2023 NFL Preseason Odds, Picks & Predictions: Friday (8/11)
The 2023 NFL preseason is here! While the NFL regular season will bring a ton of action, we’ll have you covered through the summer as there are plenty of chances to bet and money to make. We’ll have you covered throughout the 2023 NFL preseason with our best odds, picks, and predictions for each and every game. Let’s dive into the action as the first full week of the preseason gets underway. Here are our top odds, picks, and predictions for Friday’s NFL preseason games.
2023 NFL Preseason Odds & Picks
Here are our top picks and predictions for Friday’s NFL preseason action.
Steelers vs. Buccaneers
Get ready for some Mitch Trubisky magic! Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, and Tanner Morgan will likely get their opportunities with the Steelers in Week 1 at quarterback. The depth chart doesn't have many rookies on the offensive side of the ball. Therefore, many of the players have some experience in preseason already. Meanwhile, reports have said Baker Mayfield has looked bad in practice for the Buccaneers. Kyle Trask must know that if he shines in this game, he has a legitimate shot to take over as the QB1 for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay's depleted but have some interesting names, like Sean Tucker and Trey Palmer. Both had great college careers. But I will stick with the more reliable Steelers in this one.
Pick: Steelers -2.5 (-110)
-Jason Radowitz
Falcons vs. Dolphins
Atlanta will likely start Desmond Ridder in Week 1 of the NFL season. So they'll probably give the start to Taylor Heinicke in this game. Heinicke will be one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL. He's already had some big plays as a starter for Washington in his career. Logan Woodside should also see plenty of snaps and reps in the second half. It's unclear if we'll see a lot of Bijan Robinson. He'll likely start for Atlanta this year. But don't be surprised if he has a couple of reps early. On the other hand, Miami's probably going to start Mike White. Like Heinicke, White has legitimate NFL experience. He'll probably be followed by Skylar Thompson, who also has NFL experience. Thompson didn't play at a high level with Miami last year, but he's growing and has likely improved from the previous year. De'Von Achane should be a very exciting running back in this one. Plus, the wide receiver core has a lot of pre-season experience. I'll ride with Miami here.
Pick: Dolphins +2.5 (-110)
-Jason Radowitz
Packers vs. Bengals
The biggest question entering this game is how much Green Bay will play QB Jordan Love and the rest of its starters in the opening preseason game. Green Bay has spoken to the value of getting Love reps in live action, but it’s worth noting that the Packers and Bengals are holding joint practices this week leading up to their Friday night showdown. Typically, joint practices signal to me that neither team will play their starters much. But the Packers have a younger, less established group and a bevy of positional battles. The Bengals are the more established team who probably won’t take many risks with their starters, especially with Joe Burrow sidelined. This line has moved from Green Bay -1.5 to Green Bay -3 in some spots, and I agree with the move. But instead of trusting Green Bay’s young group of third and fourth-stringers, I’ll instead isolate the first half, as I suspect Love and some starters will play a series or two.
Pick: Packers -2.5 first half (-115)
-Matt Barbato
Giants vs. Lions
If last year’s Preseason Week 1 is any indication, both of these coaching staffs will look to get their starters a couple reps then turn this game into a battle of reserves. The Lions are expected to be a force offensively this year, but that’s with Jared Goff at the helm. You can expect to see a lot of Nate Sudfeld, who hasn’t attempted a regular season pass since 2020, for this contest. The Giants backup headed into this game is journeyman Tyrod Taylor. If nothing else, he’s a quarterback who is able to make plays, especially against second string defenses. Jalin Hyatt, the rookie WR, has been turning a lot of heads in camp and has even built a little rapport with Taylor. The Giants may give the kid some extra run with the second team so keep an eye out for some explosive plays in this one. Both of these teams have high hopes for 2023, but I like the Giants to edge this one out as they ramp up to the regular season.
Pick: Giants -2.5, over 34.5
-Ryan Rodeman
Commanders vs. Browns
It's the official Week 1 of the 2023 NFL preseason, and we'll have the Commanders and Browns clashing on Friday night. For Washington, it looks like Sam Howell will be the QB1, and with former Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy running the offense, we could see an improvement. Head coach Ron Rivera hasn't indicated how many series the starters will play. The Browns are one game in, defeating the Jets 21-16 in the Hall of Fame Game. The Browns' offensive and defensive starters did not see any action, and I don't expect them to play much in this one, though Deshaun Watson is notably getting the start in the team’s second preseason game. The Browns had an excellent ground attack in the first game, especially with rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The line moved from-1.5 to -3 in favor of the Browns. Even with that bump, I'm still confident in them covering against Washington.
Pick: Browns -3 (-110)
-John Supowitz
Broncos vs. Cardinals
Both the Broncos and Cardinals have new head coaches on the sideline this season. While Sean Payton has a history of easing his veterans into the preseason, he came out and said the starters will play on Friday. How much, however, remains to be seen. I don’t expect much more than one possession, as it will be crucial for Denver to make it to Week 1 healthy. For the Cardinals, not much is expected during the 2023 season, so preseason will be a real chance for new HC Jonathan Gannon to find some sort of groove. The Cardinals have a deep quarterback room filled with preseason veterans. Gannon needs to figure out what he has and find a way to build the trust of a young locker room. This line seems a tad inflated for this matchup. I’ll be riding with the Cardinals.
Pick: Cardinals +5.5, under 37.5
-Ryan Rodeman
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