Training camp is a month away, but bettors already have had their say on Vegas’ opening NFL numbers.
Sports books are taking action on Super Bowl futures, conference and division winners, regular-season win totals and specific matchups Weeks 1 through 16.
Ten weeks from the Packers and Seahawks opening the season at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, we introduce a series, “100 Things NFL Bettors Should Know.” Here is the first of the 10-part series with 10 things you should know before you start placing your pro football bets.
A survey of multiple sports books shows bettors believe the Bears, Rams, Jaguars and Titans were undervalued in the opening numbers. On the flip side, players considered the Panthers, Falcons and Chiefs to be overvalued.
The public was right about Seattle last year, and it has jumped on board again. In 2013, MGM Resorts opened the Seahawks as 12-to-1 to win it all and they were immediately bet down to 6-to-1 before eventually being shortened to 4-to-1.
This year, MGM Resorts opened the defending champs at 8-to-1 and they were instantly bet down to 4-to-1. The book has written the most tickets on the Seahawks, followed by the Packers (6-to-1), Broncos (9-to-2) and Bears (8-to-1).
William Hill sports books report the Seahawks have drawn the most money, the Packers the most tickets.
“(The Packers) had every bad break in the world last year,” director of trading Nick Bogdanovich told The Linemakers on Sporting News. “They’ve got a healthy Aaron Rodgers now, and they’re not in the strongest division.”
Green Bay has fallen from 18-to-1 to 8-to-1 at William Hill.
- Everyone loves the Bears. They opened at 20-to-1 at MGM Resorts to win the Super Bowl, and got slashed by more than half. Their win total rose from 8 (OVER -120) to 8 (OVER -150) at the Wynn. At the LVH SuperBook, they went from 7-to-2 to win the NFC North to 3-to-1.
“They were a good team last year, and their defense has gotten better,” said MGM Resorts book manager Jeff Stoneback. “They’re kind of like the team every year that’s just on the verge. People expect them to keep going up the ladder. They’re kind of the ‘it’ team.”
The Bears spent four of their first five draft picks on defense and made a serious upgrade when they signed defensive end Jared Allen to replace Julius Peppers. With Marc Trestman’s offense returning intact except for Josh McCown, the season could hinge on Jay Cutler’s ability to avoid injury.
For the rest of the first 10 things NFL bettors should know, jump over to The Linemakers on Sporting News. Also check out the second part of 100 Things College Football Bettors Should Know, with a look at profitable coaching trends.
