Welcome to our NFL Preseason Week 1 predictions for Saturday, August 13.
We have eight games on tap through Saturday afternoon and evening. This represents our first NFL buffet of the 2022-23 campaign, even if it’s only preseason. Four games will be televised live on NFL Network (starting at 1 p.m. ET), which should give us around 9-10 hours of football. I don’t care if it’s preseason. That’s just glorious.
NFL Preseason Week 1 Picks: Saturday, August 13
For my NFL preseason Week 2 predictions, I’ll be placing these wagers at Fliff Sportsbook.
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This is perfect for somebody who wants to dabble in preseason betting without risking a ton of money. Fliff also has solid live betting options if you want to practice your strategy on that front.
Kansas City Chiefs (-110) at Chicago Bears
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: NFL Network
If this was the regular season, then the Chiefs’ short -110 moneyline would be an absolute gift from the bookmakers. That’s not quite the case in the preseason, but it still represents solid betting value.
The Chiefs went 3-0 in the preseason last year, and head coach Andy Reid is not afraid to play his starters (see the tweet below). Patrick Mahomes is trying to develop chemistry with his new receivers, so there’s a decent chance they’ll let him air it out.
#Chiefs HC Andy Reid confirmed that Patrick Mahomes and the starters will get the first quarter in Saturday’s preseason opener in Chicago. https://t.co/4R92i62upP
— Chiefs Wire (@TheChiefsWire) August 11, 2022
The line moved from Chicago -3.5 to a pick’em after the Chiefs announced their first string will likely play the entire opening quarter. There’s still value in the Chiefs’ moneyline despite this big swing.
Meanwhile, the Bears aren’t exactly bursting at the seams with talent. RB David Montgomery and TE Cole Kmet are not expected to play, but the other starters should go around 15-20 snaps.
The Chiefs should build a lead and then hand it over to a talented stable of running backs that are fighting for position on the depth chart. On the other hand, the Bears will turn it over to QBs Trevor Semien and Nathan Peterman. Yeah, I like Kansas City to take this one.
Pick: Chiefs moneyline | -110 at Fliff Sportsbook
Indianapolis Colts (-1.5) at Buffalo Bills
Time: 4 p.m.
TV: NFL Network
Josh Allen is definitely not playing for the Bills. We know that for sure. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott was a little vaguer about his other starters, saying he will evaluate their playing time on an individual basis. The bottom line: I’m not expecting the Bills’ starters to play.
On the other hand, the Colts mentioned playing their starters in Week 1. Reports surfaced that Indianapolis QB Matt Ryan will play the first quarter. We aren’t sure about the specific plan for the other first-stringers, but they should see at least some action in the first stanza. I’m guessing Ryan’s top receivers will stay on the field alongside him, and that could be the difference in this game.
Pick: Colts -1.5 | -110 at Fliff Sportsbook
Steelers Win & Under 36 (Boosted To +275) vs. Seattle Seahawks
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: NFL Network
The Steelers have a quarterback battle between Mason Rudolph, Mitchell Trubisky, and rookie Kenny Pickett. While that raises concerns for their regular season progress, it’s good news for Pittsburgh’s preseason viability. After all, they’ll have three capable, motivated signal-callers taking snaps in this game. Each of them will treat this as an audition for the starting job.
That’s the case for the Steelers getting a win. Having said that, I’m not expecting any of those options to light up the scoreboard. Week 1 of the NFL preseason is prime territory for taking Unders, and this one certainly looks plausible. In Week 1 of last year’s preseason, the Steelers game (vs. Dallas) finished with 19 total points while Seattle’s (at Las Vegas) ended with 27 total points on the board. In fact, the Seahawks have hit 36 total points or less in three straight preseason openers.
Fliff Sportsbook is giving us a nice gift for our NFL Preseason Week 1 picks. They are boosting this bet, and here’s how to find it:
- Go to the betting menu, and click on the “boosted” icon. Scroll down until you see “Steel Curtain: Steelers win & Under 36 total points”.
- These odds are boosted from +225 to +275.
If you are new to Fliff, then follow the link below and use promo code PROPS for $25 in free money. No deposit is necessary.
Pick: Steelers win & Under 36 total points | +275 at Fliff Sportsbook (Boosted From +225)
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