It didn't take long for New York Jets fans to start booing Geno Smith at training camp. At least he shouldn't get harassed on the road in Week 1 of the preseason against the Detroit Lions.
ODDS ANALYSIS
As is the case in Week 1 of the NFL preseason, home field advantage is really the only difference in this game. The Lions are laying a field goal alongside a relatively modest total of 37.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
No one is really sure what Todd Bowles is going to do considering the fact that this is his first preseason game as a head coach. We do know that his QB rotation will include the beleaguered Smith along with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick and rookie Bryce Petty. It's possible that undrafted rookie Jake Heaps gets a few snaps as well for the Jets.
Lions' boss Jim Caldwell is notorious for not caring about the preseason. He used Matt Stafford for just four passes and one drive last year in the first preseason game and split the rest of the game between his backups. Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore are both back again this year, and we suspect they’ll be amongst the best backups in the league throughout the preseason.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
Rookie head coaches tend to feel a little bit of pressure to win immediately, and Bowles, who learned at the foot of the super-competitive Bruce Arians, very well could take that to heart as well. Don't be surprised if the Jets are a little more inclined to try to win this one in spite of the fact that it means nothing.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"This is the first time I've had a former player as a head coach. That adds a different perspective to it… I don't know if there's anything that you can put your finger on. It's just a different feeling. He understands what we're going through because he went through it." – Jets offensive lineman Nick Mangold on what training camp has been like under Todd Bowles
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
Keep an eye on all of the Jets’ running backs. Bowles made a promise to get New York back to being a physical team, something he might not have a choice about with Smith his likely starting quarterback.
The Jets have some really tough decisions to make in the backfield, though. Not all five of Chris Ivory, Stevan Ridley, Zac Stacy, Bilal Powell and Daryl Richardson can make the team, and all five have started in the NFL before. Don't be shocked if there is a ton of running the pigskin in this one as a result.
INJURIES
Rookie Devin Smith is going to likely miss the entire preseason for the Jets after puncturing a lung. Ridley and Dee Milliner are both out for this game as well.
Haloti Ngata, who was picked up to replace Ndamukong Suh in the offseason, won't make his Lions debut in this one thanks to a hamstring strain.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Jets have a lot of new tools they have to bring together in a hurry, and we're not sure it will all work in Week 1 of the preseason.
Yes, Caldwell is probably going to try to punt this game and let Orlovsky and Moore go virtually the whole way, but we have a lot of confidence in these two in this explosive offense, even playing with the second and third tier wide receivers instead of Golden Tate and Calvin Johnson.
Detroit 24, New York 10
BookMaker put out the first point spread for this Thursday game at the Detroit Lions -3 and a total of 37. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on your television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! Week 1 of the preseason continues with the encounter between the New York Jets and the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, MI on Thursday, August 13, 2015. This 7:30 p.m. ET duel can be viewed live on WJBK and CBS 2.
