Click Away for Free Picks from the Nations Best   Compliments of Big Al McMordie   Tips on NFL Preseason Wagering Aug 07, 2003 Let the games begin!  This is the best time of year for sports fans: Baseball pennant races are in full swing and college and pro football is kicking off. Some sports bettors are afraid of preseason games. They prefer a 'wait and see' attitude and don’t start wagering on pro football until after Labor Day, because statistics and angles that are relevant during the regular season don’t apply when the games don’t count. Part of that is true, but it’s a mistake to ignore preseason football, because there’s still one number that doesn’t change: the point spread. There’s a side and total on NFL preseason games and serious handicappers can find soft lines and easy winners even before the regular season begins. Wagering during preseason requires a different way of breaking down upcoming games from the regular season. Some things remain the same, such as defensive speed (Tampa Bay), a strong offensive line (Minnesota), or teams led by great coaching staffs anchored by men who have Super Bowl rings, such as the Cowboys (Bill Parcells), Patriots (Bill Belichick), Chiefs (Dick Vermiel) and the Buccaneers (Jon Gruden). Even when the games don’t count in August, those particular elements can still be factored into your handicapping analysis.  But some things are very different. Many talented players either sit out a game or are in for only a few plays. This is why it’s essential to be on top of injury reports and quarterback rotations in August. Another area is situations. You’ll find situations where some team wants to be there and play well (in front of the home fans, or against the defending Super Bowl champ, for example), while other teams could not care less about the game and just want to get out of town healthy. Let’s take a closer look at the defending champions in preseason. No team has repeated as Super Bowl champion since John Elway’s farewell 1998 season with the Broncos, but the defending champion Bucs certainly looked focused in the preseason opener from Tokyo, ripping the Jets 30-14.  It was quite an impressive performance by the Bucs and also unusual. That is, the Super Bowl champs are often a good go-against in early August. Two things are happening: 1) The defending champ is often over-valued by linemakers, 2) The opponent can have a little more incentive to knock off the defending champ, especially if the game’s at home.  For example, the four Super Bowl champions before Tampa Bay have gone 2-5-1 against the spread in their first two preseason games. What stands out for smart bettors is where the games were played: When it’s a defending champion’s first road game, the team often falls flat. In 2002 the Patriots lost 22-19 at the Giants, in 2001 the Ravens lost 16-3 at the Jets, and the 2000 Rams traveled to Tennessee in preseason and got stomped 30-3. That was a rematch of the Super Bowl in January, which the Rams had won. It may have been a preseason game on the schedule, but it meant a lot more to the Tennessee players and fans than it did the Rams. A year ago the Rams were the defending NFC champions and limped through a miserable preseason going 0-4 straight up and against the spread. In 1999, the defending champion Broncos had a tough preseason, opening in Sydney, Australia, traveling to Denver, then playing Monday Night in Madison, Wisconsin, before heading to Dallas. The road weary Broncos went 1-3 ATS, getting whipped by the Packers and Cowboys as a favorite. Yes, preseason is a little different, but the profits can be just as green. And no one has to convince me how profitable preseason football can be. In the last two years combined, I’ve been the No. 1 ranked handicapper in preseason NFL at 72% (18-7). We will have our first two selections this Thursday, August 7th at Vegas Experts out of two extremely strong Preseason systems, so be sure to get on board. Here’s to another winning season pre, regular and post!  Join Big Al daily for his Guaranteed Plays Owned and operated by Alliance Sports Media  Any information furnished by this site is for information and entertainment only and is not to be used in violation of any federal, state, provincial or local laws - Privacy Policy Contact Servus - Picks2bet.com