy Reid is in his 11th season in the City of Brotherly Love and doesn't place much stock in August football. This is preparation time and his goal is to put together the most talented roster he can, with hopes of winning the NFC East and returning to Super Bowl.
In the first game, Reid is reviewing as many players as possible and winning is an afterthought as six consecutive losses (0-6 ATS) prove. However, Reid isn't foolish and has picked his spots, just like the man he worked under, Mike Holmgren did at Green Bay and Seattle. Reid has shown proclivity of wanting to win off first preseason loss and the Eagles are 7-3, with outstanding 9-0-1 ATS record this week, which includes 5-0 SU and ATS run since 2004.
Indianapolis is an established power in the AFC, yet having a new head coach does bring change. The Colts are notoriously a poor preseason team, with a 3-16 record and 5-13-1 ATS mark since 2005. Among the questions about Indianapolis: would new coach Jim Caldwell run a different camp than his predecessor Tony Dungy or would preparing for the regular season still be tantamount? The early answer suggests more of the same, with the Colts totaling a dismal 142 yards of offense last week in 13-3 loss to Minnesota. Without Jim Sorgi as backup quarterback, the fall is precipitous after Peyton Manning, with Curtis Painter and Chris Crane.
Sportsbook.com odds-makers know these facts and have established Philadelphia as three-point road favorites with a total of 36. Indianapolis is just 1-8 on home turf with 1-7-1 ATS mark; however, they are 11-2 ATS after a loss by 10 or more points. The action starts at 8 Eastern and Michael Vick is not expected to even make the trip for Philly, making it less of a story this week.
Thirty minutes earlier in the New England area, the Patriots welcome the Bengals. Tom Brady will look to continue his recovery process, this time in front of the home folks. The former Michigan man was 10 of 15 for 100 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while showing little rust. He'll be matched against a Cincinnati defense not known for stopping the run or the pass.
The line on this encounter has moved significantly, with Cincy signal caller Carson Palmer unlikely to see the field after suffering a moderate high ankle sprain in 17-7 loss to New Orleans. New England opened as 4.5-point favorite and the swiftly moved to a to -7. The injury means extensive playing time for backups J.T. O'Sullivan and Carson's brother Jordan Palmer.
New England is 21-13 ATS as preseason chalk and they are 10-2 against the spread at home after one or more consecutive straight up wins under Bill Belichick. For underdog players, the most encouraging news is the Pats fit a negative system that states to play against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points in conference games, off a road win. Teams in this spot are 5-20 ATS, winning by 2.8 points per game.
Log on now to Sportsbook.com for all of your NFL Preseason wagering. And don't forget to enter the NFL Opening Day Getaway promotion where you can turn your preseason bets into an all inclusive trip to NFL's opening weekend in the city of your choice.
