Week 2 of the NFL preseason is a step closer to the actual product fans expect to see in the regular season. In the first week of preseason games, starters typically don’t play more than a few series. However, NFL Preseason Week 2 involves more starters — especially those in position battles.

All 32 teams will play sometime between Thursday, Aug. 16 and Monday, Aug. 20 for week 2 of the NFL Preseason. Odds will be available for each game on BetDSI.com, and new members can earn a 100 per cent welcome bonus of up to $500. Fans and bettors can find odds, analysis, previews and predictions for every preseason game on GetMoreSports.

While starters usually see more playing time in Week 2 of the preseason, winning still isn’t a priority for most teams. It’s a chance for coaching staffs to see players compete against live competition, which can help them gauge whether or not a player should make the final roster.

For bettors, Week 2 of the NFL preseason offers a glance at certain players and teams before the actual season begins. If an older player looks like he’s lost a step, bettors might be able to notice it during the preseason.

Another important aspect of the preseason for bettors is the chance to see which teams have the deepest rosters. Injuries are unfortunately frequent in the NFL, and it’s vital for teams to establish depth. The preseason helps determine which players can step in and play if there’s an injury.

Matt Ryan, Preseason, nfl preseason, betting on the preseason — Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Before placing a wager on any game, it’s essential to find and read plenty of information on each team. Before betting on the Atlanta Falcons in their Week 2 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, it’s valuable to know if Julio Jones is playing. Will Matt Ryan only play two series, or is he playing the entire first half? If Ryan isn’t in the game, will it be veteran Matt Schaub at quarterback? Or will the Falcons give those reps to Garrett Grayson?

The information needed is almost always available, and bettors need to ensure they know as much as they can about a team’s strategy before placing a wager. GetMoreSports will have up to date odds, betting strategies and analysis for each game throughout the preseason.

NFL Preseason Betting Strategies

Bettors can wager on a variety of different events for an NFL preseason game. Novice bettors can use the preseason to get their feet wet before the regular season.

Every preseason game will have a spread, moneyline, total, team totals and prop bets. Bettors have the opportunities to find several different advantages for each game.

Preseason Week 2 Point Spreads

Oddsmakers let the public know which teams are favored and which teams are underdogs each week of the NFL preseason and regular season. Every game will have a favorite or an underdog unless oddsmakers label the game as a “pick” — meaning no one is favored and the matchup is even.

For Week 2 of the NFL Preseason, let’s start with the nationally televised game between the New York Jets and the Washington Redskins. Oddsmakers typically award teams a few points for home field advantage, though that advantage might not come into play as much for the preseason.

Nevertheless, let’s say the Redskins are favored by 6.5 points over the Jets. If you wager on Washington -6.5, they would have to win by seven or more points for you to win. If you take the Jets +6.5, you win the bet if they lose by six points or fewer or win the game outright. The (-) beside the line indicates the team that’s favored, while the (+) denotes the underdog.

Beside each spread will be another number. It will look something like Redskins -6.5 (-115). That (-115) is the vigorish — commonly referred to as the “vig” or the “juice.” That means if a bettor wants a chance to win $100 on the Redskins, they would have to risk $115.

If the bettor wins, they collect $100. If they lose, they owe $115, or whatever the vig is for that particular game. If instead of a number, the line says Redskins -6.5 (+100) or (Even), that means a bettor can risk $100 to win $100.

Bettors can also wager on separate halves of games. Before the game, there will be a line available for the first half. There are also totals, moneylines and team totals. This could be valuable option if one team plans on playing starters more than the other.

Betting the Moneyline

Betting the moneyline on a game is much easier to understand. Taking the moneyline means you’re just picking a team to win the game without spreads being involved.

That might sound much simpler, but there are more risks involved. If the Redskins are favored by 6.5 over the Jets, they will probably be around -250 on the moneyline. So, you would risk $250 to win $100 on Washington to win the game outright. You’re risking more money if you lose, but you would still win the bet even if the Redskins didn’t cover the spread and win by seven points or more.

If you like the Jets to beat the Redskins, you can also take them on the moneyline as an underdog. A 6.5-point underdog would have very favorable odds on the moneyline. The Jets might be around +240 on the moneyline, meaning a $100 wager would win $240 if the Jets won outright.

Preseason Week 2 Totals

In addition to betting the winner or loser, bettors can also look at the point totals for each game. The total for the game is how many points teams are expected to score combined.

For the matchup between the Jets and the Redskins, let’s say the total is 36 (-110). If you bet on the over, the Jets and Redskins have to combine for more than 36 points for you to win the game. If you take the under, you need less than 36 points to win.

It doesn’t matter which team scores the points. Washington can win 41-0, and if you took the over, you win. Furthermore, if you bet the under and Washington wins 20-13, you win.

Team totals are also available for each game. For team totals, bettors can wager on whether an individual team will score more or less than a certain amount of points. If Washington is favored by 6.5 points and the total is 36, the Redskins’ team total will be about 21. New York’s team total would be about 15.

If a bettor takes Washington over 21, they would need the Redskins to score more than 21 points to win the bet. If they take the Jets under 15, then they would lose if New York score more than 15 points.

Preseason Week 2 Props

There might not be as many prop bets available for preseason games, but prop bets are another way bettors can make money during a game.

Prop bets are how bettors can wager on whether certain players will reach individual statistics throughout the game. For instance, there could be an over/under on how many completions Alex Smith will have against the Jets. Smith might not be expected to play much, so the over/under could be 7.5 (-110). If you take the over, then Smith would need to complete at least eight passes for you to win.

There are typically props available for pass completions, touchdown passes, interceptions, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Bettors can also select which player will score the first touchdown. A variety of players will be listed to wager on with varying odds. Bettors can also select the field if they think someone other than the players listed will score first. Quarterbacks throwing for touchdowns don’t count, but quarterback rushing touchdowns do count for first touchdown bets.

NFL Preseason Week 2 Games of the Week

The highlight of Week 2 of the preseason is the Super Bowl rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. Carson Wentz still likely won’t be available for the Eagles, but Philly proved they’re just fine with Nick Foles at the helm.

Tom Brady probably won’t see much playing time, but the first few series of the game should be very entertaining. The New England fans likely won’t be very welcoming hosts after the Eagles snatched the Super Bowl victory away from them last season.

Elsewhere, there’s another Super Bowl rematch from less than a decade ago when the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Green Bay Packers. It’s hard to believe Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been back to a Super Bowl since 2011.

Two of the best defenses in the league square off when the Jacksonville Jaguars travel to play the Minnesota Vikings. Both teams lost in the conference championship game last season, and they’re looking to rebound and reach the Super Bowl this winter.

Like last year, the Raiders and the Rams meet in Week 2 of the preseason. Jon Gruden’s return to the sidelines will be a popular storyline this fall, and he should have a good squad in Oakland. Meanwhile, the Rams have the target on their backs heading into this fall as they have a loaded roster.

NFL Preseason Betting Strategy

The intensity increases a bit during Week 2 of the preseason. It isn’t quite like a regular season game, but the first few series usually involve most starters for each team.

As always, it’s important to determine how many snaps starters will receive before deciding to wager on a particular team.

In a Week 2 preseason matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Oakland Raiders in 2017, most starters played a few series before giving way to the backups. Derek Carr played three series, and he threw the ball nine times. Jared Goff played four series for the Rams before backup Sean Mannion entered the game.

Todd Gurley carried the ball eight times for 38 yards. That’s more carries than most proven backs receive in Week 2 of the preseason. Marshawn Lynch only carried the ball twice for the Raiders.

Having a good idea about which players are going to play the most is extremely valuable for bettors in the NFL preseason.

2018 NFL Preseason Week 2 Betting Odds and Schedule

Thursday, Aug. 16

Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots (7:30 p.m.)

New York Jets at Washington Redskins (ESPN, 8 p.m.)

Odds

New York Jets +2, 37

Washington Redskins -2, 37

The Jets travel to the Redskins and fans can expect to see more starters on the field this week. New York defeated Atlanta 17-0 in Week 1 of the preseason, while Washington lost 26-17 at New England.

Unfortunately for the Redskins, the loss to the Patriots wasn’t their biggest loss of the week. Second round pick Derrius Guice tore his ACL during a first quarter run against New England. Washington has depth at running back — including Samaje Perine, Rob Kelley and Chris Thompson — but Guice was expected to have a big season for the franchise.

No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold played well in his debut with the Jets. He completed 13 of his 18 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Teddy Bridgewater also looked sharp as he completed seven of his passes for 85 yards and a score. Both quarterbacks are competing with veteran Josh McCown for the starting job.

Washington acquired Alex Smith in the offseason, and he will likely get a few reps this week against the Jets. Colt McCoy took the majority of the snaps against the Patriots, and he will likely be the backup behind Smith.

It’s a good opportunity for younger players to showcase their talents in a nationally televised game. Starters will likely play a couple of series before the backups take over for the remainder of the game.

The Jets’ quarterback battle will be very intriguing to watch as all three candidates vying for the job should see the field. McCown is the frontrunner, but both Darnold and Bridgewater have a chance to steal the job. For Washington, all eyes will be on the running backs after the injury to Guice. Will a player emerge during the preseason? Or will Jay Gruden rely on a committee approach? Thursday night’s game will be important for both teams.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Green Bay Packers (8 p.m.)

Friday, Aug. 17

Kansas City Chiefs at Atlanta Falcons (7 p.m.)

New York Giants at Detroit Lions (7 p.m.)

Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns (7:30 p.m.)

Miami Dolphins at Carolina Panthers (7:30 p.m.)

Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints (8 p.m.)

Saturday, Aug. 18

Jacksonville Jaguars at Minnesota Vikings (1 p.m.)

Oakland Raiders at Los Angeles Rams (4 p.m.)

Cincinnati Bengals at Dallas Cowboys (7 p.m.)

San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans (8 p.m.)