The San Diego Chargers averaged running the ball 32.8 times per game in the preseason last year. Mike McCoy has every reason to continue that against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 of the preseason on Thursday.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
These two teams played against each other in Week 1 of the preseason last year as well, and clearly, neither team wanted to tip all that much. There were a combined 65 rushes in the game, making the quarterback rotation rather senseless to try to track.
Tony Romo didn't play in the first game of the preseason for the second straight year, as Brandon Weeden played most of the first half. He should do the same, and from there, Dustin Vaughan should do most of the cleanup work in the second half for Dallas.
History suggests that Philip Rivers will only have one drive in him before he heads to the bench for the night and that Kellen Clemens' night won't be very long either. McCoy is very likely to let Brad Sorensen and Chase Rettig play most of this game.
WHEN SAN DIEGO HAS THE BALL
The Chargers have a glut of running backs right now to work with. Last year, rookies Branden Oliver and Marion Grice combined to carry the ball 21 times in that opening game, and that might be a good indication of what is coming again in this one.
Rookie Melvin Gordon is going to need to get his feet wet just a bit, but expect to see plenty of fellow rookies Jahwan Edwards and Dreamius Smith as well in this game.
The Chargers might be able to do some scoring against a Dallas defense which is still looking to work in some new faces like Damien Wilson and Donnie Baggs in its linebacking corps, but live bettors playing the under should take some solace that there could be some particularly long drives here.
McCoy has a history of designing a safe offense for his backup quarterbacks, so the clock should keep moving quite a bit. Even if the Bolts run a scoring drive, if it takes seven minutes off of the clock, it isn't so bad for under backers.
WHEN DALLAS HAS THE BALL
Dallas is extremely young at the wide receiver position, and we wouldn't bet against a lot of very short drives, particularly in the second half for this offense, particularly when fourth string quarterback Jameill Flowers is in the game.
Flowers, a rookie who is really just a project at the quarterback spot, has five rookies and two second-year men who are vying for one, maybe two spots in the receiving corps for the Cowboys, and clearly that is going to create some problems right out of the chute.
Throw in the fact that the Dallas offensive line is going to be breaking in three rookies in this game, and the makings are there for live bettors to take advantage of live betting on the Chargers quite often in the second half.
TREND TO TRACK
The Cowboys have lost five consecutive preseason games dating back to the 2013 season, and Jason Garrett doesn't seem to care all that much about it. He's 7-10 SU and 5-11-1 ATS in his 16 preseason games in his career, and you know that this game is all about him trying to work out those last few roster spots more than actually trying to get the 'W'. Don't be stunned if it doesn't appear as though Dallas is even trying to win this one.
BookMaker opened the spread for this Thursday game at -3 in favor of the San Diego Chargers. The NFL odds total surfaced at 38. Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The game between the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys is scheduled for Thursday, August 23, 2015, at 10:00 p.m. ET at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA. The game will be broadcast on KFMB 8.
