NFL Betting: Broncos The Best Bet In Hall Of Fame Game
The 2019 NFL season is right around the corner, but before the regular season action kicks off, weâll see a monthâs worth of preseason games. It all starts on Thursday with the Hall of Fame Game where the Denver Broncos will take on the Atlanta Falcons. Although it is an exhibition contest, it looks like thereâs value on the board for one of these teams. Letâs take a closer look.
Sign up now at PointsBet and get up to $1,000 back on your first two bets! >>
Denver Broncos vs Atlanta Falcons
Odds: Broncos -2.5 at PointsBet Sportsbook
Preseason Coaching Records
When you take a look at the preseason coaching records, it looks like we have a clear-cut edge in this game. Dan Quinn has been the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons for four seasons now and the Falcons are just 5-11 in preseason games under him. As a matter of fact, theyâve lost eight straight in the preseason. Itâs fairly clear that he doesnât put much weight into these contests.
On the other hand, we have Vic Fangio, who is a first-time head coach. That means we have no intel on how heâll perform in the preseason, and how much he actually cares about these games. However, he is a new head coach and it wouldnât be a surprise if he wanted his team to put forth a quality effort given that this is a first impression.
Edge: Broncos
Rotations At Key Positions
Taking a look at the rotations at the key positions, I would give a slight edge to the Broncos here.
At quarterback, we probably donât see starters Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan much â if at all. Behind Ryan, the Falcons have Matt Schaub and Kurt Benkert. Schaub is a seasoned vet, but the Falcons didnât ask him to do much last preseason as he was just 20-of-26 for 194 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions through three games. He was mostly asked to hand off the ball and move the chains, so thatâll probably be the same.
On the other hand, the Broncos have an intriguing rotation as we should get our first look at Drew Lock and Brett Rypien. Weâll also see Kevin Hogan, who is a journeyman thatâs made starts in the NFL, and heâs probably fighting for a roster spot here. Lock apparently hasnât looked very good, but at least we know we should see some effort from him and the Broncos trio.
At running back, I also like the Broncos situation much more as they have Phillip Lindsay, Devontae Booker, and Royce Freeman. Lindsay is the starter, but all three will vie for carries this season so that pecking order will be decided in the preseason. The Falcons donât have the same depth here as weâre looking at Ito Smith and Kenjon Barner behind Devonta Freeman, who probably wonât see the field.
Edge: Broncos
Outlook
The Broncos are laying just under a field goal here, but I think itâs worth it. Itâs clear that Quinn doesnât care about these games as he merely tries to keep his team healthy. The Falcons have already suffered a couple of key injuries with safety J.J. Wilcox and lineman Michael Bennett, so it wouldnât be a surprise to me if theyâre extra conservative here. Take a shot with the Broncos.
Pick: Broncos -2.5 at PointsBet
Check out our PointsBet review and promo codes >>
Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.