Lions sizzling in opposition to the unfold; Sportsbooks win because of Jets late subject purpose

Patrick Everson

FOX Sports activities Betting Analyst

There was just one notable sport on the faculty soccer odds board over the weekend, the annual Military-Navy showdown. However even with only one sport, there was noteworthy betting information. We can have extra on that sport in a bit.

The NFL Week 14 odds market offered loads of moments, too. Fast: Over the previous six weeks, who’s the perfect NFL crew in opposition to the unfold?

Your reply is developing as we recap the soccer betting weekend that was.

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Hear Them Roar

Once you consider groups that can make you cash, the Detroit Lions most likely don’t instantly spring to thoughts. However maybe they need to.

Regardless that Detroit was simply 5-7 getting into its sport in opposition to the 10-2 Minnesota Vikings, oddsmakers had the Lions as 2.5-point residence favorites. Jared Goff & Co. then proved the oddsmakers appropriate, with Detroit successful 31-23.

The Lions are 5-1 straight up (SU) and an ideal 6-0 in opposition to the unfold (ATS) of their final six video games. And whereas BetMGM needed the Lions to win, the sportsbook needed that victory to come back by the slimmest attainable margin.

"We now have a one-point hole in our favor. We would like the Lions to win by one," BetMGM vp of buying and selling Jason Scott mentioned pregame. "There’s cash for the Lions unfold and the Vikings moneyline."

In order that was an L for the guide and a comparatively simple cowl for Detroit bettors.

Dallas Nearly Downed

The Cowboys had been 17.5-point residence favorites in opposition to the Houston Texans, the most important level unfold of the season within the NFL. But Dallas acquired all it might deal with earlier than scoring a final-minute landing to flee with a 27-23 victory.

It was virtually an ideal confluence of occasions for bookmakers.

"That final Cowboys drive price us," Scott mentioned, noting a Texans upset would’ve been huge. "It will have demolished moneyline parlays."

As an alternative, bettors who had Dallas on their moneyline parlay tickets lived on.

"That may’ve knocked out fairly a little bit of moneyline parlay legal responsibility," South Level sportsbook director Chris Andrews mentioned. "That final landing damage us. We had plenty of Dallas moneyline parlays. It was like a free guess."

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Run the Cowl Play

In the event you guess the New York Jets +9.5 on the street in opposition to the Buffalo Payments, then you definitely had been over the moon with coach Robert Saleh’s late-game decision-making. Trailing 20-9 with 1:18 remaining and going through fourth-and-1 on the Payments’ 9-yard line, the Jets opted to kick the sphere purpose.

It didn’t cease Buffalo from successful 20-12. But it surely did enable the Jets to cowl the unfold. With the Payments drawing their typical heavy assist from public/leisure bettors, The SuperBook was simply fantastic with Saleh’s choice.

"We gained a good quantity on the Jets-Payments sport," SuperBook senior danger supervisor Casey Degnon mentioned. "That Jets subject purpose undoubtedly helped us quite a bit."

Up-and-Down Day

WynnBet senior dealer Chris Youn echoed what many oddsmakers needed to say in regards to the NFL Week 14 outcomes. Books typically had a successful day, however a modest one – so at the very least a few of us people on this facet of the counter cashed some tickets.

"At the moment was a small successful day. We had plenty of key moneyline selections, with the 49ers, Ravens and Panthers in opposition to their respective opponents," Youn mentioned, noting the guide acquired W’s from every of these groups. "However we did lose to the unfold in all three of these video games. It was simply a kind of days the place we had a bunch of small winners and never too many shedding video games."

San Francisco (-3.5) worn out visiting Tampa Bay 35-7, Baltimore (+1.5) edged host Pittsburgh 16-14, and Carolina (+3.5) stopped Seattle 30-24.

Sharp Surge Brief-Circuited

On Sunday morning, forward of the Cleveland Browns-Cincinnati Bengals conflict, there was an enormous push of sharp cash on the street underdog Browns. The Bengals dropped from -5.5 to -4 in brief order, however Scott mentioned BetMGM nonetheless wanted the Browns, with loads of public cash on the Bengals.

Nonetheless, on the South Level on the south finish of Las Vegas Boulevard, that late sharp-money surge had the guide in a nasty spot with Cleveland. Cincinnati gained 23-10 to cowl the quantity simply.

"The Bengals consequence was actually good," Andrews mentioned. "There was large, large steam on the Browns, sharp guys on the Browns."

Added WynnBet’s Youn: "The Bengals overlaying was a fantastic consequence, as we had 3/1 tickets on Cincinnati, however the large cash was on the Browns unfold."

Again to Faculty

It was a service academy Saturday in school soccer, with Military going through Navy at Lincoln Monetary Discipline in Philadelphia. The story on this sport was all in regards to the complete: Within the 16 earlier Military-Navy video games, the Beneath hit each time, a preposterous 16-0 run.

Oddsmakers actually took discover. The overall closed at a tidy 32.5 as the sport kicked off, and certain sufficient, the Black Knights and Midshipmen performed a grind-it-out sport through which the Beneath was completely the precise facet.

Until the 2 groups went to time beyond regulation. 

Which they did, with the sport tied at 20 after 4 quarters. As many oddsmakers and bettors will let you know, time beyond regulation is the place Unders go to die, apparently, even in Military-Navy video games.

Within the first OT, the 2 groups exchanged touchdowns to stay knotted at 17, lastly bringing the Beneath streak to an finish. Military went on to win 20-17 in double OT as a 2.5-point underdog.

I Like Massive Bets and I Can't Lie

Caesars Sports activities stories big-money wagers each week, and NFL Week 14 odds had been no much less enticing to high-rollers. It was proper out of the gate, too, with one buyer plopping $110,000 on the Rams +7 (-120) on the Thursday evening sport in opposition to the visiting Raiders.

Los Angeles seemed performed, going through a 16-3 fourth-quarter deficit. However Baker Mayfield – Baker Mayfield? – led two lengthy TD drives, together with a 98-yarder in 95 seconds that gave the Rams a surprising 17-16 win. Not that the massive bettor wanted the outright victory, however the wager was a winner, nonetheless.

Different #MajorWager motion:

• Two $150,000 Vikings +3.5 (-150) performs at Lions (loss)
• $110,000 Vikings-Lions Beneath 52.5 (loss)
• Two $110,000 Payments -9.5 bets vs. Jets (loss)
• $110,000 Bucs +3.5 at 49ers (loss)
• $110,000 Cowboys -16 vs. Texans (loss)
• $110,000 Chargers +3.5 (-115) vs. Dolphins (win)

The bookmaker acquired the perfect of the bettors in that tranche of wagers. So it’s a very good time to remind: By no means guess greater than you possibly can afford to lose. #ChilisMoney bets suited me simply fantastic this weekend: Military-Navy Over (which I totally didn’t need to win) and Chargers moneyline vs. Dolphins. Let’s eat!

Patrick Everson is a sports activities betting analyst for FOX Sports activities and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He's a distinguished journalist within the nationwide sports activities betting house. He’s primarily based in Las Vegas, the place he enjoys {golfing} in 110-degree warmth. Comply with him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.

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