I'm grabbing the points with the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.  We expect to see Arizona's starters playing into the third quarter by all indications, although Carson Palmer will likely be done by halftime.  We like the Cardinal QB rotation in the second half, beginning with Drew Stanton who may see some time with regulars before giving away to the preseason-capable Blaine Gabbert. Bruce Arians is half-a-point away from a 6-1-1 ATS run as a preseason underdog.  Atlanta HC Dan Quinn hasn't put a lot of stock into the so called Dress Rehearsal week.  His Falcons are 0-2 in these games and he has sat his starters early-on in each of the last two preseasons.  We don't expect to see Matt Ryan for more than a quarter and we expect a departure time much earlier than most of their 1st string counterparts.  We'll back the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.  Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the KC Chiefs on Friday night.  I know and understand that Pete Carroll has a strong record in preseason action.  But we're getting a decent amount of points here and we get the use of Kansas City starters through three full quarters and talented rookie Pat Mahomes in the fourth, according to reports out of KC.  And there's also talk Alex Smith will get his chances to test deep waters with speedster Tyreek Hill, adding a dimension that hasn't always been at Smith's disposal. Seattle will play their regulars for a good chunk of the game, also, but we believe there's a premium with this particular number, thanks to public perception and the knowledge of Seattle's preseason success.  Seattle lost 18-11 to Minnesota last year in week-3's dress rehearsal.  We backed the Vikings then and we'll go against the Seahawks again. I'm grabbing the points with the KC Chiefs, our KO on Friday.  Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the NY Giants on Monday night.  Whether the starters or second and third units are on the field, the G-Men have a distinct advantage on offense in tonight's contest.  Their interior offensive line is one of the most talented in the NFL, while the Browns are a mess on the interior defensive front.  Thanks to multiple reasons, including a couple of injuries, the Browns D-line will feature several young players throughout this one, making them susceptible all four quarters. That's just the start.  Cleveland's offensive line is also far from healthy, especially at OLT where the top-2 players are expected to miss Monday's game.  Rookie Rod Johnson is being thrown into the starting role and will likely have to play extended time at OLT.  We also note they're shallow at OLG.  Defensively, the Giants own one of the best backfields in the league and we believe the secondary, combined with the advantages up front, will prove too much for the potential rotation of Osweiler (starter), Kessler, Kizer, and Hogan. You don't always get potential trench advantages for an entire four quarters, but we feel we have close to that in this one and those advantages point to New York.  I'm backing the NY Giants, our Monday Showdown.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the KC Chiefs on Saturday. We went against the Chiefs last week and cashed a KO with the 49ers.  We knew from all reports the Chiefs would play the starters for a short time, including Alex Smith, turn things over to Pat Mahomes, and then let the deep reserves get a lot of second half action.  KC's regulars dominated on both sides of the line of scrimmage before the reserves gave away the lead.  This week, we expect to see a little more of Alex Smith and the starters, and Pat Mahomes has been promoted to 2nd string, which means his time on the field will not only increase, but he'll be surrounded by a few more regulars.  Mahomes has practiced with the 2nd team since Sunday.  In all, KC has a nice preseason QB rotation.  Cincinnati won last week after trailing Tampa Bay at the intermission.  There isn't a QB battle in the slightest as of course, Andy Dalton has the top job.  Defensively, the regulars struggled at times against the Buccs and we believe they'll find the going tough when KC's offense is on the field.  We like both sides of the line of scrimmage for KC in this one and expect the regulars and reserves to take care of business.  I'm backing the KC Chiefs, the Best Bet Knockout on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Titans on Saturday afternoon.  Carolina's regulars played well for the most part in the win over Houston.  But their defensive depth took a beating on the ground and they now have to face a quality Tennessee run-based offense that will be looking to kick-start momentum after last week's 7-3 loss to the Jets.  I do expect the Titans to flourish on the ground when the Panthers begin their defensive rotations.  And while we expect to see more of Marcus Mariota, Cam Newton is likely to sit again, or play quite sparingly at the very most, according to reports out of Panther camp.  Tennessee is expected to have one of the top offenses in the NFL this season and after last week's glorified scrimmage, I believe we'll see more of the true attack in week-2.  I'm laying the points with the Titans, our Mismatch release. Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the SF 49ers on Friday night, our KO release.  The Niners have a new HC in Kyle Shanahan, a definite upgrade over the previous regime.  Shanahan is arguably the best offensive mind in the NFL and we expect improved play this regular season. The new DC is Robert Saleh, who's bringing a Seahawk-like 4-3 base.  The team may not win more than six games, but it will be an improved season and we will see the beginnings of what's to come next year. I like the QB rotation in preseason week-1 and expect a strong night against a Chiefs' defense that'll be vanilla for the most part, going through the motions.  Word is, the 49ers will play quite a few regulars opening night. Shanahan has stated he wants to set the tone out of the blocks and and we certainly don't mind geting more than a FG.  We'll back the SF 49ers plus the points, our KO release.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the NY Giants on Friday night.  This contest has quite a few ingredients we use for our NFL preseason recipe.  Eli Manning has nothing to prove and may not play.  But the Giants have a battle for Eli's backup between Geno Smith and Josh Johnson.  Both have experience, and Smith, for all his weaknesses, is reportedly having a strong camp.  He won't face any exotic defensive schemes in this one either, which eliminates his issues with his ability to read complicated pre-snap adjustments.  Smith and Johnson will face a Pittsburgh secondary reportedly undergoing changes as they implement more man coverage.  We also note that Giants' brass have gone on record with their desire to improve their offensive numbers.  Meanwhile, Mike Tomlin, once a preseason virtual automatic play, has just 3 wins in the Steelers' last 17 preseason games.  I'm laying the points with the Giants, our Friday Smash.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the NY Giants on Saturday. Ben McAdoo hasn't looked to be in much of a hurry to pick up his first win as HC of the NY Giants, but I expect different results tonight. We'll see many of the starters and regulars from both teams tonight, which means the Giants' quick strike offense will be on the field of play. It's also an offense (albeit backups) that scored 10 points in preseason week-1 and got shutout last week by Buffalo. As we mentioned with one of our releases last week, teams coming off a preseason shutout have been superb money-makers, now 31-16-1 the last 48 times. While the G-men own a quick strike and dangerous offense, the Jets do not as everyone knows. I expect the Jets' offense to struggle keeping up with their counterparts and I certainly don't mind playing against Geno Smith and the Jets' backup QBs when Ryan Fitzpatrick's night comes to an end. We'll lay the points with the NY Giants, my Saturday Smash. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Vikings on Thursday. We backed Minnesota last week, our only play of the preseason thus far, citing what we felt was not only a slight preseason QB advantage, but also Mike Zimmer's intensity and determination to win no matter what part of the season.  Zimmer went into the game ticked-off at his team after a few sloppy practices earlier in the week.  In fact, he even stopped a mid-week practice and made the team do push-ups.  Well, despite the win in week-1, Zimmer is at it again.  The Vikings' HC stated that he was not happy with his team's defensive play, especially the run defense in the win over Cincy and that he needs to see major improvement in week-2.  We do like that kind of talk from a HC who's 9-1 SU/8-2 ATS in preseason action. And when Zimmer is riding the defense, we expect things to happen.  His defenses have allowed a grand total of 118 points in 10 preseason games, an average of 11.8 ppg. Yes, there was once a time when Pete Carroll was determined to win preseason games, but those days look to be in the past.  Carroll's Seahawks are 5-4 SU/ATS in their last nine preseason contests.  Finally, we like the QB situation in this matchup when the starters leave the field.  Bridgewater, Stave, and Hill, combined for 20 of 27 passing last week, with the backups connecting on 14 of 20.  We do favor Minnesota's backup rotation over Boykin & Heaps.  And, of course, we're getting points.  I'm taking the points with Minnesota, my Preseason Main Event GOY. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Minnesota Vikings plus the points on Friday. These two teams have been practicing together the last two days and tempers have flared on a few occasions, despite the mutual admiration between the head coaches. That may not mean a whole lot when this one kicks off, but what will be important is Mike Zimmer's approach to preseason. The Vikings' HC has won eight of nine preseason games, expects stout defensive play no matter what part of the season we're in, and he was quite unhappy with his team's focus, or lack thereof, earlier this week. Zimmer stopped practice and forced his team to do push-ups. We likely won't see a lot of the starting QBs in this one, while Cincy will go to AJ McCarron second and the Vikings will counter with Shaun Hill in all likelihood. The difference from past preseasons for the Bengals is that they no longer have Josh Johnson, who's now with the Ravens. Johnson's last two week-one preseason games saw huge efforts by the QB on the ground, gaining 101 yards on more than 10 yards per carry, while attempting 37 passes in the two starts combined. When things get "vanilla" the Bengals may turn to Keith Wenning or Joe Licata and that's where I believe Minnesota will find their best defensive success. I expect the Vikings to win the game outright, but my play is to take the points. Minnesota is my Friday Shocker. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm playing the Under between the Eagles & Packers on Saturday. Green Bay is all about getting through the rest of the preseason with no new injuries after losing WR Jordy Nelson last week. Several starters may stay on the sideline for this one, and QB Aaron Rodgers will see limited action at most, according to reports. And with Scott Tolzien sidelined, we're likely to see Hundley and Blanchard at QB for the Packers for most of this contest. I don't expect much from the Eagle offense either. Chip Kelly saw his starting QB Sam Bradford take a nasty hit from Ravens' defender Terrell Suggs and another from Brandon Williams, and due to the big-time "slobber-knockers," I won't be surprised to see Bradford playing more like a pocket passer rather than running read options in this one. I believe it'll all add up to a lower scoring game than expected and I'm playing the Under, my Total Dominator. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Carolina Panthers on Friday night. Carolina didn't get what they wanted out of the offense last week, despite a come from behind win over Miami (31-30). Cam Newton will be working on timing and developing an aerial relationship, if you will, with a receiving corps that doesn't include Kelvin Benjamin, who was injured in practice a few days before week-2 and will miss the entire season. I expect Carolina's first team offense to work hard on the passing game this week. New England got all they could ask for and more from QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who completed 28 of 33 passes in the Patriots' 26-24 win over New Orleans. There isn't a ton of things for the Pats to work on, despite this being the accepted "dress rehearsal" week for most NFL teams. And Bill Belichick hasn't cared a lot about winning in this particular game over the last several seasons. The Patriots are 2-5 SU & 1-6 ATS the last seven preseasons in week-3. They have failed to cover all four road games during the seven season span. New England was outscored 128-74 in the four road games, on the wrong end of an average final score of 32 to 18.5. Carolina HC Ron Rivera not only needs to get Cam Newton and the top unit's passing game on track, but he has solid preseason backup QBs once Newton heads to the sideline. Joe Webb is 20 of 32 for 238 yards, 2 TDs and no INTs this preseason and Derek Anderson has 1 TD and no picks in 28 passes this preseason. The Panthers enter on a 10-1 ATS preseason run following at least two consecutive covers, holding those 11 opponents to less than 13 ppg. Most importantly, in their final home game of the preseason I expect to see plenty of work on the air attack. I'm backing the Carolina Panthers as they look to extend New England's week-3 preseason road woes to 0-5 ATS. The Panthers are my Friday Hammer. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Buccaneers on Monday night.  Tampa Bay has not won a home game since week-14 of the 2013 regular season and the coaches have made no secret they want one soon.  I'm betting tonight's the night.  While we expect both teams to use their starters into the second quarter in this one, the final 2+ quarters of the game will see teams with different agendas.  Lovie Smith is looking to put one in the win column and looking to get the Jameis Winston passing game in gear.  Meanwhile, Marvin Lewis and company have decided to give A.J. McCarron plenty of time to catch up to the speed of an NFL game, making his in-game debut on Monday.  McCarron will likely be Andy Dalton's backup, and has reportedly looked good in OTAs.  But McCarron, a 2014 5th round draft pick needs a true NFL snap and he can simply ask Winston about the difference in speed of the game from the college level.  I do believe it's going to take some time to adjust.  Even more news out of Cincy is that they want to give top rookies more time on Monday and are looking to give reserve linemen plenty of snaps.  The Buccs have fared quite well in preseason play off a SU loss, entering on a 78% winning ATS run in this situation, while averaging 23 ppg and allowing just 13 ppg.  I expect a bounce back win for the Buccaneers on Monday and they are my Knockout release.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Miami Dolphins on Saturday. I went against Miami last weekend and we cashed with the Chicago Bears. But the top unit on both sides of the line of scrimmage played well, including Ryan Tannehill, who completed 6 of 7 passes with a TD and a 139.6 rating. Tannehill and Matt Moore were both able to keep a clean slate, but the backups, Josh Freeman and McLeod Bethel-Thompson combined to throw three interceptions, a big part in the Bears' win. We expect to see a little more of Tannehill and Moore in this one and Tannehill has continued to display his improved accuracy this week in practice. We also expect an improved performance from the backups. While Miami ran for four yards per carry, they didn't feature Lamar Miller much, giving him just three carries. But the Miami RB made the most of it, rushing for 32 yards. We expect to see more carries for Miller this week -- and more of the running game in general, according to reports. And speaking of reports, while we don't expect to see a lot of Ndamukong Suh and the starting defense, Suh has been dominant in his new "digs." Suh has crushed his opponents when one-on-one, and has demanded double teams this week against Carolina in practice, opening lanes for others. This should keep the Panthers from "experimenting" when Cam Newton is on the field. We went against Carolina last weekend and lost when the backups connected on a 40-plus yard TD pass with less than a minute to go in the game. The Panthers beat Buffalo by a point after a successful 2-point conversion. HC Ron Rivera has already told everyone he doesn't make winning in the preseason as important as he used to. And in fact, even before losing WR Kevin Benjamin to a torn ACL this week, Rivera mentioned these first couple of games are more about keeping top units healthy. With Suh and the top Miami defense in the game in the opening quarter, keeping Cam healthy has to be a priority. Miami is in a very good preseason spot, a team coming off a double digit loss as a favorite against a team off an outright win as an underdog. We'll back the Miami Dolphins, our NFL Preseason Game of the Year. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the NY Jets on Friday night. The Jets couldn't have looked much worse than they did in their preseason opener. Not only did they lose 23-3 to Detroit, but the Jets gained just 6 first downs and 123 yards, while the Lions pile-up 428 yards and 26 first downs. HC Todd Bowles was not a happy man following the game. His team has practiced hard all week and Bowles has stated his starters will play quite a bit on Friday, possibly the entire first half. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will get plenty of opportunities to develop game-speed timing with his receivers this week and we expect a better outcome for the Jets, overall. Atlanta beat the Titans 31-24, despite getting out-gained. The ground game wasn't too hot and HC Dan Quinn said the running game will be high priority. However, their top two RBs, Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman are not expected to play. The running game, including offensive line run-blocking will be under the microscope this week along with fundamentals on defense. Good time to jump in on the Jets, who're looking for a win for their new coach and for team confidence. I'm backing the NY Jets, my NFL Friday night Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Buffalo Bills on Friday night. Both teams will likely play their starters for at least two series and quite possibly for the entire first quarter. Both teams have decent preseason QB rotations. But while the Panthers know who their starting QB will be for the regular season, the Bills will be undergoing a QB battle. It has been reported that Matt Cassel will get first crack, followed by Tyrod Taylor, and later, EJ Manuel. That's not a bad preseason rotation -- but add a battle for the top spot to it and we have an advantage for the Buffalo Bills. Carolina HC Ron Rivera says Cam Newton and the first string offense could play the first quarter. The Panthers are having issues up front on the offensive line, so they'll want to see how far along the unit is, but when you're struggling up front in camp, the last thing you want to see is a defense that led the NFL in sacks (54) the previous season, especially when new HC Rex Ryan, a defensive guru, has pretty much said all things will be on the table. "We're going to have in our arsenal, the ability to do anything," said Rex Ryan a while back -- and we expect his starters to give it their all. And as we know, Ryan's defenses are as unconventional as it gets, with a ton of looks. As noted in one report, the Panthers have no video of the outstanding Bills' defense in Ryan's game plan. So, as we can see, I believe Buffalo owns advantages when the starters are in the game and later, when the QB battle for Buffalo's top spot continues into the second half. When we add it all up, we have a play on the Buffalo Bills minus the point...my Friday Hammer. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Chicago Bears on Thursday night. Tressman is out and there's a new look in the Windy City and we like the fact John Fox has talked about quickly developing a winning attitude. Fox has stated that Bears' starters will play the first quarter in week-1 and to not be surprised if several starters are still in the game as we move into the second quarter. Meanwhile, the Dolphins don't have a lot to prove and may be more inclined to sit regulars early-on in this contest, as some near the team's training camp have suggested. It's the Bears minus the short points for us, my Thursday night KNOCKOUT. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Chicago Bears on Friday night. Chicago brought a few blitz schemes last week and when they did, they certainly hurried Chad Henne. We expect to see a little more aggressiveness from the Chicago defense in this one. Offensively, I like the battle for backup QB behind Jay Cutler and we're expecting to see Clausen & Palmer continue to fight it out on the field. We had Seattle last weekend and cashed an easy ticket. We wrote in our analysis that HC Pete Carroll was fired-up coming off a loss in their week-1 game. Carroll mentioned he wanted a focused effort and a winning attitude last week, not just from the starters, but also from the reserves in the second half, playing to win all the way to the final gun. The rest is history. We don't expect to see the same aggressive nature in this one. Yes, Seattle has been a money-making "beast" in preseason play under Carroll. But now you're paying for it, laying at least 7 points at the time of this post. We expect a rather evenly played game and we should note that teams off two consecutive home wins and with a winning preseason record, are on a 42-16 ATS run. We should also note that underdogs of 3 1/2 to 10 points are on a 52-17 ATS run if they own a winning preseason record overall, and are off of two straight wins. Chicago fits the bill. We'll back the Chicago Bears plus the points, my Friday Night Tapout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer. 

I'm playing the Under between the Steelers & Eagles on Thursday night. This total has gone through the roof thanks to the Chip Kelly offense and week-2 preseason results. But both teams are likely to play their starters for at least the first half, which means we'll see defenses bringing a little more pressure for at least the first two quarters of action. I expect a more "normal" final score. The average combined points in week-3 preseason games is a shade under 40 going back to 2000. As far as Pittsburgh is concerned, OLB Jarvis Jones returned to practice this week, which means the Steelers will have all 11 defensive starters on the field for the first time this camp/summer. HC Mike Tomlin has mentioned his displeasure in a few mistakes committed on the defensive side of the ball so far this preseason and wants the stop unit to get focused in a hurry. We also know that at some point in the second half, Steeler QB Landry Jones will take over the offense. Jones is far from being NFL-ready and that should help our cause. Offensively, while we are on the Under whether they play or not, RBs Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount were cited for marijuana possession, while driving in their car on Wednesday. Bell may be charged with DUI and he was not on the flight to Philadelphia later Wednesday afternoon. There's no report as to whether Blount made the trip. Again, we are on the Under whether the two RBs make the trip and play or not. The Eagles, meanwhile, stated on Wednesday night that their offensive game plan will be "vanilla and reveal little" of what they will do in week-1 of the regular season. So, yes, the starters will be in longer, but the offense won't resemble much of what we will see when the Eagles host Jacksonville on September 7. That's important preseason news and that, combined with the other information, leads us to a play on the Under. I'm playing the Under between the Steelers & Eagles, my Total Knockout on Thursday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Cleveland Browns on Monday night.  Johnny Manziel will not get the start on Monday as previously reported.  HC Mike Pettine has changed his mind.  This means Brian Hoyer will start and he certainly wants to give the rookie QB no room to further his chances to "dethrone" him as the #1 signal caller for the regular season.  While we were on the Browns if Manziel started, we feel we're in an even better spot now with the experience of Hoyer getting more action.  As far as "Johnny Football" is concerned, Manziel showed NFL-level arm strength in week-1, and played well overall, for a player making his first NFL appearance.  Most of the flaws in his game were of the inexperienced variety and are fixable simply with more playing time.  He made some late throws, didn't lead his receivers on a couple of occasions, but he also had a couple of passes dropped by his wideouts.  Now, with more time and one more week of preparation, we can see Manziel take the next step and trust his receivers.  I also expect him to continue to roll-out and create with his feet.  That tendency is going to take a little longer to fix.  But it also creates two potential advantages in preseason action.  First of all, Manziel is adept at throwing on the run with over 70% of his passes coming from outside the pocket while at Texas A&M.  Second, pulling the ball down and running is more successful in preseason than it is in regular season games.  But it's not just all about Johnny Football.   The Redskins won last week, beating a  New England team by 17 points.  The Patriots sat most of their key players after dominating the Skins in practice the week leading into the game.  New HC Jay Gruden got his win.  Now they fall into a strong preseason go against spot.  Going back more than a decade, underdogs off a SU loss are connecting at roughly 60% ATS when facing a favorite off a SU win. Also, teams off a SU loss in general have fared better than 60% ATS when facing teams simply off a SU win.  I'm backing the Browns, plus the points, my NFL-X Game of the Year!  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Houston Texans on Saturday night. The preseason situation in this contest is about as good as it gets. Houston is off the horrible outing, a 32-0 loss to Arizona in week-1. They're now home for the first time under first-year HC Bill O'Brien. Meanwhile, tonight's guests are off a win in their first preseason game. As we stated in our analysis in the SDG-Seattle win last night, blindly playing week-1 losers in week-2 over teams that one their first preseason game has turned serious profits. Texans' QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had a terrible season debut last weekend, finishing with a QB rating under 15. O'Brien has stated he needs to get his regulars on the same page as quickly as possible and that means we should see more of the starting unit on the field in the home opener, an important game for the new coaching staff. Atlanta has stated their priority is to have their players healthy and ready to go. WR Julio Jones may see some action for the Falcons tonight for the first time this preseason, but I don't expect much from the Falcon regulars in general. It's an important game for the home team...not so much for the visitors. I'm laying the points with the Texans on Saturday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Seahawks on Friday night. Preseason week-2 teams off a SU loss have cashed roughly 58% ATS going all the way back to 2000, a large sample size of more than 200 games. Road teams off a SU win have been an even better go-against and that's the situation we're in tonight. San Diego had no trouble with the horrible Dallas defense last week, but tonight they're facing a motivated Seattle defense. Seattle had their 9-game preseason winning streak snapped and HC Pete Carroll wants his defense, especially his reserves to get it into gear in the second half this week. Carroll said, "We played poorly at the line of scrimmage last week and I was really disappointed that we looked like that. We got blocked." He then finished his weekly interview by saying, "I'm hoping that the line of scrimmage will start the chain reaction that we will play better when it comes to second-half ball." Offensive line coach Tom Cable was unhappy with his unit, calling them "average," and he expects bigger things tonight. We also have something we look for in preseason play, a battle for the 2nd string QB spot with Tavaris Jackson & Terrelle Pryor getting their looks. Motivation, battles for 2nd string spots all over the field, a coaching staff that wants a focused effort, and of course the long-term week-2 preseason trends all point to Seattle. I'm laying the points with the Seahawks, my Knockout on Friday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Tennessee Titans on Saturday. Nice value on a home team looking to impress under a new coaching staff led by HC Ken Whisenhunt. Few have worked better with QBs than the new Titan HC of late. Whisenhunt not only resurrected Kurt Warner's career with a Super Bowl run in Arizona, but also got Philip Rivers and the SDG Chargers' offense back on track in 2013. The Titans have much to prove on offense, while Green Bay will be looking to keep key players healthy. The Packers shut it down, especially on offense last preseason and they're on a 0-4 ATS week-1 slide. I'm backing the Tennessee Titans, my Saturday night Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the New Orleans Saints on Friday night. Rams' HC Jeff Fisher has made it clear that most starters will sit on both sides of the line of scrimmage. "We're not out there to outsmart anybody," Fisher said. "We're not game-planning." Fisher added, "A lot of the college free agents on the roster that aren't getting a lot of reps in practice are going to get game reps." While the Rams go through the motions and evaluate young talent and fringe players, the Saints have a QB battle on their hands this preseason. Obviously, not for Drew Brees spot, but for his backup. Brees, by the way, is not expected to play tonight. But HC Sean Payton has stated that the 2nd string QB battle between Luke McCown & Ryan Griffin will be decided in preseason play. That means both players will get calls from the sideline, to see what they can do. Teams with backup QB battles (2nd string) are one of our favorite preseason tools when facing a team that's relatively settled on offense. Rams' QB Sam Bradford is one of many StL regulars who will sit on Friday night. I'm grabbing the points with the Saints, my NFL-X Dog Pound release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Baltimore Ravens in Thursday night's "Harbowl-III." The brothers Harbaugh have different objectives...at least enough tonight to make Baltimore the value play. First of all, Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers have already settled in on 10 of their 11 offensive starters with ORG the exception. We'll see very little of QB Colin Kaepernick, maybe two series tops. Blaine Gabbert will get his chance to show he can stay in the pocket and pass under duress, something he hasn't figured out how to do since arriving in the NFL from Missouri. The 49ers are simplifying the playbook, hoping to get the line of scrimmage quicker than they did in past seasons, but say they'll reveal little of those plans on Thursday night. And then there's a seriously banged-up defense for SFO with several players sitting this one out. John Harbaugh's Ravens aren't going to go crazy with regular players in this one, but new OC Gary Kubiak said his offense will begin to institute the new-look, screen-heavy attack. Baltimore has the players in place to make this work in the regular season and while we won't see a lot of time for key offensive players, the backups will continue to run the new-look attack, according to Kubiak, putting the short-handed Niner defense on their heels. The Ravens head into this one on a 6-1 ATS run in early & week-1 preseason action and I'm backing them again. I'm playing the Baltimore Ravens, my Main Event. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.