NFLX
Saturday, August 16
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Saturday's NFL Week 2 preseason betting primer
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Saturday marks the busiest day of the NFL's second week of exhibition action, with half the league taking the field. Here's a look at betting notes for the eight games scheduled for Saturday:
Green Bay Packers at St. Louis Rams (-2.5, 43)
* The battle for the fifth and final wide receiver job in Green Bay could very well come down to whichever of the contenders performs better Saturday afternoon; Myles Whyte, Chris Harper, Jeff Janis, Kevin Dorsey and Alex Gillett are all in the hunt. The Packers are expected to have running back Eddie Lacy make his preseason debut; he appeared in his first exhibition game against the Rams a year ago and ran for 40 yards on just eight carries.
* Quarterback Sam Bradford will see his first game action in nearly 10 months Saturday, with head coach Jeff Fisher predicting that Bradford would see at least a quarter of action - and possibly more. The Rams are expected to give running back Zac Stacy more work than the four carries he saw last week - though St. Louis didn't really need him, erupting for 150 yards on 32 carries in a 26-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals (-3, 41.5)
* Geno Smith and New York's first-team offense will play the entire first half against the Bengals, according to head coach Rex Ryan; Michael Vick will also see time under center, as will sixth-round pick Tajh Boyd, who will play ahead of Matt Simms. The Jets have won four of their last preseason games overall after dropping their previous five - including all four they played in 2012.
* Head coach Marvin Lewis told reporters that quarterback Andy Dalton will likely see between 15-25 snaps against the Jets; Dalton saw 22 and 23 snaps, respectively, in the second preseason game the last two seasons. Cincinnati will likely take it easy with its starters Saturday, as it begins a stretch of three games in 12 days that wraps up Aug. 28 against the visiting Indianapolis Colts.
Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys (+1, 42.5)
* Veteran tight end Owen Daniels hasn't practiced since Monday as he deals with nagging leg soreness, and his status for Saturday night's game remains up in the air. A sprained ankle suffered by Asa Jackson - who had an interception in Baltimore's exhibition opener - has left the nickel back position wide open entering Saturday, with Chykie Brown and Dominique Franks expected to vie for playing time in Jackson's absence.
* Quarterback Tony Romo will see his first game action since undergoing back surgery in late-December; he's expected to be eased back in after participating in only 11 of the team's 16 scheduled practices - and avoiding practices on back-to-back days. Romo is expected to have his usual cast of characters against the Ravens, including running back DeMarco Murray, wide receiver Dez Bryant and tight end Jason Witten.
New York Giants at Indianapolis Colts (-2, 41.5)
* The Giants' secondary will face a major test against Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, but come in with positive momentum as the starters have yet to allow a passing touchdown through their first two preseason games. Quarterback Eli Manning has yet to really air it out - his longest throw of the preseason has been for just 10 yards - but head coach Tom Coughlin says looking for a deep strike isn't something he'll force against the Colts.
* The Colts' backfield will be a little more robust in the team's second exhibition game, with safety LaRon Landry and cornerback Vontae Davis expected to play versus the Giants after being limited by groin injuries. Luck and the first-team offense is expected to see up to 25 plays against New York, with receiver T.Y. HIlton expected to suit up despite missing a pair of practices this week.
Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5, 40.5)
* After receiving rave reviews from coaches and teammates - highlighted by receiver Mike Williams' assertion that Thursday's practice was "the best I've ever seen him," quarterback E.J. Manuel is expected to see plenty of time Saturday against the Steelers. He'll look to improve a scuffling Buffalo first-team offense that has managed just two field goals in five possessions through two exhibition games.
* The Steelers are expected to give all three of its prominent running backs playing time, though it's anybody's guess as to how Le'Veon Bell, LeGarrette Blount and rookie Dri Archer will be used against the Bills. Pittsburgh has been one of the worst teams in the preseason over the past season-plus, losing five straight exhibition games after going 19-6 over their previous 25 preseason contests.
Miami Dolphins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5, 37.5)
* It isn't clear whether running back Knowshon Moreno (knee) will make his Dolphins debut against the Buccaneers, but he hasn't been full speed yet in practice and is expected to sit out at least another week. His absence will likely mean a decent workload for expected Week 1 starter Lamar Miller, who has reportedly looked sensational in camp.
* The focus on the Tampa Bay side of the ball will be on the progress of rookie wide receiver Mike Evans, who has looked inconsistent so far in training camp and will need to earn the No. 2 receiver job opposite Vincent Jackson. Last week's shoddy performance against the Jaguars has prompted coach Lovie Smith to shake up the offensive line, highlighted by the demotion of Jamon Meredith from the starting right guard spot.
Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans (-3, 40.5)
* Star wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones were given Thursday off to rest ahead of Saturday's tilt with the Texans; while White is expected to see the field, head coach Mike Smith hasn't said whether Jones - recovering from a major foot injury - would join him. The first team offense, led by quarterback Matt Ryan, is expected to play the entire first half in Houston.
* No. 1 quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't in danger of losing his Week 1 starting job. but could use a better performance Saturday than the one he posted in Houston's exhibition opener against the Arizona Cardinals (6-for-14, 55 yards, two interceptions.) Eyes will also be on No. 1 pick Jadeveon Clowney, who looked solid in his debut but will need to work on his drop-back coverage versus the Texans.
Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings (-3, 39.5)
* Starting Cardinals tight end John Carlson is expected to see action against the team that released him back in March, but he likely won't play for long as Arizona looks to keep him fresh - and concussion-free - for the start of the regular season. Backup quarterback candidate Ryan Lindley may be playing for his spot on the roster; he's expected to see the majority of the second half.
* Fans hoping to see running back Adrian Peterson will be disappointed yet again, as the Vikings are expected to rest him until the start of the regular season - just as they have every year since 2011. The quarterback battle between Matt Cassel and Teddy Bridgewater will once again take center stage Saturday, with Cassel playing the opening half and Bridgewater expected to play the majority of the final two quarters.
