Add The New York Post on Google Welcome to the Fernando Mendoza show.
Thursday’s preseason NFL action features a clear headliner: Raiders vs. Cardinals.
The No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft is positioned to get some serious time in his professional debut, as the Raiders come in as -122 favorites on Fanatics and -1.5 against the spread.
Though the Cardinals should come into Thursday’s contest a bit more crisp, as they’ve already played a game this preseason, a 33-30 loss to the Panthers.
Starter Jacoby Brissett appears to be in line for the majority of reps on Thursday, as backup Carson Beck was surprisingly ruled inactive despite practicing the whole week.
It ruined what would have been a College Football National Championship rematch between Beck and Mendoza.
Beck’s Miami Hurricanes nearly unseated the country’s No. 1 team, the Indiana Hoosiers, led by Mendoza last January.
I’d expect that at least a half is played by Mendoza and possibly more depending on his performance and how much they want to expose him.
Regardless, the Cardinals allowed 33 points to the Panthers in the first game, with Haynes King and Kenny Pickett combining for 29 completions on 45 attempts with 242 yards and two passing touchdowns (and one rushing TD for King).
The backups on defense for Arizona aren’t good, and I expect Mendoza will be put in a place to succeed in his first NFL action.
Jacoby Brissett #7 of the Arizona Cardinals. Getty Images Betting on the NFL? Read our expert guide on how to bet on the NFL Check out the best NFL betting sites Get the BetMGM Bonus Code As for the game, target the Raiders moneyline (-122, FanDuel), and a wager on the over 40 total points comes in at -137 on Caesars.
THE PLAY: Raiders moneyline (-122, FanDuel) | Over 40 total points (-137, Caesars Sportsbook)
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.
