NFL Preseason Week 2: How To Watch And How To Bet On It

NFL teams had a Tuesday deadline to reduce rosters from 90 to 85 players. This week’s round of NFL preseason games will set up the next round of roster decisions.

PointsBet Sportsbook Trading Content Analyst Mike Korn said his team doesn’t pay much attention to a team’s player evaluation process. He considers team depth and player injuries or unavailability when setting preseason lines.

“In week 2 of the preseason, we will most likely see more of the starters play as they get ready for the start of the NFL season. That being said, we are still very cautious of taking a big lean on either side just due to how unpredictable the preseason can be.”

Coaching staffs had to adjust their routines in 2021. The NFL added a 17th regular-season game, so a preseason week was taken off the schedule. But, does a team’s preseason results impact the regular season odds for Week 1? “Not at all,” Korn told PlayIA.

“Unless injuries or something else unexpected occurs, the regular season and preseason have virtually nothing to do with each other. Very often, we will see the best teams in the league lose all of their preseason games and vice versa.”

Five straight days of games provide input for coaching staffs as well as NFL betting opportunities for fans in Iowa. Preseason Week 2 starts with the Patriots and Eagles. It ends with the first edition of Monday Night Football as the Jaguars play the Saints. In between, there are 14 games, including 10 on Saturday.

Rosters see another cut from 85 to 80 on Tuesday, Aug. 24. The unkindest cut of all comes after the third and final preseason week. Teams go from 80 players to 53 on Tuesday, Aug. 31.

NFL Preseason odds Week 2

Sportsbooks do take team philosophies into consideration, however. Johnny Avello at DraftKings recently told us some coaches pay just a little more attention to the scoreboard. His sportsbook tends to favor teams with stronger back-up quarterbacks as well.

NFL Network will carry 8 of the week’s 16 games in preseason Week 2. ESPN has a pair of games. In addition, NFL Network re-airs broadcasts of every NFL preseason Week 2 game. Some of the rebroadcasts are overnight, so check the broadcast schedule if you want to do your own player evaluations.