Steve Makinen Details NFL Preseason Betting Patterns Ahead of 2026 Season

Steve Makinen has compiled historical data on NFL preseason betting outcomes, focusing on team-specific records across straight-up results, against-the-spread performance, and over-under totals from recent years. The analysis appears in a report published on VSIN that examines how these patterns might influence wagering approaches during the 2026 preseason, which features widespread resting of starters and lines that often lack the usual sharpness seen in regular-season markets.

Core Trends Identified in Recent Preseasons

Buffalo stands out with a 14-5-1 record on the over in totals across the examined period, a mark that reflects consistent scoring outputs even when personnel rotations occur early in games. Chicago, meanwhile, posts a 9-2-1 straight-up record and a 10-2 mark against the spread over the last four preseasons, numbers that highlight the team's tendency to cover expectations regardless of venue or opponent strength. These figures form part of broader team-by-team breakdowns that separate overall results from home-road splits, situational contexts such as divisional matchups, and performance when teams enter as favorites or underdogs.

Observers note that preseason environments introduce variables absent from the regular season, including abbreviated playing time for established starters and the introduction of unfamiliar betting lines that adjust more slowly to roster changes. Makinen's review accounts for these elements by isolating trends that persist despite such factors, allowing bettors to adjust expectations when lines move based on limited sample information.

Team-by-Team Breakdowns and Situational Data

The report organizes findings into categories that include overall season records, home versus road performance, specific game situations, and results when teams are favored or receive points. For instance, certain clubs demonstrate stronger records when playing at home during the preseason, while others show elevated totals in road contests where defensive substitutions occur more frequently. Situational splits reveal patterns tied to back-to-back games or matchups against teams with particular offensive styles, data that bettors can cross-reference with current roster news.

Additional layers examine how favorites and underdogs have performed historically, with some teams covering at higher rates when installed as short favorites and others exceeding totals more often when listed as underdogs. These distinctions matter in August 2026 because lines often reflect regular-season perceptions rather than the altered dynamics of exhibition play, creating potential value in contrarian positions when data supports deviation from public perception.

Adjusting Strategies for 2026 Preseason Conditions

Makinen emphasizes that bettors should modify standard approaches because resting starters reduces the reliability of established metrics while unfamiliar lines introduce volatility not present later in the year. The analysis supplies concrete records that can anchor decisions, such as targeting overs in games involving teams with Buffalo-like over tendencies or aligning with Chicago-style covers when similar conditions recur. Home-road splits further refine these choices by showing which clubs maintain edges regardless of travel demands during the exhibition schedule.

Data indicates that situational awareness improves outcomes when bettors incorporate factors like divisional familiarity or recent coaching adjustments, elements that appear in the team-specific tables. Those reviewing the material find that combining overall records with favorite-underdog results produces more nuanced views than relying on any single category alone.

Broader Context for Preseason Wagering

Preseason betting volumes have grown in recent years as more jurisdictions legalize sports wagering, yet the underlying data patterns remain consistent enough for historical review to retain relevance. Makinen's compilation draws from multiple seasons to mitigate the impact of any single anomalous year, yielding records that reflect repeated behaviors rather than isolated outcomes. Bettors accessing the full set of breakdowns can compare current 2026 matchups against these baselines while remaining alert to line movement driven by roster announcements.

Additional sections address how over-under results correlate with offensive and defensive substitution patterns, information that complements the straight-up and spread data. This layered presentation allows readers to construct targeted approaches for specific game types rather than applying blanket strategies across the entire slate.

Conclusion

The analysis from Steve Makinen supplies a structured reference point for navigating 2026 NFL preseason betting through documented team tendencies and situational records. By separating results into overall, home-road, situational, and favorite-underdog categories, the work provides tools for adjusting to the unique conditions of exhibition games where resting starters and evolving lines alter typical expectations. Those consulting the report can apply the historical marks to current matchups while recognizing that preseason outcomes continue to differ from regular-season patterns in measurable ways.