Our Thursday NFL preseason picks take center stage, as the 2025 regular season is knocking on the door!
Coaches are still figuring out their rotations and depth charts, but they’re running out of time.
The Steelers head down to Carolina in what should be a pretty telling matchup, followed by Patriots vs. Giants on Prime Video (because even August football gets the streaming treatment now).
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Thursday NFL Preseason Picks: Expert Predictions
Our NFL betting expert Justin Bales will break down his favorite Thursday NFL preseason picks for August 20th.
Jack Plummer Higher Than 85.5 Passing Yards
The Carolina Panthers have already said they won’t be playing starters in Week 3, and it looks like Andy Dalton will sit as well. Bryce Perkins, who was signed a few days ago, and Plummer will be the only two quarterbacks for Carolina in this game.
Head coach Dave Canales suggested he feels comfortable with Perkins’ knowledge of the offense, and he wants to reward him in this game. That’s my only concern about Plummer here.
The wording makes it sound like both quarterbacks will play one half. It’s far more likely that Plummer finds more playing time than Perkins rather than the other way around. If I knew this was going to be a 50/50 split, I’d prefer Perkins at 79.5 passing yards.
The issue here is that Plummer isn’t a good quarterback. He’s shown flashes this season, throwing for 162 yards on 24 pass attempts through two games. He’s also thrown 2 interceptions without finding the end zone.
It’s a lot of potential volume for this number, though, and that’s why we’re taking it.
Where to Play: Jack Plummer higher than 85.5 passing yards | 1.87x at Underdog
Dante Miller Higher Than 22.5 Rushing Yards
Miller’s a bit of an interesting option in Week 3. Head coach Brian Daboll isn’t expected to play the majority of his starters. Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary are both tentatively expected to sit out, although it isn’t guaranteed.
If Tracy and Singletary miss this game, the New York Giants will be extremely limited at running back. Cam Skattebo recently returned from injury, and there hasn’t been a definitive statement on his status at this point. There’s a very real chance New York enters this game with just Jonathan Ward and Miller as their healthy backs.
I’m not fully expecting New York to play this game with two running backs. I’d expect Singletary to get some playing time if Skattebo can’t go. Overall, the majority of the game should feature Miller and Ward, though.
Miller has looked awful on the ground throughout the preseason, but he’s been a dominant receiving option. He posted 108 yards on the ground in two games last preseason, though. The upside is there, and it looks like he’ll see plenty of opportunities in Week 3.
Where to Play: Dante Miller higher than 22.5 rushing yards | 1.87x at Underdog
