Thanks to the advent of the internet and the amazing amount of information available to bettors and bookies these days, the popularity of pre-season wagering on NFL games has been steadily on the rise. The obvious reason is that we are now able to gather more information from more sources before deciding on which team to bet on and which to fade.
So, wagering strategies for pre-season football have changed dramatically… and for the better. In the past, bettors simply did not have sufficient information to make intelligent decisions… so they shied away from the pre-season and waited for the regular season to begin before placing a bet. Not so anymore.
With all the coverage available from training camps and open scrimmage reports, there is now plenty of information available for wagering and savvy bettors can now take advantage of all this new data to place their bets.
Just a few years ago all we had to go on were the comments by coaches and trainers when interviewed by sports reporters. However, after listening to several of these guys in a row, we realize that they are speaking their own language intended to please the press while giving out as little actual information as possible.
Between the head coaches and his various coordinators there is a much better chance that these guys will let loose with some useful information during the pre-season than after the actual regular season competition begins. It starts to get very serious after that.
As for the teams and players themselves, they to are seeing the pre-season in a different light these days. As always, one of the principal concerns in not getting hurt before the real action begins. On the other hand, the pre-season is a time in which a lesser known player can get his shot to show the world… and the coaches… just what he’s got to offer the team.
It is especially interesting to listen to the new coordinators who are trying to install new systems. In their enthusiasm… and frustration… they will often give out some useful tidbits to help bettors along.
For example, the Saints have a new defensive coordinator and a returning head coach in Sean Payton but they will be playing at home and facing a Kansas City team with a new head coach and a new quarterback and yet they are listed as only -3 point favorites for the game. Hello?
