NFL Preseason 2010: Buccaneers Favored Over Chiefs by 2.5

The NFL preseason is not a time to bet on whether your team will win, it is a time to see how efficient your favorite team’s coaching staff really is.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs both want to improve on their performances last season, and they would both like to be a little more prominent in the NFL football betting activity that will be going on this season.

Both the Chiefs and the Buccaneers lost in their preseason openers last week, but they lost to good teams. The Bucs lost the battle of Florida to a much-improved Miami Dolphins team, and the Chiefs lost to a team that could be this year’s NFC champions in the Atlanta Falcons. While the football world is betting on college football right now, the Chiefs and the Bucs are trying to find the players on their rosters that will help each team win in 2010.

Kansas City first-year head coach Todd Haley knew what he was in for when he took the job. He has a capable starting quarterback in Matt Cassel who is still running for his life behind a terrible offensive line. But the future for the Chiefs could be bright if they start to fill in some of the holes they have on offense.

To help the running game, the Chiefs brought in elite running back Thomas Jones from the New York Jets. Jones has already shown his worth in the preseason but, once again, he is hampered by the Chiefs awful offensive line.

On defense the Chiefs are very young. They have only a small handful of players with five or more years of experience, and it will take some time for defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel to mold his men into a cohesive unit. But if anyone can bring the Chiefs defense back to respectability, it is Crennel.

The Buccaneers are looking for their starting quarterback, and it is looking more and more like it will be Josh Freeman. Freeman was four for four in completions versus attempts against the Dolphins and he threw the Bucs only touchdown pass.

Rookie wide receiver Chris Brooks had the kind of game that will get him a final roster spot with three receptions for 50 yards, including an exciting 31-yard reception in the fourth quarter from quarterback Rudy Carpenter.

The NFL football betting lines have the Buccaneers as two-and-a-half point favorites in this game, partially because the game is in Tampa Bay and partially because it is starting to look like the Bucs are coming together better than the Chiefs.

For every one thing coach Todd Haley addresses on his team, there are five other issues that need to be addressed before the Chiefs can hope to be a winning team. It will be interesting to see if the Chiefs give Haley the time he needs to bring a winning team back to Kansas City.

Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13-7