Which coaches like to win in the preseason, and what does that mean in detecting NFL betting trends? Elsewhere in this series, we have talked about some overzealous coaches, notably Steve Spurrier, who have maybe attached a bit too much importance to winning in the preseason. Of course, there are coaches – and prominent ones at that – who have always enjoyed putting a “W” in their column before the actual September bell rings.

You could safely say that one of those coaches was Vince Lombardi, who had a 42-8 SU record during his time with the Green Bay Packers, including one period where his team won 19 straight games. He wanted his team playing well ALL the time.

What you may notice with the coaches who have come from the staff of Bill Parcells is that, generally speaking, they like to win preseason games, and this pattern produces an NFL betting trend you might be able to use, though it isn’t automatic. Parcells was a disciplinarian and always a coach who placed an emphasis on getting crisp performances from his teams. He also won 21 of the last 27 preseason games he coached. Of course, what else would you expect out of someone who said, “People who think preseason football is meaningless don’t know anything about football.”

Look at the guys in the NFL today who came from his influence. John Fox of Carolina went 1-3 SU in his first year with Carolina, but then went 4-0 in three of his next four years in the preseason. He eventually drifted away from that, as most of Parcells’ ex-assistants do, and was 0-4 last year. Bill Belichick won 13 of his first 17 preseason encounters with New England. Look at the way Tony Sporano of the Dolphins got out of the starting gate the last two years, setting an NFL betting trend that is very clear. He has won seven of his eight preseason games, straight-up, since being named head coach after Parcells took over all the football operations with Miami. Eric Mangini has been a head coach for four seasons, and has had a solid if not spectacular record in the preseason for the Jets and Browns (10-6 SU).

Sean Payton of New Orleans may be something of a mild exception, as his preseason record with the Saints is just 9-8. And yes, we will admit that Todd Haley of Kansas City, who served under Parcells with both the Jets and Cowboys, is more glaring, as he dropped all four games at the helm of the Chiefs last August.

It would appear that one coach who wants to gain some forward momentum as the regular season approaches is Pittsburgh’s rather disciplined Mike Tomlin, who has gone 3-0 SU in the third AND fourth weeks during his brief head coaching tenure in the Steel City.

Mike Shanahan, who was hired by the Washington Redskins in the off-season, is not a protege of Parcells, but he has always finished strong, it seems, and it produces an NFL betting trend. Shanahan is 10-2 in the final week, but then again, he has made it a point to win preseason games, period, compiling a 35-16 SU record when he was the coach of the Denver Broncos. Shanahan is 10-5 in the preseason’s first week as well, and it seems that perhaps his disciple, Gary Kubiak of Houston, inherited that. Though we don’t have a very large sampling, Kubiak is 6-2 SU in the first two games of August, and he may be about to establish an NFL betting trend that you can follow!

Get Sports Betting Free & Premium Picks at The Professional Handicappers League

Bet the Games at BetUS sportsbook!