One of the most intriguing days of the NFL preseason is upon us, as 11 matchups take place this afternoon and evening, starting with Dolphins vs. Lions at 1 p.m. EDT (all times EDT).
Miami-Detroit is just one of five games kicking off at 1 p.m. Later, the 49ers visit the Raiders at 4:05 p.m., and the evening slate features four games at 7 p.m. before Cardinals-Broncos at 9:30 p.m. wraps up the action.
Our solid preseason continued with a 2-1 showing last night, improving our record on preseason bets so far this year to 13-7.
We’ll dive into why we like these below, but our favorite plays today are:
- First quarter over 7.5 points (+115 at bet365) — 1 unit
- Panthers 1Q ML (+110 at DK) — 1 unit
- Chargers Team Total Over 23.5 (-105 at DraftKings) — 1 unit
- Giants Team Total Over 23.5 (+122 at FanDuel) — 0.5 units
Best NFL Preseason Bets For August 16
Panthers vs. Texans (1 p.m.)
Bryce Young’s 2025 debut for Carolina started with a 3-and-out, but he was razor-sharp on his second possession, leading his team on a 9-play, 73-yard TD march.
With Carolina head coach Dave Canales saying this week that Young and the starters on both sides of the ball will get three possessions of work, the Panthers should be able to come out on top in the first quarter.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans did not say how long his starters will play in this game, but CJ Stroud is expected to get at least a series after sitting out last week’s 20-10 loss to Minnesota.
I’m not sure how this one will play out once the starters head to the sidelines, but I like both Carolina to win the first quarter at plus-money on the moneyline and the first-quarter over.
Best bets:
- First quarter over 7.5 points (+115 at bet365) — 1 unit
- Panthers 1Q ML (+110 at DK) — 1 unit
Chargers vs. Rams (7 p.m.)
The Chargers got help from a pick-six by the defense last week, but their point totals this preseason — they beat Detroit 34-7 in the Hall of Fame Game and outscored New Orleans 27-13 in Week 2 — have been impressive.
As former top-five pick Trey Lance and Taylor Heinicke continue to battle for the No. 2 job behind Justin Herbert, it should come as no suprise if the Chargers have another big night offensively vs. the Rams tonight. Whether Lance continues to play well and inch closer to usurping Heinicke or the latter puts together a strong outing in response, I like the Chargers to go over their team total in this contest.
It’s worth noting here that the Chargers were initially priced at even money at DraftKings to go over 21.5 points, but Chargers Team Total Over 21.5 is now listed at -145.
Still, even as after line movement in anticipation of a lot of points by Jim Harbaugh’s team, they remain a good bet to go over 23.5 points at -105.
Best bet:
- Chargers Team Total Over 23.5 (-105 at DraftKings) — 1 unit
Jets vs. Giants (7 p.m.) — TV: NFL Network
Backing Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston to put up big numbers a week ago paid off, as New York won 34-25. In addition to solid days from Dart and Winston — who both threw for touchdowns — the Giants also got a TD pass from Tommy Devito.
Tonight, I expect another strong showing by Dart as the Giants take an extended look at their first-round pick. Winston should also be good for some fireworks.
Sticking with teams holding QB auditions to put up points is an obvious, but typically succesful formula, and we see no reason to deviate from it here, so let’s go with New York to go over its team total for our final pick of the day.
Best bet:
- Giants Team Total Over 23.5 (+122 at FanDuel) — 0.5 units
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