Jaguars Patriots Betting – Pats Open Preseason With Win Over Jaguars

Sports betting players have had their eyes and ears on the transaction news since the end of the NFL lockout, and a team that made one of the biggest splashes will kick off their preseason on Thursday as New England welcomes Jacksonville to town. The Patriots may not play their major acquisitions much, but the excitement surrounding the team should be enough to lift them to a victory.

What: NFL Betting
When: Thursday, August 11th, 7:30 PM ET
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Pick: New England Patriots

Why Bet On Jacksonville Jaguars

Maurice Jones-Drew remains one of the best running backs in the league, which is a testament to his ability when you consider just how unbalanced the Jacksonville attack is (27th in passing, third in rushing). Blaine Gabbert was drafted to compete with David Garrard, who should feel safe that the job is his for this year only. The Jaguars sewed up tight end Marcedes Lewis to a new five-year deal, and that gives Jacksonville one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league, which they’ll need as they are short on dependable receivers. The Jacksonville defense was horrible last year, but they picked up a couple of linebackers, Paul Posluszny and Clint Sessions, that can bolster the group….if they can stay healthy, which has been tough for both players in recent years.

But there are a ton of questions to answer for the Jaguars in this game. Who will back up Jones-Drew (who likely won’t see any action)? Will any receivers step up? Can defensive tackle Tyson Alualu continue his progress? Will Posluszny and Sessions stay healthy? And finally, the biggest concern surrounding Jacksonville’s NFL betting odds is Garrard, who hasn’t done a lot since signing a big-money extension in 2008. This could be his last chance to prove that Jacksonville is his team.

Why Bet On New England Patriots

The Patriots may be the team to watch for NFL betting players this year as they made two moves, picking up Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth, that will make or break the team. Ochocinco should be fine, and he’ll stretch the defense to open things up for pivot Tom Brady, Wes Welker, and the young tight-end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The larger worry is Haynesworth, but if anyone can motivate the disgruntled defensive lineman it is coach Bill Belichick, and along with Vince Wilfork, Haynesworth could make the Patriots an extremely tough team to run on. The defense took a lot of chances last year, which is the mark of a young group, but the talent is there and they got better as the year went on. All in all, the Patriots are well-deserved favorites to win the Super Bowl because really, do you want to bet against Brady and Belichick?

All things considered, the Patriots know they’re taking risks with Ochocinco and Haynesworth, so they’ll have to deal with people waiting for them to make a mistake, but the Patriots are fine with being in the public eye. Offensively, a running game would be nice to take some of the pressure off of Brady and company, but with their short-passing game, it’s not crucial.

Defensively, the Patriots just need to be a little more patient, especially in the secondary, but they should have more opportunities for picks as Haynesworth will put pressure on the opposing quarterback.

How It Will Play Out

The Patriots are 4-point NFL betting favorites at home in their preseason opener against the Jaguars, who are 0-5 SU and 1-4 ATS in their last five trips to New England. The point spread should be the least of your worries for this game (and most preseason games) because you don’t know how much the starters are going to play. They could get more time because of the lockout, or they could get less as teams don’t want their stars to miss the beginning of the season.

Lean towards the home team in this game as the Patriots are a great team in Foxborough, and they just have more talent than the Jaguars. It’s going to be a competitive game as everyone will be fighting for spots and the lockout has surely made players more anxious to wrap up their spot for the season. On Thursday night, bet on the Patriots in your online betting book.