NFL Preseason Week 1 Early Value Picks
Tennessee Titans vs. Baltimore Ravens
Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore
Baltimore's Preseason Dominance
Because preseason doesn't count for anything -- at least not in the way that the regular season does -- we may expect a vast disparity between teams' respective levels of motivation.
Some teams demonstrably care more about winning preseason games than others.
Baltimore is one of those teams.
Under head coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens are enjoying an NFL record 20-game win streak in preseason play.
Since 2015, they are undefeated in preseason games.
Depth
Still, depth is crucial to consider in preseason betting because Baltimore isn't going to submit its starters to superfluous levels of risk
This is especially true since the Ravens lost JK Dobbins for the season in a preseason game last year.
For the Ravens' upcoming game against Tennessee, one may expect crucial stars such as Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews to sit the whole game.
But this caution is also going to be manifest in Tennessee's personnel decisions.
For example, offensive motor Derrick Henry will reportedly not play.
Quarterback Comparison: Willis' Struggles
Baltimore boasts superior depth at the quarterback position.
Right now, Tennessee is working hard to acclimate rookie Malik Willis to the NFL.
After Ryan Tannehill's poor 2021-2022 season and his costly individual performance against the Bengals, the Titans are especially motivated to develop a newcomer.
Willis, however, is enduring significant growing pains as training camp progresses.
Training camp reports indicate that Willis is struggling with his timing, which is detrimentally affecting his accuracy levels.
Moreover, he lacks control over the huddle, which is something that a more confident veteran is more likely to possess.
He is literally struggling to "quarterback" his offense, to guide his teammates and to communicate with them.
Additionally, his college issue of taking sacks is still a prominent problem in his play.
Willis needs to cultivate a stronger degree of comfort in the pocket while remaining mindful to release his passes punctually.
Tyler Huntley Returns
With Lamar Jackson sitting, one may expect Tyler Huntley to absorb the spotlight for Baltimore's offense.
Last year, Lamar suffered an injury and Huntley responded in strong fashion that, at times, was sensational.
Evidently, even when facing starters, Huntley is an explosive runner -- he averaged 6.3 YPC last season -- who can also achieve a good completion percentage.
Depth at Running Back
Running the ball will be key for Baltimore also because of its emphasis on the running back position.
Mike Davis, whose downhill style of running makes him fit very positively in the Raven offense, Justice Hill, and Tyler Badie are all competing with each other to make the roster.
This competitive aspect will motivate them to play well despite it being preseason.
Davis, in particular, has enjoyed success as a starter filling-in for injured teammates and Badie has been exciting as he draws comparisons to Ray Rice.
Defense
After last season's debacle, defense has been a major point of emphasis for the Ravens during training camp.
Among other position groups, the defensive line is profiting from competitive battles.
Training camp has featured positive displays of defensive linemen wreaking havoc that spell trouble for a Titan offense that, for its scoring, will be rather run-dependent.
Best Bet: Ravens -3.5 at -110 with Heritage
Carolina Panthers vs. Washington Commanders
Saturday, August 13, 2022 at 1 p.m. ET at FedExField in Landover, Maryland
Carolina's Quarterbacks
In Charlotte, the offseason buzz has centered on the two starting-caliber quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold.
However, head coach Matt Rhule's preseason strategy last year indicates the extent to which each player may play in Week 1 of preseason.
Last season, before his team's first preseason game, Rhule gave the guys more work in practice whom he planned to shield in the game.
Thus, Darnold got a lot of work in practice before resting during Carolina's first preseason game.
So far, Mayfield and Darnold have gotten extensive work in practice, which indicates that neither player will play much or at all.
Consequently, we'll see the likes of Matt Corral and PJ Walker getting a lot of game time after they didn't even see significant work in practice.
They won't be very well-prepared for their game in Washington.
Washington's Quarterback Issues
For Washington, Carson Wentz will reportedly play.
However, he has suffered massive and worrying accuracy problems throughout the duration of training camp.
As head coach Ron Rivera has explained, he is still getting used to his new team and his new offense.
He still has to develop timing with his wide receivers, and generally he has a lot to learn about how his offense is supposed to operate.
Of course, accuracy issues are already commonplace for Wentz.
Last regular season, in an offense that he was used to playing in, he ranked 29th in accuracy rating.
Reliance on Running The Ball
Washington, though, enjoys excellent depth at the running position.
Rookie Brian Robinson deserves positive mention for his general success and the versatility that he's displayed during training camp.
The Commanders' greatest offensive success will certainly come on the ground, which means that they will be doing a lot of clock-draining.
Defense
Carolina's defensive quality is well-established after ranking second last year.
The Panthers have not been complacent, though, demonstrating superb levels of physicality and hunger during training camp.
Washington's defense faces more pressure after underperforming last season.
Reportedly, the secondary is doing a much better job of communicating.
On the defensive line, Chase Young's injury-induced absence has created a vacuum for other players, such as Casey Toohill, to step up.
Among other situations, goal-line drills have dramatically shown Washington's defensive improvement and tenacity.
Best Bet: Under 37 at -110 with BetOnline
Tennessee Titans vs. Baltimore Ravens
Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore
Baltimore's Preseason Dominance
Because preseason doesn't count for anything -- at least not in the way that the regular season does -- we may expect a vast disparity between teams' respective levels of motivation.
Some teams demonstrably care more about winning preseason games than others.
Baltimore is one of those teams.
Under head coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens are enjoying an NFL record 20-game win streak in preseason play.
Since 2015, they are undefeated in preseason games.
Depth
Still, depth is crucial to consider in preseason betting because Baltimore isn't going to submit its starters to superfluous levels of risk
This is especially true since the Ravens lost JK Dobbins for the season in a preseason game last year.
For the Ravens' upcoming game against Tennessee, one may expect crucial stars such as Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews to sit the whole game.
But this caution is also going to be manifest in Tennessee's personnel decisions.
For example, offensive motor Derrick Henry will reportedly not play.
Quarterback Comparison: Willis' Struggles
Baltimore boasts superior depth at the quarterback position.
Right now, Tennessee is working hard to acclimate rookie Malik Willis to the NFL.
After Ryan Tannehill's poor 2021-2022 season and his costly individual performance against the Bengals, the Titans are especially motivated to develop a newcomer.
Willis, however, is enduring significant growing pains as training camp progresses.
Training camp reports indicate that Willis is struggling with his timing, which is detrimentally affecting his accuracy levels.
Moreover, he lacks control over the huddle, which is something that a more confident veteran is more likely to possess.
He is literally struggling to "quarterback" his offense, to guide his teammates and to communicate with them.
Additionally, his college issue of taking sacks is still a prominent problem in his play.
Willis needs to cultivate a stronger degree of comfort in the pocket while remaining mindful to release his passes punctually.
Tyler Huntley Returns
With Lamar Jackson sitting, one may expect Tyler Huntley to absorb the spotlight for Baltimore's offense.
Last year, Lamar suffered an injury and Huntley responded in strong fashion that, at times, was sensational.
Evidently, even when facing starters, Huntley is an explosive runner -- he averaged 6.3 YPC last season -- who can also achieve a good completion percentage.
Depth at Running Back
Running the ball will be key for Baltimore also because of its emphasis on the running back position.
Mike Davis, whose downhill style of running makes him fit very positively in the Raven offense, Justice Hill, and Tyler Badie are all competing with each other to make the roster.
This competitive aspect will motivate them to play well despite it being preseason.
Davis, in particular, has enjoyed success as a starter filling-in for injured teammates and Badie has been exciting as he draws comparisons to Ray Rice.
Defense
After last season's debacle, defense has been a major point of emphasis for the Ravens during training camp.
Among other position groups, the defensive line is profiting from competitive battles.
Training camp has featured positive displays of defensive linemen wreaking havoc that spell trouble for a Titan offense that, for its scoring, will be rather run-dependent.
Best Bet: Ravens -3.5 at -110 with Heritage
Carolina Panthers vs. Washington Commanders
Saturday, August 13, 2022 at 1 p.m. ET at FedExField in Landover, Maryland
Carolina's Quarterbacks
In Charlotte, the offseason buzz has centered on the two starting-caliber quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold.
However, head coach Matt Rhule's preseason strategy last year indicates the extent to which each player may play in Week 1 of preseason.
Last season, before his team's first preseason game, Rhule gave the guys more work in practice whom he planned to shield in the game.
Thus, Darnold got a lot of work in practice before resting during Carolina's first preseason game.
So far, Mayfield and Darnold have gotten extensive work in practice, which indicates that neither player will play much or at all.
Consequently, we'll see the likes of Matt Corral and PJ Walker getting a lot of game time after they didn't even see significant work in practice.
They won't be very well-prepared for their game in Washington.
Washington's Quarterback Issues
For Washington, Carson Wentz will reportedly play.
However, he has suffered massive and worrying accuracy problems throughout the duration of training camp.
As head coach Ron Rivera has explained, he is still getting used to his new team and his new offense.
He still has to develop timing with his wide receivers, and generally he has a lot to learn about how his offense is supposed to operate.
Of course, accuracy issues are already commonplace for Wentz.
Last regular season, in an offense that he was used to playing in, he ranked 29th in accuracy rating.
Reliance on Running The Ball
Washington, though, enjoys excellent depth at the running position.
Rookie Brian Robinson deserves positive mention for his general success and the versatility that he's displayed during training camp.
The Commanders' greatest offensive success will certainly come on the ground, which means that they will be doing a lot of clock-draining.
Defense
Carolina's defensive quality is well-established after ranking second last year.
The Panthers have not been complacent, though, demonstrating superb levels of physicality and hunger during training camp.
Washington's defense faces more pressure after underperforming last season.
Reportedly, the secondary is doing a much better job of communicating.
On the defensive line, Chase Young's injury-induced absence has created a vacuum for other players, such as Casey Toohill, to step up.
Among other situations, goal-line drills have dramatically shown Washington's defensive improvement and tenacity.
Best Bet: Under 37 at -110 with BetOnline
