- The under on the game total for the preseason went 23-8-1 in 2021.
- Preseason underdogs have gone 126-99-9 ATS since 2017.
LAS VEGAS – Betting on the NFL is finally here and bettors can begin getting in some practice betting on it with the preseason coming up. The preseason acts as a practice run for many teams to practice their gameplans and get some field time for young players who have not yet made a name for themselves on the field.
That said, it is a great opportunity to ease back into betting on the NFL to get ready for the regular season. However, in the preseason, being that it is much different than the regular season, betting on it should be done differently. With starters not playing much and coaches using this time frame as an experience, they shouldn’t be bet on like regular games. One of the best ways to bet on the NFL preseason is through betting trends.
Bet On The Under For Total Points
Being that preseason games are used as an opportunity to try new gameplans and give playing time to those that might not get during the season, betting the under on the game totals has been a hot trend. While some might be cautious of this being that total points in the preseason are usually set under 40 points, there shouldn’t be any worries.
Looking back to the 2021 preseason, the under throughout all three weeks of it had gone a strong 23-8-1. That included 14 games that stayed at or under 30 points.
Underdogs Come To Play In Preseason
For those that dare to bet on the winners of the games, it is worth noting that underdogs have performed fairly well in the games prior to the season. Looking back to the last 25 seasons, underdogs have recorded a 53.7% success rate against the spread at an 844-727-51 record.
Even more recently, in the last five seasons, underdogs have picked up to a 56% success rate going 126-99-9 record. This just goes to show that due to the unpredictable gameplans that the odds are just too unpredictable to consistently bet on the favorites.
Bet On Coaches
While the lineups and gameplans in the preseason continuously change, the one thing that stays the same each year are the coaches on the sidelines which have betting trends on themselves. Looking at how certain coaches in the preseason perform against the spread, John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens, he has the best record against the spread in the preseason amongst active coaches going 35-17. Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks is another example as he’s gone for a 64.2% rate ATS for a 36-20 record in the preseason.
As for some coaches to perform poorly ATS in the preseason, Pittsburgh Steelers coach, Mike Tomlin, and Dallas Cowboys Coach, Mike McCarthy, are among them. Tomlin has a 28-29-1 ATS record while McCarthy is 26-28-2.
Following Team Trends
Similar to betting on coaches in the preseason, betting on teams does come tough, however, some teams have profitable trends in their direction. Most notably, the Baltimore Ravens. Feeding off of Harbaugh’s incredible record against the spread, the Ravens as a whole have dominated the preseason in recent years.
The Ravens are currently on a 20-game win streak in the preseason with their last preseason loss dating back to 2015.
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Samuel has been writing professionally for 4 years. He comes from a sports writing background where he enjoys writing mostly about basketball and football both professional and collegiate. He is a recent graduate of Florida State University where he majored in Editing, Writing and Media with a minor in Communications. During his free time, you can find him watching or playing sports as well as playing videogames and listening to music.