Washington Redskins Preseason Betting

The Washington Redskins opened up their preseason schedule on Sunday night with a 19-3 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. However, the loss had much bigger ramifications because their star running back, Clinton Portis left the game with a partially dislocated shoulder. This is a significant blow because the offense of the Redskins depends so much on Portis. Last season he set a team record with 1,516 yards rushing leading them to the playoffs as the NFC Wild Card winners. This can only go as far as Portis will take them so if he cannot get back to 100% quickly, they could be in some trouble in the early part of the season. If the injury becomes a nagging one that could affect Portis’ production throughout the season, the Redskins may be headed for disaster.

Portis was running after Bengals’ cornerback Keiwan Ratliff to tackle him after he intercepted a Mark Brunnel pass in a game that MadduxSports didn't have any NFL picks going, but we did have a solid 2-1 day on our other selections. When Portis hit Ratliff, his arm was extended and the bone was briefly separated from the shoulder socket. There has been no exact word on how long Portis is expected to be out but Joe Gibbs replied that “Obviously, it’s going to be a while.” Backup running back Ladell Betts will step in as the starter for now. Betts ran for 338 yards last season but also missed four games due to injury. There is a considerable drop off because how can you replace one of the best running backs in football?

It’s a tough task and definitely something for NFL bettors to keep an eye on. Veteran quarterback, Mark Brunell will have an even tougher time without a consistent running game which will allow defenses to focus more on him than they normally would. Expect a lot of blitzing if Portis isn’t in there and some more mistakes by Brunell. He does have a solid receiving corp but balance is key for any offense. Without Portis, I wouldn’t risk any money on the Washington Redskins until he proves he’s healthy again. Be sure to check out Preseason betting options via our live NFL odds feed.