THE NFL PRESEASON – Jim Powers
TAKING A QUICK PEEK AHEAD
AT THE THURSDAY, AUG. 8TH SKED
There’s a new twist to this year’s NFL Preseason schedule as Week 1 will hold most of its games on Thursday night … yes, 11 of the 16 games get played even before we get to next weekend and so we’re gonna jump right in and get you some quick-hitter thoughts / observations on a handful of games to be played on 8-8-19:
JIM POWERS EARLY-BIRD SEASON PACKAGE!
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8 – PRESEASON WEEK 1
NEW YORK JETS at NEW YORK GIANTS – 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network
The J-E-T-S had an uber-busy offseason as first-year head coach Adam Gase basically “overthrew” veteran GM Mike Maccagnan but now the former Dolphins’ coach must show he’s got a team on the upswing. All the reports on second-year QB Sam Darnold are glowing and there’s major optimism on defense where rookie DL Quinnen Williams (Alabama) teams up with DL Leonard Williams but don’t expect any snaps here for RB Le’Veon Bell while the Giants will spend a chunk of time here examining the state of their battered wide receiving corps. Remember no WR Golden Tate for regular-season’s first four games (league suspension)
Current Prices: Jets – 1.5 and 33.5 Points
TENNESSEE at PHILADELPHIA – 7:30 p.m. ET
One of these years the Titans hope QB Marcus Mariota will stay healthy for a full 16-game sked (plus playoffs) but we don’t expect to see the former Heisman Trophy winner to play more than a single series here (if at all!) while the Eagles must find some depth at cornerback after Cre’von LeBlanc injured a foot recently (out till November) and everyone remembers how Philly was short in the secondary for much of the 2018 season.
Current Prices: Eagles – 3.5 and 37 Points
Note …
Jim Powers will be striking up a big-time winning NFL preseason this month and it all started with Thursday’s “under” winner in Denver’s 14-10 victory against Atlanta in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton. Jim’s clients cashed as the game easily went “under” 35 points and there’s lots more winners straight ahead. Plus, don’t forget that Jim Powers keeps piling up the profits with Major-League Baseball (25-9) – get all the MLB winners this weekend
Note – There’s a full slate of NFL Preseason Games on tap next week including 11 games on Thursday, August 8th plus on Friday, Aug. 9th it’s Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh and Minnesota at New Orleans and NFL Preseason Week 1 wraps up with three games on Saturday, Aug. 10th as Cincinnati is at Kansas City, Dallas plays at San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams are at Oakland. Make sure you’re banging out all the preseason winners!
In other Thursday games, it’s …
ATLANTA at MIAMI – 7:30 p.m. ET
Gonna see some of the Falcons’ first-stringers here following all backups / all the time in last Thursday’s aforementioned 14-10 Hall of Fame Game loss to Denver – maybe Atlanta has some dudes that can hang onto the ball ‘cause way too many drops in the opener! On the flip side, the new-look Dolphins – see brand-new head coach Brian Flores and the QB tag team of Ryan Fitzpatrick / Josh Rosen – promise to take more chances in the vertical passing game after Miami all-too-often played it safe with the short stuff a year ago.
Current Prices: Dolphins – 3.5 and 35 Points
WASHINGTON at CLEVELAND – 7:30 p.m. ET
The single-biggest hyped team in this year’s NFL—the Cleveland Browns – are suddenly being treated as some sort of Super Bowl contender. Hey, pump the brakes on that because new coach Freddie Kitchens won’t have it easy handling these egos (see QB Baker Mayfield, WR Odell Beckham, Jr. and fellow wide-out Jarvis Landry) and everyone will be gunning for the Brownies … yes, even in the preseason. The ‘Skins are handing the reigns to rookie QB Dwayne Haskins (Ohio State) and it’s his job to lose. Expect Haskins to play a couple of series here.
JIM POWERS EARLY-BIRD SEASON PACKAGE!
Current Prices: Browns – 1.5 and 35 Points
HOUSTON at GREEN BAY – 8 p.m. ET
The “marriage” between Packers’ rookie head coach Adam LaFleur and QB Aaron Rodgers has been grabbing all the summertime headlines but let’s take a moment to examine a Texans team that last year ranked second in the NFL in turnovers (+ 13) and will be putting the heat on Green Bay’s quarterbacks here.
Current Prices: Packers – 2 and 35.5 Points
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS at ARIZONA – 10 p.m.ET, NFL Network
Here’s two teams truly at the opposite end of the spectrum: The Chargers have real life Super Bowl aspirations even if RB Melvin Gordon continues to sit out with contract issues while the Cardinals – now on their third head coach in as many years (hello, Kliff Kingsbury!) – are asking smallish rookie QB Kyler Murray (Oklahoma) to rescue them after a dreadful 3-13 season a year ago. Murray figures to play a series or two here plus look for former Green Bay backup Brett Hundley to play some as he attempts to nail down the #2 job in the desert.
Current Prices: Cardinals – 2 and 35 Points
DENVER at SEATTLE – 10 p.m. ET
Fully expect the Broncos to let 34-year-old QB Joe Flacco get in a few snaps here after he sat out the team’s four-point Hall of Fame win against Atlanta last Thursday but we’ll be keeping a close eye on rookie TE Noah Fant (one dropped pass and a bad holding penalty versus the Falcs). On the flip side, the Seahawks boned up a defense that last year uncharacteristically ranked 15th in the league in total “D” (353.3 yards per game) but added first-round draft pick DE L.J. Collier (TCU) and second-rounder SS Marquise Blair (Utah).
Current Prices: No lines available
JIM POWERS EARLY-BIRD SEASON PACKAGE!
