Take a breath. The canine days of summer have come and gone.

Thermometers may disagree, but sports bettors need to be notified that the best action of the summer is fast approaching.

Bettors generally tire of the monotony of the Major League Baseball regular season in late July. Then, like a cool ocean breeze, the NFL blesses bored punters with a breath of fresh air.

NFL training camps opened for the season on July 27. For the next two weeks, teams begin a grueling schedule of curfews, diets, and two per day to get in shape for the upcoming season. In the following month, all 32 NFL teams will work to make the playoffs.

The NFL begins its preseason this week. This time of year is undoubtedly the best kept secret in sports betting.

Most NFL fans know that very little can be learned from preseason games. The main purpose of scrimmage style contests is for coaches to make evaluations of the starting lineup. Last year’s starters are only on the field for a few plays, mainly to avoid rusting for the pending season. While they see their only bench time of the season, reserve players and rookies get the most plays, hoping their performance will earn them a spot on the roster.

For the first (and only) time of the NFL season, the line makers have no advantage. They’re creating blind lines, forced to set the margin as if the games were regular-season competitions.

The reason they are in this situation is simple. No consideration can be made on their part about how substitutes and rookies play. How can bookmakers create an accurate line when players who have not seen play are taking the snapshots?

Example. When the St. Louis Rams play the Kansas City Chiefs on August 23, the margin and the over / under will be set assuming that KC’s defense (one of the five WORST in 2003) lines up for each snap against the high flyers. of St. Louis. pass attack, which ranked third in 2003.

The margin of this contest could favor St. Louis (for this example, we will say yes). The Rams’ three-headed offensive monster (quarterback Marc Bulger; wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt) will likely not play after halftime. Plus, KC’s one-man offensive machine, running back Priest Holmes, should see more bench than grass. These two events open the game wide. Your guess on the outcome is as good as the bookies’.

The second half should see the field full of untested players. Who knows where the game will go from there? Will it be a low scoring contest or a barn burn? No one can be totally sure. This is great news for bettors and bad news for bookmakers.

“The NFL preseason is easily the most unpredictable time for offshore sportsbooks,” said Anthony Wayne, director of marketing for EWINNER.com. “Very often, the field is full of players who have similar abilities. Without great players on the field, how are line makers supposed to know who will be the favorite?”

Below are several preseason contests that could prove very beneficial to the sports bettor. Hit while the iron is hot. (All spread stats courtesy of Gold Sheet):

New York Giants at Carolina Panthers, 8/19, 8 p.m. on FOX: New York finished a lousy 4-12 last year and failed to cover the margin in their last eight games, yet they have recharged by acquiring the quarterback Kurt Warner as a mentor. rookie quarterback Eli Manning, and have a new coach, coach Jaguars leader Tom Coughlin. Coughlin is a safe preseason bet, with an exhibition record of 16-8-1 against the spread.

With the exception of her offensive line, Carolina has kept most of the lineup that won the NFC championship last season. The Panthers have covered the difference in their last five preseason contests, but four of them were the weakest. During the 2003 regular season, they were 3-9 when favored.

Bet on: Coughlin and his G-men, especially if Carolina is the favorite.

Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens, 12/8, 8pm on ESPN: After an offseason of drastic changes, Atlanta has nothing to do but improve after finishing 2003 with the worst defense in the league. New coach Jim Mora, Jr. is going to put some youngsters in their jobs, and with Michael Vick healthy, the 2004 Falcons should play more like the 2002 playoff team. During Vick’s first two seasons, Atlanta had a record. 7-1 during exhibition season; last season, they went 0-4 (Vick broke his leg in Atlanta’s second preseason game).

Baltimore should be the beast of the AFC North this year, as well as a Super Bowl contender from week one. Quarterback Kyle Boller will be a learned year, and his main running offense (thanks to the HB Jamal Lewis marathon), will be supplemented by newly acquired wide receiver Kevin Johnson. This team should improve on last season’s 10-6 record as their historic defense remains one of the fiercest in the NFL. Head coach Brian Billick is 11-4 in exhibition games against the spread, and is 6-2 as the underdog. Last year, the Ravens only finished 1-3.

Bet on: Atlanta if Vick is healthy. Be on the lookout for Baltimore, especially if they are the most disadvantaged.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles, 8/26, 8pm on ESPN: Pittsburgh has a lot to recover from after last season; mainly injuries. His offense was only impressive on paper, thanks to injuries on the offensive line and a lack of carries by “The Bus” (Jerome Bettis), who averaged only 3.3 yards per touch. Head coach Bill Cowher has become a perennial preseason choke artist. Last year, his team was 0-4 heading into the regular season, and they have also struggled to cover the spread in past seasons (0-4 the last two seasons at home vs. the spread).

Philadelphia is once again the favorite to go to the NFC Super Bowl. They addressed their two most pressing offseason needs, adding wide receiver Terrell Owens and defensive end Jevon Kearse. The Eagles also have a tendency to drown. Unfortunately, the preseason is no different. For his career, coach Andy Reid is 2-7 in exhibitions as a home favorite.

Bet on: Philadelphia. These games do not count. They are less likely to screw it up.

Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys, 8/30, 8pm on ABC: The Titans cut a lot of salary (and talent) in the offseason, but they will still find a way to compete for the playoffs thanks to ironman quarterback Steve McNair. Tennessee’s 13 draft picks will see plenty of plays before the season begins as this team will try to consolidate itself into a solid unit. A virtual lock on shows, the Titans covered all four games last preseason against the spread, and in the last four schedules they are 7-1 in away shows. As a loser, they are a safer bet, a perfect 6-0.

Eddie George, a titan in July, is now racing to Dallas. George should be wearing a big chip on his shoulder after being one of the victims of Tennessee’s salary cap. The 2004 Cowboys will also feature wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson and retired rookie quarterback / minor league baseball player Drew Henson. Henson will see many snapshots at exhibitions to get rid of his diamond rust. Dallas was 10-6 last season, which is Bill Parcell’s best record in his first season as head coach. However, quality opponents (teams with a winning record) went 4-2 against them last season, 3-1 against the spread.

Bet on: Titans. With their preseason record and Dallas’ tendency to lose to good teams, this should be a sure win.

For more information on NFL betting, plus links to preferred online sportsbooks, see Bet-Online-Sports.

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