With the first week of the 2017 NFL preseason period getting underway, the first thing you need to know about betting on and navigating the often treacherous waters of the preseason is that not all head coaches have the same commitment to winning that some others do. That’s right boys and girls, believe it or not, the vast majority of NFL head coaches generally have a different agenda during the scrimmage season and it often doesn’t include winning the games themselves. Thus, to that end, here you can take a quick look at some of the betting lines of the preseason games, following on this article the preseason records of a handful of football coaches followed by my comment on just how seriously each one takes the NFL preseason scrimmage period.
Some coaches’ main concern is keeping their starters healthy in preparation for the regular season. Other coaches whose teams may or may not be playoff participant caliber challengers prefer to focus on either adding quality depth or finding out who some of their new starters may be for the upcoming. Whatever the case may be, knowing the preseason history of every head coach is absolutely crucial to preseason betting success.
Ironically, Pittsburgh has gone an identical 6-4 in Weeks 2, 3 and 4 under Tomlin.
Analyzing the Head Coaches Play Largest Role Predicting NFL Preseason Success
John Harbaugh (24-12)
By looking at Harbaugh’s fantastic 24-12 career record, it’s clear that the Baltimore Ravens head coach takes the preseason more serious than many of his brethren. Harbaugh’s Ravens have gone 8-1 in Week 1, but just 4-5 in Week 4 so keep that in mind once the NFL preseason finale rolls around.Football Preseason: Best Ways to Safely Handicap
Marvin Lewis (29-28)
Lewis’ 29-28 career preseason record is a testament to his mindset about the scrimmage season. The main thing you need to know about the longtime Cincinnati Bengals head coach is that his teams have compiled a discouraging 4-10 record in Week 3, which is considered the closest thing to a ‘real’ regular season contest while going 10-4 in mostly meaningless Week 4 affairs.Jason Garrett (10-16)
Garrett is just 10-16 in the preseason, but his Dallas Cowboys have gone a respectable 3-3 in six Week 3 contests, although you may want to avoid betting on the ‘Boys in Week 2 seeing as how Garrett is just 1-5 in the second scrimmage contest.Mike McCarthy (23-20)
If you’re thinking about betting on Mike McCarthy’s Green bay Packers in the preseason, you should probably know that it’s best to bet against Green Bay in the opener and closing scrimmage game seeing as how his teams have gone an identical 4-7 in Weeks 1 and 4, but a robust 8-3 in Week 2 and equally impressive 7-4 in Week 3.Chuck Pagano (7-13)
I have no idea what Chuck Pagano is holding over Indianapolis Colt’s owner Jim Irsay to keep his job, but it must be really salacious. All jokes aside, Pagano has a losing record in every week of the preseason, including a 1-4 mark in Week 2.Andy Reid (34-38)
While Reid has been an almost perennial double-digit winner over the course of his career during the regular season, he’s not real keen on winning in the preseason – unless you’re talking about the all-important Week 3 where his teams have gone 12-6 in his career.Mike Zimmer (12-1)
Look, by now everyone knows that Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is a coach that takes winning in the NFL preseason very seriously. Zimmer’s only career loss in the preseason came in a Week 4 affair just so you know!Bill Belichick (39-31)
While the longtime leader of the New England Patriots has a winning career mark in the NFL preseason, it’s pretty evident that he’s not all that concerned about winning meaningless scrimmage games – and don’t go around thinking New England really ‘brings it’ in Week 3 matchups. No, Tom Brady and company are just 8-8 in ‘all-important’ Week 3 scrimmage contests.Sean Payton (21-25)
The longtime head coach of the New Orleans Saints may have a Super Bowl win on his resume, but his Saints are also a pitiful 1-10 in Week 4, so remember that people!Mike Tomlin (22-20)
Mike Tomlin has a winning preseason record, even if I don’t think it’s ‘super-important’ for him that his Pittsburgh Steelers necessarily record one every preseason.
Ironically, Pittsburgh has gone an identical 6-4 in Weeks 2, 3 and 4 under Tomlin.
