When it comes to betting the NFL preseason, not a whole heck of a lot is considered to be a given. When an opportunity arises when one team is definitively going to be playing a better quarterback rotation, that doesn't mean that it is guaranteed to win over the team with the lesser quarterbacks, but it's usually a really good start.
That's why live bettors should have confidence that the New England Patriots should end up with the upper hand over the New Orleans Saints on Saturday night in the Bayou.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Drew Brees was perfectly healthy going into last week's preseason opener, but he was held out of the loss to the Ravens. Whether he is out there or not in this game remains to be seen, but Ryan Griffin, Garrett Grayson and Luke McCown all figure to get relatively equal reps in some order as the three vie to become Brees' backup.
That's why live betting on New England makes so much more sense right now. You know what the Patriots are going to do in this game. Tom Brady is going to be allowed to play, and if last year's second preseason game against the Eagles is any indication, he could be allowed to play two or three drives.
But regardless, when Brady is done, Jimmy Garoppolo is going to be getting plenty of work in. Garoppolo, of course, is going to be New England's starting pivot in Week 1 of the regular season so long as the federal courts don't overturn Brady's suspension, and Bill Belichick is going to continue to get him as many reps as possible.
Garoppolo was good, yet not great against the Packers last week, going 20-of-30 for 159 yards with an interception, but better is probably on the horizon. He's certainly the more trustable quarterback for live betting purposes over the trio which New Orleans is likely to trot out there.
WHEN NEW ORLEANS HAS THE BALL
Expect to see the Saints turn it loose once again with its quarterbacks. The only man who had any substantial carries on the ground last week was Tim Hightower, who almost certainly isn't making the team anyway.
Live bettors should be aware that Griffin, Grayson and McCown are going to be allowed to throw the ball a bunch, and it would be surprising if all three of these men didn't chuck the pill at least 8-10 times, if not more.
WHEN NEW ENGLAND HAS THE BALL
Who knows what the mad scientist that is Bill Belichick is going to do in this one? You'd figure that a backfield which still has a lot of sorting out to do would be on display more, but if last week is any indication, this game is going to be more about Garoppolo getting more reps with men which he legitimately might be on the field with in a few weeks against Pittsburgh.
TREND TO TRACK
Sean Payton might have a 21-19 SU record in his 40 preseason games coached with the Saints, but his history in the third preseason game at 8-1 all-time is where he has really made his money for bettors.
When Brees isn't playing all that much, the Saints are actually a below-average team for bettors, which is something to definitely keep in the back of your mind for live betting purposes, particularly if the sense is there that Garoppolo is going to be playing most of this game for New England.
The NFL betting lines and props for this Saturday game were first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. The New Orleans Saints were lined at -1 alongside a total of 43. Live wagering during commercials offers adjusted moneylines, totals and spreads. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The duel between the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots will go down Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA. The game will be televised live on WBZ.
