Washington at New England Betting Preview/Week 1 NFL Preseason Picks
12 August 2021
Washington won the NFC East a season ago, but this team still finished under the .500 mark. Head coach Ron Rivera has been working to transform the franchise, and this could be another big season for the Washington Football Team.
New England failed to make the playoffs a season ago, but it’s hard to imagine a Bill Belichick-coached team missing the postseason two seasons in a row. The Patriots are no longer the favorites to win the AFC East, but they should be good enough to be in the playoff conversation.
The Washington Football Team is a two-point road favorite on Thursday night, and the total is set at 35 points.
WFT Can Pressure Quarterbacks
Defensive end Chase Young burst onto the scene a season ago as a rookie, and he should be even better in Year 2. The Washington Football Team advanced to the playoffs on the strength of their defense, and they will use the same strategy in 2021.
Washington does have some question marks on the offensive side of the ball, especially at the quarterback position. Ryan Fitzpatrick is expected to start for Washington in 2021, but he has a history of getting banged up.
This team won’t be able to outscore many opponents all season long, and the defense has to play great if they want to have a chance to win.
Patriots Need More Offense
New England clearly missed not having Tom Brady as their quarterback a season ago, and scoring points was hard for this team. Belichick has always wanted to win games on the defensive side of the ball, but the offense has to chip in more in 2021.
Cam Newton and Mac Jones are battling it out for the starting QB position, and both players are expected to play in this game. The offensive line will need to play well to give these players a chance to operate.
The defense of New England should be strong again, and there are several new faces to that unit. The Patriots won’t feature many proven veterans in this game, but they will be tough on opposing offenses this season.
Washington Wins Preseason Opener
Trying to predict what will happen in a preseason NFL game is never an easy task, especially when it is the first game for each team. Washington had a better ending to the 2021 season, but New England will get a boost from playing at home in this game.
Don’t expect a ton of points in this game, as both teams should feature strong defenses in 2021. The Patriots still have some big questions at the quarterback position, and it’s going to be hard for them to score many points in this matchup.
This is going to be a low-scoring affair, but that will play right into the hands of the Washington Football Team. Bet the Washington Football Team -2.0 as their defense is able to take control of the game and lead them to a victory.
Here are all of Dunkel's picks for Week 1 of the preseason:
August 12
Washington at New England
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 122.686; New England 118.759
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 4; 31
Vegas Line & Total: Washington by 2; 35
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-2); Under
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 126.588; Philadelphia 116.141
Dunkel Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 10 ½; 37
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1; 34
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+1); Over
August 13
Tennessee at Atlanta
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee 120.216; Atlanta 115.249
Dunkel Line & Total: Tennessee by 5; 41
Vegas Line & Total: Tennessee by 1; 38
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee (-1); Over
Buffalo at Detroit
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 119.853; Detroit 120.452
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1; 34
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo by 2; 37
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+2); Under
Dallas at Arizona
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 119.908; Arizona 115.461
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 4 ½; 44
Vegas Line & Total: Arizona by 1 ½; 40
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+1 ½); Over
August 14
Miami at Chicago
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 118.156; Chicago 123.830
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 5 ½; 30
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 3 ½; 34 ½
Pick: Chicago (-3 ½); Under
Denver at Minnesota
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 124.297; Minnesota 120.951
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 3 ½; 28
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 1 ½; 34
Dunkel Pick: Denver (+1 ½); Under
New Orleans at Baltimore
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 122.816; Baltimore 131.788
Dunkel Line & Total: Baltimore by 9; 38
Vegas Line & Total: Baltimore by 2 ½; 35 ½
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-2 ½); Over
Cleveland at Jacksonville
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 112.215; Jacksonville 116.760
Dunkel Line & Total: Jacksonville by 4 ½; 42
Vegas Line & Total: Jacksonville by 1; 37 ½
Dunkel Pick: Jacksonville (-1); Over
Cincinnati at Tampa Bay
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati 119.141; Tampa Bay 121.015
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 2; 31
Vegas Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 6; 33
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+6); Under
NY Jets at NY Giants
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: NY Jets 122.813; NY Giants 120.164
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Jets by 2 ½; 51
Vegas Line & Total: NY Giants by 2; 35
Dunkel Pick: NY Jets (+2); Over
Houston at Green Bay
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 109.334; Green Bay 122.919
Dunkel Line & Total: Green Bay by 13; 30
Vegas Line & Total: Green Bay by 3; 33 ½
Dunkel Pick: Green Bay (-3); Under
Kansas City at San Francisco
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City 122.369; San Francisco 120.916
Dunkel Line & Total: Kansas City by 1 ½; 32
Vegas Line & Total: San Francisco by 2 ½; 36 ½
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+2 ½); Under
Seattle at Las Vegas
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 123.835; Las Vegas 121.797
Dunkel Line & Total: Seattle by 2; 40
Vegas Line & Total: Las Vegas by 1; 37 ½
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+1); Over
LA Chargers at LA Rams
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: LA Chargers 114.735; LA Rams 120.513
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Rams by 6; 26
Vegas Line & Total: LA Chargers by 3 ½; 35
Dunkel Pick: LA Rams (+3 ½); Under
August 15
Carolina at Indianapolis
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 122.309; Indianapolis 120.286
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 2; 36
Vegas Line & Total: Indianapolis by 1 ½; 34
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (+1 ½); Over
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