THE SPORTS ADVISORS
NFL PRESEASON
Philadelphia (0-0) at Baltimore (0-0)
The Eagles will travel down Interstate 95 for their regular preseason game with the Ravens tonight, but will be without the services of injury-plagued QB Donovan McNabb.
This is the 10th time in the last 11 summers that Philadelphia and Baltimore have met in a preseason contest, not including a scheduled meeting in 2001 that was canceled due to problems with the Veterans Stadium turf. The Ravens are 6-3 SU in the last nine battles, but Philly has won and covered two of the last three.
Philadelphia coach Andy Reid is in his ninth season with the franchise, and clearly the August games don’t mean much to him, as he is 12-20 SU in the preseason. In the last three seasons, the Eagles are 1-5 SU and 3-3 ATS on the road in exhibition games.
A.J. Feeley gets the start at QB in this contest as McNabb continues to nurse his surgically repaired knee. Kelly Holcomb is slated to play in the second quarter, with rookie Kevin Kolb playing the entire second half. Reid has said his first-string units will likely play two series.
The Ravens get their first look at newly acquired RB Willis McGahee, who comes over from Buffalo to replace Jamal Lewis, who left for Cleveland in the offseason. McGahee will take the field with QB Steve McNair and the rest of the starters and play the first two series.
Baltimore coach Brian Billick said the second string, led by QB Kyle Boller, will get much of the playing time the rest of the way. Rookie QB and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith will likely see playing time in the fourth quarter.
The Ravens went 13-3 and cruised to the AFC North title a year ago, but were knocked out of the playoffs with a 15-6 loss to the Colts in the divisional playoff round. Baltimore is 4-2 SU and ATS at home the last three preseasons, but a mediocre 10-10 SU and ATS overall in the last five Augusts.
ATS ADVANTAGE: BALTIMORE
Denver (0-0) at San Francisco (0-0)
The Broncos travel to San Francisco tonight to face the team that knocked them out of last season’s playoffs in the final week of the season.
San Francisco’s 26-23 overtime victory in Denver on Dec. 31 prevented the Broncos from clinching a playoff berth, as they finished 9-7 for the fifth consecutive year.
Mike Shanahan is in his 13th year in Denver, and he is clearly a coach who takes the preseason seriously, compiling a 37-15 SU mark in exhibition play, including 7-1 (5-3 ATS) the last two years. Also, the Broncos are 10-2 SU in their last 12 preseason openers under Shanahan, though they did fall 20-13 to the Lions as a two-point home chalk in Week 1 of the 2006 exhibition campaign.
Second-year QB Jay Cutler is the Broncos’ starter and will play the first two series along with the rest of the first-stringers. When Cutler departs, Patrick Ramsey will lead the offense and play most of the remainder of the game, with Preston Parsons possibly seeing mop-up action. At RB, newly acquired Travis Henry is the starter, with Mike Bell and Cecil Sapp running second and third, respectively, on the team’s depth chart.
The QB rotation is clear for the Niners and third-year head coach Mike Nolan, who has Alex Smith as the starter, followed by Trent Dilfer. Shaun Hill will replace Dilfer and is expected to play most of the second half.
San Francisco RB Frank Gore broke a bone in his right hand in training camp and probably won’t play in the preseason. That leaves the ball-carrying duties to the unheralded trio of Michael Robinson, Maurice Hicks and Thomas Clayton.
Going back to 1995, the Broncos are 8-1 against the 49ers in preseason action. In the most recent meeting in 2005, Denver won 26-21, but San Francisco got the cash as a seven-point road dog.
San Francisco is 4-0 SU and ATS at home under Nolan and 7-3 SU and ATS in front of the home fans the last five Augusts.
ATS ADVANTAGE: DENVER