Dallas Opens 2010 NFL Pre-Season as Road Dogs in NFL Betting

The Dallas Cowboys open the 2010 NFL Pre-Season as road dogs in the NFL betting sportsbook. The ‘Boys, one of the favorites to win the NFC Conference this season, will see a familiar face when they take the field on Sunday, August 8 th.

Terrell Owens, T.O. to his friends, just recently signed a one-year contract to play for the Cincinnati Bengals along side his BFF, Chad Ochocinco. Neither T.O. nor VH1 Chad are going to get a lot of playing time this Sunday.

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In fact, it’s doubtful that any starter from either team is going to get a lot of playing time this Sunday. Because of that, the home team, the Bengals are the NFL odds favorite at -3 in the sportsbook.

NFL Pre-season: Dallas Cowboys vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Where: Fawcett Stadium, Canton, OH

When: August 8 th, 2010 at 8:00 pm EST

TV: NBC

NFL Betting Lines

Cincinnati Bengals -3 Ev O 33 -110

Dallas Cowboys +3 Ev U 33 -110

It makes no sense to get into trends for this game because this is an NFL Pre-season game. Oh, sure, some teams like to use their starters longer than other teams, but in a pre-season game this early on the schedule plays are literally called in order to evaluate talent.

The fact that the Bengals are at home for this game doesn’t mean much either because even though, I suppose, the Bengals are the home team, at least they are according to ESPN, the Bengals won’t be playing at their stadium. In fact, there is no real home team for this game. This is the Hall-of-Fame Game. That means that nobody is at home and nobody is away.

This is the first NFL Pre-season game of the year. There just isn’t any way to predict how either team will do against the spread in this game. The NFL odds giving 3 points to the Dallas Cowboys is probably the bet to make if sports gamblers really, truly, want to make a wager on a team against the spread.

But I believe that a legitimate bet, a bet that can lead to profits, is available on betting this game to go under the total of 33 points. Both teams have terrific first team offenses, yes, but their second team offenses probably won’t be very sharp in this game and second team offenses always play more than first team offenses early on during pre-season.

I believe that because of each team’s defensive philosophy, stopping the rush, and because of each team’s lack of motivation to really go out there and air it out, that this game should go under the total.

In the 2006 Hall of Fame Game, the Oakland Raiders beat the Philadelphia Eagles 16 to 10 for a total of 26 points. In the 2007 Hall of Fame Game, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New Orleans Saints 20 to 7 for a total of 27 points.

The total points scored in 2008 was 46 with the Washington Redskins putting up 30 and the Indianapolis Colts putting up 16. In 2009, the total was 39 with the Tennessee Titans putting up 21 and the Buffalo Bills putting up 18.

I believe that the 2010 Hall of Fame Game reverts to what it was in 2006 and 2007 with two solid franchises holding back on the offensive side of things, evaluating talent, and playing their usual tough defense.

Because of that, the best bet that I see in the sportsbook based on the NFL odds is on under the total of 33 points.

NFL Betting Pick: Under 33 -110

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