2012 NFL Preseason: Week 1 Sports Betting Preview

The 2012 NFL preseason schedule kicks off on Sunday night when the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints meet up in the Hall of Fame game at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, OH.

Sports bettors have been busy reading training camp reports for the past week while also taking a closer look at the NFL betting odds (courtesy of SBR Forum) that were released for the first round that takes place from Aug. 5-13.

Let's take a closer look at the opening round of pro football's exhibition season from a betting perspective.

Arizona Cardinals vs. New Orleans Saints

It's been quite an offseason for the New Orleans Saints, as they will try to move past Bountygate when they open up their 2012 preseason schedule against the Arizona Cardinals as three-point favorites.

The Saints have tallied a 3-1 against-the-spread (ATS) record in preseason openers the last four seasons, including a 24-3 victory over the San Francisco 49ers as 2.5-point home favorites a season ago.

New Orleans' first team didn't produce a first down in the first three series of that contest, with quarterback Drew Brees completing 1-of-4 pass attempts for six yards.

The Cardinals have covered their last two exhibition openers, as they open up on the road for the second consecutive year, earning a 24-18 victory over the Oakland Raiders as 3.5-point underdogs last year.

Arizona's quarterback battle between Kevin Kolb and John Skelton gives the team an edge in this affair, especially since New Orleans' defense will be starting anew with coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who takes over for Gregg Williams.

Washington Redskins vs. Buffalo Bills

Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan is known for starting fast in exhibition play, winning 13 of 18 in the opening week, which includes a money-making 12-5-1 ATS mark.

That statistic is the main reason that the Redskins are currently two-point favorites in the NFL betting odds.

Rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III is saying all the right things early on in training camp, but there's definite concern about the offensive line.

The Buffalo Bills are one of the more talked about teams in the National Football League coming into the 2012 campaign, with much of the hype surrounding a much-improved defensive line.

Former Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams is ready to get after quarterbacks in the AFC East division this year, but will look to get off to a solid start here.

Sports bettors may shy away from the slight home underdogs, considering the Bills have dropped and failed to cover their last six preseason games against NFC opponents. 

Baltimore Ravens vs. Atlanta Falcons

The Baltimore Ravens will try to put their AFC Championship Game loss behind them in the preseason opener, as head coach John Harbaugh has been excited in camp about this year's rookie class.

Sports bettors will find that the Ravens are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 preseason meetings against NFC opponents while also covering four of their last five openers overall.

The Atlanta Falcons are also looking to put a disappointing playoff loss in the rear-view mirror, suffering a 24-2 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants in last year's NFC wild-card round.

You won't find me running to the window and laying 2.5 points on the Falcons in this affair, considering they've gone 1-3 ATS in head coach Mike Smith's four preseason openers. 

New Orleans Saints vs. New England Patriots

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will try to forget about last year's Super Bowl setback to the New York Giants, as the franchise will host the New Orleans Saints on Thursday, Aug. 9.

The Patriots have covered eight of their last nine preseason openers, including a 47-12 blowout victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars as three-point home favorites in 2011. It's important to note that Brady didn't see the field in that contest, with backups Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallet getting all the snaps.

New Orleans will already have a game under its belt when arriving in Foxborough, which could be an advantage if it comes out of the Hall of Fame game in good shape health-wise.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles have three playmaking wide receivers, led by game-breaker DeSean Jackson.

He got paid in the offseason and should be ready for a monster year teaming up with quarterback Michael Vick.  

The Eagles are currently two-point home favorites against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, Aug.9, which is a bit surprising due to head coach Andy Reid's 21-31 straight-up record in exhibition play.

These two teams hooked up in the preseason in Week 2 a year ago, with the Steelers capturing a 24-14 victory as three-point home favorites. Pittsburgh went into halftime with a 21-0 lead, as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was incredibly sharp, completing 8-of-12 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns.

I'm not sure the two-time Super Bowl champion is going to see that much action in the opener, but he is in the process of learning offensive coordinator Todd Haley's playbook.

Head coach Mike Tomlin has compiled a 13-8 ATS record in preseason play during his time in the Steel City.

Green Bay Packers vs. San Diego Chargers

It's now or never once again for the San Diego Chargers—quite possibly the most underachieving team in the NFL over the past five years.

Tight end Antonio Gates is the key to the team's season offensively, as he looks to be completely healthy after dealing with plantar fasciitis in 2011. He likely won't be on the field for this affair.

Norv Turner lands on the head-coaching hot seat once again, which may light a fire under this team in the preseason opener, but he's just 28-28 in his career in exhibition play.

Green Bay has been known to play in high-scoring affairs before the regular season, with the "over" going 19-5 during the Mike McCarthy era. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will begin life without offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, who landed the Miami Dolphins head job.

Sports bettors will find that the Chargers are currently 2.5-point favorites in this matchup, but I'd personally wait until the total is released.

I don't see Packers preseason games averaging 47.1 points per game like they've done over the past four seasons. 

Denver Broncos vs. Chicago Bears

From a sports betting perspective, I'd love to gauge the health of quarterbacks Jay Cutler and Peyton Manning, but both will likely not see the field in this contest.

The Chicago Bears are currently three-point home favorites against the Denver Broncos on Aug. 9, as they start adjusting to offensive coordinator Mike Tice's system, taking over for the departed Mike Martz.

Sports bettors will find that the Bears are 16-24 ATS in their last 40 preseason games as a favorite, while the Broncos have covered three of their last four openers.

I'm leaning heavily towards the underdog in this affair, especially with Broncos backup signal-caller Caleb Hanie being motivated to face his former team.  

New York Jets vs. Cincinnati Bengals

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez has downplayed the arrival of Tim Tebow as his backup, even praising him recently during training camp for the improvement he's shown in the past couple days.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan has compiled a 6-6 preseason record in his first three years, as he'll look to get back to the ground-and-pound style that led this franchise to past playoff runs.

The Cincinnati Bengals exceeded everyone's expectations a year ago, making an NFL playoff run with rookies Andy Dalton and A.J. Green.

There's no doubt in my mind that the Jets are going to be overpriced in this affair at kickoff, but I'm not willing to back a Bengals side that has gone 0-3 ATS in their last three preseason openers.

Cleveland Browns vs. Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz is the king of the NFL preseason since his arrival in the Motor City, posting a 10-2 straight-up record and 9-2 ATS mark.

Las Vegas oddsmakers are certainly aware of this success, sending out the Lions as three-point home favorites against the Cleveland Browns on Friday, Aug. 10.

Cleveland may be perceived as dangerous in this spot due to the likelihood of rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden seeing a significant amount of action, but the team failed to cover three of four during exhibition play in 2011. 

New York Giants vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Eli Manning proved to be an elite NFL quarterback during the 2012 NFL playoffs, leading the New York Giants over the New England Patriots to capture his second Super Bowl title.

The Giants are currently one-point road underdogs against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday, Aug. 10, which is a bit surprising due to the team's 11-5 preseason record over the previous four years.

It's a measuring-stick game for the host, especially with first-round draft pick Justin Blackmon still unsigned and veteran running back Maurice Jones-Drew holding out.

Too many unknown variables to capture my attention from a betting perspective.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Miami Dolphins

It will be a battle of first-year head coaches in the Sunshine State when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet up with the Miami Dolphins on Friday, Aug. 10.

The Dolphins are currently 2.5-point home favorites in this affair, as many sports bettors will be drawn to playing this side due to one of the NFL's major quarterback battles ensuing in camp.

Joe Philbin is focused on finding the right mix of players to fill his 53-man roster in Miami, while former Rutgers Scarlet head coach Greg Schiano continues to adjust to the professional game.

I recommend staying away from this contest—unless you feel strongly about the Buccaneers improving upon their 7-2 ATS mark in this series during preseason play. 

Arizona Cardinals vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Sports bettors grieved when Todd Haley was fired by the Kansas City Chiefs last year—not for his regular season misfortunes—but for his complete disinterest in being competitive in preseason games.

It's still important to note that the franchise has lost 28 of its last 32 games during the exhibition season while failing to cover the Las Vegas number in 15 of its last 16 opportunities.

I'm expecting the Arizona Cardinals to be a heavily-backed side in this affair, especially if their quarterback competition continues past the Hall of Fame Game. 

Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers

It's time for San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh to put the golf clubs away as he begins his second year on the sidelines at Candlestick Park.

It's no surprise that the 49ers are currently four-point home favorites against the Minnesota Vikings on Friday, Aug. 10, but the team does have a lot of new parts on the roster.

Monitor the result of this game closely considering Harbaugh covered both preseason games after a straight-up loss in 2011.

The Minnesota Vikings are a money-making 26-16 ATS in preseason play as an organization when getting points.

Houston Texans vs. Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers went 1-3 ATS during last year's preseason schedule, as they are one of the more hyped teams in the NFL entering the 2012 campaign.

Second-year quarterback Cam Newton is currently listed as a two-point home favorite against the Houston Texans, which may provide value on the visitor due to the team failing to cover 13 of their last 15 games versus AFC opponents.

The Texans have covered just four of nine preseason openers, but did earn a 20-16 victory over the New York Jets as three-point home favorites in this spot a season ago.

From a betting perspective, the "over" may be the best bet, with the Texans going above the number in five of their last six openers in exhibition play. 

Tennessee Titans vs. Seattle Seahawks

If you're a fan of watching NFL quarterback competitions unfold during the preseason, this contest qualifies as must-watch TV on Saturday, Aug. 11.

The Seahawks have been established as three-point favorites due to their reputation of being one of the best home teams in football, while their head coach, Pete Carroll, is 15-9-1 ATS in preseason play.

I suggest staying away from this game in terms of wagering, as sports bettors should be solely focused on the play under center.

St. Louis Rams vs. Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts will officially move past the Peyton Manning era when they host the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, Aug. 12.

Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck needs to gain some valuable experience under center during this year's preseason schedule, which may lead to plenty of action landing on the Colts as a pick' em in this affair.

St. Louis is also in a state of transition with longtime Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher returning to the sidelines, boasting a 34-30 straight-up record in preseason play.

I suggest taking a wait-and-see approach from both of these teams. 

Dallas Cowboys vs. Oakland Raiders

Two of the most passionate fanbases in the NFL will be looking forward to the Dallas Cowboys meeting up with the Oakland Raiders to close out the first round of preseason action on Aug. 13 on ESPN's Monday Night Football.

Plenty of action is going to land on the Cowboys as 1.5-point underdogs, but it's important to note that "America's Team" has failed to cover three of its last four openers in exhibition play.

Oakland has been a franchise in transition over the years, which is why I'm definitely surprised in the team's 5-1 ATS mark in preseason openers over the past six years.

Gotta lay it if you play it.

Follow Jeff Grant on Twitter for the entire football season, as he serves as the site's sports betting featured columnist.