While the Atlanta Falcons came up short of their Super Bowl hopes in 2017 just one year after reaching Super Bowl 52 in 2016, Matt Ryan and company saw a lot of good come out of the season by reaching the playoffs and seeing their defense take a big step forward along the way.
The same can’t be said for a New York Jets team that recorded its second consecutive 5-11 campaign a year ago and that is now in the midst of another rebuild heading into 2018. The good news for the Jets however is that their struggled landed them the third overall pick in this year’s NFL draft which they parlayed into a player that could turn out to be the best quarterback in this year’s quarterback-rich draft.
If you’re looking for some preseason betting value then you should know that the Week 1 scrimmage season matchup between the Falcons and Jets is offering plenty. Let’s find out why!
Falcons v Jets 2018 NFL Preseason Week 1 Odds
Rain or shine, the Brotherhood still grinds. 📸 – https://t.co/yhZEau1qBe pic.twitter.com/dYa3bFgDi8
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) August 1, 2018
When: Friday, August 10, 2018 at 7:30 PM ET Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey Live Stream: NFL Game Pass NFL Odds: NY Jets -2.5 / Total: 35
Why Bet on the Atlanta Falcons?
Why should you bet on the Falcons in their Week 1 preseason opener? The best reason to bet on the Falcons is that they have a super experienced backup quarterback that has been there and done that! Starting quarterback Matt Ryan probably won’t play more than a series, if that, but the Falcons have an experienced backup in veteran Matt Schaub that knows how to get the job done.
After Schaub departs, the Falcons will turn to third-year clipboard holder Garrett Grayson who will battle it out against former East Carolina signal-caller Kurt Benkert for the third-string job. The bad news is that head coach Dan Quinn is just 5-7 in the preseason and the Falcons are coming off a 0-4 preseason a year ago, so clearly, winning isn’t a super huge priority for the Falcons.
Why Bet on the New York Jets?
Why should you bet on the Jets in their Week 1 preseason opener? The best reason to bet on the Jets in their preseason opener is that they have an even better situation at backup quarterback than Atlanta. Once starter Josh McCown rests, New York will turn to veteran Teddy Bridgewater and then first round draft pick and future franchise ‘savior’ Sam Darnold.
Both quarterbacks have their own reasons for wanting to impress the Jets’ coaching staff with Bridgewater wanting to start this season or put himself in position to get traded after two years away from the game. Darnold would also like to get his NFL career going as soon as possible. Head coach Todd Bowles is 6-6 in the preseason and the Jets went 2-2 during the scrimmage campaign a year ago.
Expert Analysis and Prediction for Falcons v Jets
The New York jets are the easy pick to win and cash in MYBookie NFL betting faithful. New York has a much better situation at backup quarterback, plus plenty of motivation, not to mention the fact that they’re playing at home. The Falcons are a more established team that has been in the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, so not many of their players have much to prove outside of their draft picks in this year’s class. Keep it simple everyone.
NFL Preseason Week 1 Pick: NY Jets -2.5
