Preseason Week 3

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Developing Stories 📰

Panthers vs. Giants

Tonight, the action will unfold at MetLife Stadium as the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants prepare to clash. The kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET. Carolina had a tough start to its preseason, succumbing to a 27-0 defeat against the New York Jets. In their inaugural outing, rookie quarterback Bryce Young struggled, managing only 21 yards on 4 of 6 passing during his three series against the NY reserves. The Jets' defensive prowess shone as they recorded five sacks and dominated the Panthers, outgaining them 189-32 in the first half. The Jets sealed the deal with 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, the New York Giants stumbled in their opening game against Detroit, falling short with a score of 21-16. Although the Giants held a 13-3 lead at halftime, their defense faltered in the second half, giving up an unfortunate 95-yard touchdown on a third-quarter punt and conceding 18 points overall. Heading into the upcoming match, the Giants are favored by three points, and the expected total score for the game is 39 points.

Carolina's offensive struggles in the preseason opener have highlighted the need for improvement, which they will aim to address on Friday. However, they face a challenge in adapting to the Giants' defensive strategy, a task that might prove challenging for rookie quarterback Bryce Young and the team's young offensive linemen. Carolina's head coach, Frank Reich, acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming matchup, stating, "It's going to be a significant test for our offense against their defense, particularly due to the innovative pressure packages employed by Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. Expect to see various forms of pressure, including blitz zero. "The Panthers will miss the presence of running back Miles Sanders (groin) and wide receiver Terrace Marshall (back) on the field. Additionally, backup quarterback Andy Dalton is unlikely to participate due to a back injury sustained in practice on Monday.

Despite the challenges, the Carolina defense might not face an overly demanding task on Friday. The Giants are expected to rest key players such as quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Saquon Barkley, and backup QB Tyrod Taylor for extended periods during the game. This should provide opportunities for undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito, who had a performance of 15-for-24 for 155 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in week one. In terms of health, the Giants have a better outlook compared to the Panthers as they head into their week two matchup. While wide receiver Cole Beasley and cornerback Cor'Dale Flott are questionable with leg and abdominal injuries, respectively, the Giants are better positioned on the injury front.

Although it's unlikely that Daniel Jones will see substantial action in New York's final preseason game, there's a possibility he might make a brief appearance. Head coach Brian Daboll explained, "Decisions regarding his playing time will be finalized towards the end of the week. Extensive research and communication factor into these choices. It's anticipated that he will take the field at some point during this preseason."

The Giants are determined to close out Friday's game on a strong note after their early lead slipped away in week one. Despite briefly holding a 16-14 advantage with 7:59 remaining in the game, they couldn't secure the win as Adrian Martinez scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 1:51 left on the clock.

 Bengals vs. Falcons

In week two of the NFL Preseason, the Cincinnati Bengals are on the road as they prepare to face the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night. With a 0-1 preseason record, the Bengals will be without their starting quarterback Joe Burrow for the final two weeks due to a calf injury. On the other side, the Falcons hold a 1-0 preseason record and will be led by second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder this season. The game is set to kick off at 7:30 PM EST.

The Cincinnati Bengals managed to avoid a major setback when star quarterback Joe Burrow's non-contact injury was revealed to be a calf injury requiring rest. This injury, while sidelining him for the rest of the preseason, is expected to have him ready for the upcoming season opener. Despite this, the Bengals have maintained high expectations for the 2023 season, having reached both the Super Bowl and the AFC Championship game in the past two seasons. The enforced absence of Burrow for the remaining preseason games could ultimately prove beneficial for the team. Not only will it safeguard Burrow from potential harm, but it also provides an opportunity to assess the performance of the team's other two quarterbacks: Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning.

In their previous loss to the Packers, Siemian struggled, going 15-for-28 for 121 passing yards with a mere 4.3 yards per completion. He failed to secure a touchdown and was intercepted once. Browning's performance wasn't much better, completing 10 of 17 passes for 95 yards with an average of 5.6 yards per completion. Like Siemian, Browning also couldn't secure a touchdown pass and threw an interception. It's worth noting that neither quarterback had access to the team's top three receivers: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd. While Higgins might still be held out in the upcoming game, the Bengals are likely to involve both Chase and Boyd for a few series.

During their previous outing against the Packers, the Bengals defense allowed 21 first downs and a total of 427 yards in the 36-19 loss. The absence of a significant portion of the first-string defense made it challenging to counter the Packers' first-string offense, which introduced new starter Jordan Love, going 7-for-10 with a touchdown. The Bengals are expected to give more playing time to their first-string defense in the second preseason game against the Falcons' first-string offense.

For the Atlanta Falcons, 2023 signifies the commencement of a new era at quarterback, with second-year signal caller Desmond Ridder assuming the starting role for the entire season. Having taken over as the starter late in the 2022 season and with the departure of Marcus Mariota, the team has firmly entrusted Ridder with the quarterback responsibilities. The Falcons haven't left Ridder on his own, bolstering their offensive arsenal with key additions like electric running back Bijan Robinson from Texas, versatile tight end Jonnu Smith, wide receiver Mack Hollins, and quarterback Taylor Heinicke. These acquisitions are aimed at thriving in the competitive NFC South Division. Despite their absence in the preseason opener, these key players are anticipated to see action against the Bengals in the second week.

On the defensive front, the Falcons have also made substantial enhancements during the offseason. The secondary has been strengthened with the inclusion of safety Jessie Bates III and cornerbacks Jeff Okudah and Mike Hughes. The pass rush received a significant boost with the addition of seasoned lineman Calais Campbell and linebacker/edge rusher Bud Dupree. Although Dupree and Campbell might have limited preseason appearances due to injury concerns, their impact is expected to be substantial.

Following their victory over the Dolphins in the previous week, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith revealed that the upcoming game against the Bengals would see increased involvement from the starters. This includes both of the top two quarterbacks, with Ridder likely to have more than one series to work with the team's new offensive weapons. The Falcons are positioned for a competitive run in the NFC South Division, having undergone significant offseason improvements. This game provides Ridder with the chance to synchronize with his new offensive assets.

Headlines 🚨

On This Day in Sport History: 1973 Hank Aaron’s record 1,378 extra base hit surpasses Stan Musial record,

1982 longest baseball game at Wrigley Field in Chicago IL, ends after 21 innings as Dodgers beat Cubs 2-1 (game started Aug 17^th).

Sam Howell will start the season opener at Quarterback for the Washington Commanders.

Two Eagles players, WR Tyrie Cleveland and rookie DL Moro Ojomo were carted of the field after sustaining neck injuries in Thursday’s preseason game against the Cleveland Browns.

Cincinnati Bengals’ running back Joe Mixon was found not guilty of aggravated menacing a county judge ruled Thursday.

Dalvin Cook says Aaron Rodgers' presence helped lure him to Jets.

Chicago Bears’ quarterback Jusitn Fields will not play Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts, coach Matt Eberflus announced Thursday.

Austin Barnes hit a solo shot in the eight inning helping the Dodgers win their 11^th in a row with a 1-0 victory over the Brewers.

Chicago White Sox Tim Anderson had his six-game suspension for fighting reduced to five games under a settlement with the MLB.

Days after James Harden called 76ers President Daryl Morey a “liar”, the star guard maintained his position that there was no way back for him to stay in Philadelphia.

Trends 📈📉 via Oddsshark

⚾️ Tigers at Guardians

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Cleveland

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games at home

⚾️ Blue Jays at Reds

• The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Toronto's last 8 games on the road

• Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cincinnati

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 5 games at home

• The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Cincinnati's last 12 games

⚾️ Red Sox at Yankees

• The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 8 games

• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games when playing NY Yankees

• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing at home against Boston

⚾️ Phillies at Nationals

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington

⚾️ Brewers at Rangers

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing on the road against Texas

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing Texas

• Texas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee

• Texas is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home

⚾️ Mariners at Astros

• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing at home against Seattle

⚾️ Pirates at Twins

• The total has gone OVER in 8 of Pittsburgh's last 10 games

⚾️ Mets at Cardinals

• NY Mets is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis

• NY Mets is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 6 games at home

• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games

⚾️ White Sox at Rockies

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games on the road

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox

• Colorado is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox

⚾️ Rays at Angles

• Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing LA Angels

• Tampa Bay is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against LA Angels

• The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Angels's last 8 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

• The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Angels's last 9 games when playing Tampa Bay

⚾️ Orioles at Athletics

• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oakland's last 7 games at home

⚾️ Diamondbacks at Padres

• The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games when playing at home against Arizona

⚾️ Marlins at Dodgers

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games on the road

• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers

• LA Dodgers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

• LA Dodgers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

Public Money 🤑 via VSiN at 9AMCT

⚾️ MLB

45% of bets and 79% of money is on UNDER 8.5 SEA at HOU

59% of bets and 88% of money is on UNDER 8.5 NYM at STL

54% of bets and 73% of money is on OVER 9.5 TB at LAA

50% of bets and 81% of money is on OVER 8.5 ARI at SD

🏈 NFL

8.18.23

40% of bets and 61% of money is on CIN +210

8.19.23

62% of bets and 85% of money is on OVER 39.5 JAX at DET

56% of bets and 86% of money is on DET +150

55% of bets and 77% of money is on MIA +2

47% of bets and 62% of money is on BUF -125

21% of bets and 48% of money is on IND -4.5

57% of bets and 78% of money is on KC -7.5

25% of bets and 68% of money is on DEN -4

43% of bets and 81% of money is on OVER 39.5 DEN at SF

20% of bets and 53% of money is on SEA -7

58% of bets and 85% of money is on OVER 40.5 DAL at SEA

Future Odds 🔮 via Bovada Sportsbook

Injury Report 🏥 via ESPN

ARI (LF) Lourdes Gurriel Jr | Day-to-Day - Hip

DET (SS) Javier Baez | Bereavement - Expected to return today

LAA (SS) Zach Neto | 10 Day IL - Back, expected to return today

NYM (3B) Mark Vientos | 10 Day IL - Wrist

SEA (SS) JP Crawford | 7 Day IL - Concussion, could be activated by Sunday’s game at Houston

STL (CF) Lars Nootbaar | 10 Day IL - Abdomen

TB (CF) Jose Siri | Day-to-Day - Finger

TOR (3B) Matt Chapman | Day-to-Day - Finger

Weekend Picks 🔒

Astros -145 | France has been credited with a win in each of his 4 starts since the All-Star break, so I’ll take the Astros at home in Friday’s divisional matchup. Both teams have had recent stretches of success, but Houston has the slight edge at home.

Falcons -6.5 | This will likely be the second straight one-sided loss for the Bengals on Friday night. While both teams have playoff aspirations, only the Bengals can legitimately have thoughts of a Super Bowl berth in 2023. With that in mind, expect the Bengals to remain very conservative in the preseason to keep all of their starters healthy entering what should be a challenging season in what could be the best division in football, the AFC North.

Giants/Panthers Under 39 | Outdoor unders of 37 or more are 169-106-7 (61.5%) since 2014 covering by 1,84 points per game.

Broncos -4 | The 49ers offense really struggled in the first game and it’s not going to get any easier here against the Broncos defense. The Broncos are going to get plenty of good quarterback play here, and that is going to be the difference as Denver is going to find success. I expect Lance is going to look really bad. Back the Broncos against the spread.