NFL Betting Free Picks: The Hall Of Fame Game

NFL football betting preseason action begins Sunday as the Dallas Cowboys face the Cincinnati Bengals. We've got the full game analysis and betting selection. Make Oddsbay your home for the best NFL handicapping information all season long!
DALLAS COWBOYS VS. CINCINNATI BENGALS
SUNDAY, AUGUST 8 5:00 PM PACIFIC
The NFL football betting season begins with the first exhibition game of the year, the annual Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. This is the official start of the football season, with a full slate of NFL preseason games getting underway next week. NFL Preseason football is a unique—though potentially very profitable—handicapping challenge and we’ll have plenty of analysis and free NFL betting picks to help you stay in the black.
One of the most difficult things about handicapping preseason NFL football is that the teams involved just don’t put the same emphasis on winning or losing as they do on regular season games. Though situations come up during regular season games where the motivation and preparation of individual teams may be greater or less than usual, in theory all NFL teams want to win every time out during the regular season. That's not the case in preseason football, as coaches have different goals. Some might be looking to evaluate their personnel, others might want to establish a ‘winning attitude’, and all coaches want to keep their stars from getting injured while giving them the opportunity to get into ‘game shape’.
The flip side of this coin is that the ‘differing agendas’ of preseason NFL football is the source of many good betting opportunities. At the most basic level, additional value is often found with the underdog in preseason games. For example, in a hypothetical matchup between a Superbowl champion and an also-ran the "better" team by regular season standards would invariably be favored. However, due to their success the "better" teams have not only more 'marquee names' to protect, but also valued guys in the trenches who might not get the Sportscenter highlights but would be sorely missed with an injury. In many cases, they'll have more depth and thus fewer personnel decisions to deal with. They'll not need to "create a winning attitude", nor will they usually have wholesale changes in team composition, offensive or defensive strategy, or coaching philosophies to deal with. In short, the "better" teams often go into preseason situations with little to accomplish other than to get the games over with and stay healthy.
This matchup involves two teams with playoff aspirations, but their training camps have been markedly different. The biggest news coming out of Dallas has been the exceptional play and, more recently, the injury to rookie receiver Dez Bryant. He may have played a couple of series in this game, but he’s obviously someone that they’d be looking to ‘protect’. With the exception of the media created controversy over Bryant refusing to carry the veterans’ pads in a traditional ‘hazing ritual’, the Dallas camp has been a lot of hard work. All of their rookies *and* veterans reported four days earlier than their Bengal counterparts, and at this stage of the year that extra four days of preparation can make the difference between a win and a loss—especially with the level of personnel that’ll be in action for most of this contest.
Cincinnati will no doubt be ready to go when the regular season starts, but there are a number of signs that the team isn’t quite as ready to play as their Dallas counterparts. The media loving Chad Ochocinco has spent more time on Twitter than on the practice field, and the entire team has been distracted by their high profile signing of Terrell Owens. ‘T.O.’ could be a very valuable addition, but it’ll take time to work him into the offense and it’s unlikely that he’ll play here anyway. Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer hasn’t decided whether he’ll employ a 4-3 or 3-4 this season—much depends on how certain players perform in the different formations which means that there will be a lot of in game tinkering and evaluation.
Another important thing to consider when handicapping preseason football is the depth chart at the skill positions and in this area Dallas has a huge advantage with their backup quarterback. John Kitna may be a little long in the tooth, but he’s got the skills and experience to be an NFL starter. The same can’t be said for Cincinnati’s J.T. O’Sullivan. Offensively, Dallas has more depth across the board and they’re used to playing together. Against a defense that’s not even sure what formation they’ll use this season that’ll be enough to get the outright win.
PLAY DALLAS +3 OVER CINCINNATI