NFL Betting: Analysis On Thursday Night NFL Preseason Games

Sports bettors have one week left of preseason NFL football before the real season begins. Thursday night will be a busy one in the sports world, with 12 NFL games and the official kick-off to the NCAA football season, with a bunch of matchups highlighting their traditional Thursday night start to the new season.

As for the NFL betting during Week 4 of the preseason, these are very difficult games to handicap. Keep in mind most of the starters either won’t see any action, or a series or two at most. Week 4 games represent the last chance for many of the long-shots to make their respective teams.

Bet Republic will go through all the action on our Wednesday Night Betting Show and our Thursday Night Prime Time online sports betting program.

Let’s take a look at two inter-conference games that still have a bit of mystique. The Eagles are in New York to face the Jets and the Browns take on the Bears in Chicago.

New York Jets: minus 3 – Under 37.5

BetRepublic Analysis:

The Jets and Eagles met last year in the last preseason game with New York winning 27-20.

Mike Vick gets his last shot at quarterback before he sits out for five games or longer depending on what Roger Goodell decides. QB Kevin Kolb gets the start and will play the first half with Vick starting the second half.

Kevin Kolb played against the Jets in last year’s game, leading the Eagles on three consecutive scoring drives to open the game.

Kolb played the entire first half, going 13 of 21 for 138 yards. Kolb was selected in the second round of the 2007 draft and is supposed to be the quarterback of the future.

That was before the Eagles signed Vick. Last week in limited time against the Jaguars Vick went 4 for 4 for 19 yards and rushed once for a yard. He will be looking to improve on that performance.

The Eagles have a surplus at wide receiver and it is likely that a starting-caliber wideout could be left off the final 53-man roster. The last spot will be a battle between Reggie Brown and Hank Baskett. The Jets are in need of a receiver and will be watching both with plenty of interest.

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez was 13-of-20 for 149 yards and a touchdown against the Giants last week and will only see one series. That means Kellen Clemens, the fourth-year veteran, will likely see a majority of the action with Eric Ainge playing the second half.

The Jets will rest their entire starting backfield giving Jehuu Caulcrick and Danny Woodhead the majority of carries. The Jets are still trying to figure sort out their wide receiver package and David Clowney and Brad Smith will see lots of action fighting for the number three spot.

Defensively the Jets will rest most starters, but former first round draft pick LB Vernon Gholston will play most of the game as he is still trying to get untracked. Linebacker Calvin Pace will also play into the second half as he sits out the first four games for violating the league’s drug policy.

Cleveland Browns at the Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears: minus 3 – Under 36.5

BetRepublic Analysis:

This game is all about someone making a decision on a Browns starting QB. Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson were pretty even going into the last game against the Titans but Quinn might now have the edge.

Browns Coach Eric Mangini still has not decided on his starting quarterback even after Brady Quinn completed 11 of 15 passes for 128 yards, one touchdown and notched a 121.0 passer rating against a solid defense in Tennessee. Anderson went a respectable 7 of 11 passes for 77 yards. Mangini has not named his starter for the Bears game.

The Bears signed CB Rod Hood one day after being released from the Browns earlier this week and will look to impress his new team with a big game against his former team. The Bears are banged up in the secondary and either Quinn, Anderson or third string Brett Ratliff should produce some big numbers.

Bears QB Jay Cutler might play one series along with the other starters but most of the starters will take the night off after two solid games against Denver and the Giants.

Give the edge to the Browns in this one. Good luck with the games. Be sure to check out BetRepublic for daily picks and analysis, plus you can watch the innovative BetRepublic’s sports betting TV show.