There was no NFL player who generated more betting interest than the other NFL players this offseason Trey Lance At multiple sportsbooks.
The San Francisco 49ers Second-year quarterback was a fashionable bet to win regular season MVP. Lance was awarded more MVP money than any other player. Tom Brady At PointsBet, Lance at Caesars Sportsbook received more MVP money than any other NFC quarterbacks. Only Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert Attracted more bets
Of the dozens of season-long Caesars player props, the over on Lance’s rushing yards was the most popular prop. The line increased from 475.5 up to 625.5. The under on Lance’s rush yards was the third most heavily bet prop at Caesars. A Caesars representative called Lance “easily one of the top-3 most important stories at Caesars prior to the NFL season.”
Lance’s odds have influenced some of the offseason betting. He opened at 200-1 to win MVP At Caesars, which is a high price for a starting quarterback against a potential Super Bowl contender. His odds of winning MVP at Caesars rose to 40-1 before the season.
At sportsbooks, the over/under of his rushing yardage differed significantly. PointsBet opened the account at 524.5 For the chance of winning, savvy bettors will bet on both sides of the prop at different sportsbooks in order to capitalize on market differences.
Adam Pullen was Caesars assistant director for trading and described Lance’s MVP action “surprising” but not surprising.
Pullen stated, “Our initial number was a bit too high in hindsight but he’s basically an rookie fully taking control for the first time.” We’ll see if they can get the same numbers as Brady, Rodgers, or Mahomes. Also, we always get a lot from the northern Nevada bettors and Lance is clearly taking their money. Jimmy was a huge liability. [Garoppolo] To win MVP before last season.”
Caesars’ oddsmakers speculated, in addition to market differences that there was uncertainty about 49ers star Deebo Sam’s holdout. Jimmy GaroppoloLast year’s starting QB was named as a possible angle that would be motivating for bettors.
“Lance is an intriguing player for so many reasons… tons of betting options given that he’s running and touchdown scoring threat and currently sits at a spot of low-information due to a limited amount of first-year snaps,” Sam Garriock (Lead NFL trader at PointsBet), told ESPN.
Lance was still being watched well into Week 1. Caesars Sportsbook did not place its first wager on Lance’s rushing yardage in Week 1. Chicago Bears Jusqu’à Friday. Caesars suspended betting on the prop Sunday morning following photos of Soldier Field’s poor conditions that circulated on social media. In the 49ers’ 19-10 defeat to the Bears, Lance had 54 rushing yards — one of four major upsets for bookmakers on Sunday.
NFL notables
Two notable line movements were made by professional bettors on Sunday’s games. Both plays were correct.
• On Tuesday, influential betting syndicate Right Angle Sports released the Chiefs -4.5 over the Cardinals as a wager. After climbing to Chiefs-6.5, the line settled at a consensus of -6. Caesars Sportsbook reported placing two “six-figure bets” on Friday’s Chiefs team at -6 and +6.5. Kansas City won 42-1
• On Saturday afternoon, right in the thick of a big day of college football, line-moving money showed up on the Vikings, who, in matter of hours, went from home underdogs to small favorites over the Packers. Green Bay had been a 1.5-point favourite for months. But enough money was available on Saturday and Sunday to put the Vikings at Minnesota -2.
John Murray, executive vice president of the SuperBook Las Vegas, said that late money was pouring in on Vikings. “We didn’t stop moving.” [the line]They kept on playing the Vikings, however. It’s easy to see now. The Vikings won the support of the public, too. We would have expected that the Packers losing to a small road favorite, which was what it was all summer, would have been a great result. But it wasn’t. There are so many sharps and other public players in Minnesota.
Andy Morrisey, WynnBET trader, stated in an email that “The Vikings appeared like the sharp side all offseason,” “This was our worst weekend outcome.”
Sportsbooks took advantage of the Ravens’ 6.5-point spread to win a comfortable victory over the Jets, 24-9. Multiple sportsbooks made the worst decisions of Sunday.
Before you panic about the bookmakers, here’s something Murray said to the SuperBook: “The combination o all those college games and UFC279 made Saturday our largest day since March Madness.”
Patrick Eichner, PointsBet’s senior director of communications, called NFL Week 1 “a great beginning to the season.” Other sportsbooks also agreed with Eichner.
“Our priority every week one [of the NFL season] It is to get the most customers back on our platform,” Karol Korcoran, general manager at FanDuel, stated Sunday night. We’ve done that.”
Notable college football players
• Sportsbooks cleaned up on Alabama’s close call against Texas on Saturday. The books were able to win big on the Longhorns winning the spread both in the first and second halves of what was the most heavily bet college football game.
Recent seasons have seen the Crimson Tide be a covering team in first halves (19-6-1ATS the previous two seasons). This has attracted attention from the betting public. On Saturday morning, more money was placed on the Alabama/Texas first half spread than 32 of the 45 full-game spreads at Caesars Sportsbook.
The majority of the first half money went to Alabama, despite the fact that the spread grew in a way that was not proportional to Alabama’s. The Crimson Tide was the consensus favorite for the game at 21.5 points. However, the line in the first half rose to as high as Alabama -14.
Caesars reported 95% of all bets on Alabama’s first half line. Caesars reported that a smart bettor chose the Longhorns +14 bet for $22,000 and received a tie at the half-time. The Crimson Tide rallied late and won 20-19.
“That was a bonanza to the house,” Lamar Mitchell said, Nevada’s sportsbook director at BetMGM.
According to Craig Mucklow (Casas Sportsbook’s Director of Trading), the amount placed on the Alabama-Texas football game was almost identical to that on Sunday’s top-5 NFL game.
• On Saturday, a bettor in New Jersey with Caesars Sports hit a $50 money-line, in-game parlay with Marshall (+1,050), Washington State (+650) and Appalachian State (+700) that paid $34,450.
• Colorado State opened as a 5-point favorite over Middle Tennessee State at Circa Sports, the Las Vegas-based sportsbook known for posting some of the first weekly college football lines on the market. Colorado State was -14 at the close of the line. Middle Tennessee won 34-19 after a 34-0 win.
• Notable Week 3 opening lines: [via Circa Sports]
Georgia -26; 48.5 at South Carolina
Oklahoma -16, 68.5 at Nebraska
UConn at Michigan, 45, 58.5
California at Notre Dame -11, 41.5
Penn State at Auburn -3 and 47.5
BYU Oregon -3, 56
Michigan State at Washington -2. 54.5
Miami, Fla. at Texas A&M -5, 50.5
Fresno State at USC 12: 74.5
Sportsbook opens at NFL stadium
Just hours before Chiefs-Cardinals’ Sunday game, buzz was already building around the BetMGMGM sportsbook, which is a two-story, 17,000-square foot BetMGM stadium attraction.
David Main, BetMGM’s senior manager, said in an email to ESPN that “Fans were at the door from the minute we opened (at nine a.m.PT)”.
The sportsbook is located just a few steps from State Farm Stadium and is one of the first at an NFL stadium. FanDuel maintains a retail store in the MetLife Stadium parking garage in New Jersey. It is a sign that the U.S. sports landscape is changing. It’s a sign of the changing sports landscape in America. In the past four years, the NFL went from not wanting to have anything to do point spreads to now wanting them in stadiums.
Last week, BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt stated that his company shares the vision of the Arizona Cardinals in seeking new ways to entertain fans and break down barriers.
Michael Bidwill, Cardinals owner, said that “We are proud to be the NFL’s first team to offer its supporters this type of unparalleled amenity and innovative experience.” BetMGM Sportsbook is a great way to engage fans and potential fans all year long. It’s fun, entertaining, responsible and a great way to make sure that we keep them engaged.
The bar and grill area will be open throughout the year and host concerts. You can also place bets. BetMGM shared videos of lines of people and bettors at the betting windows and self service kiosks. Cain explained that while the Chiefs-Cardinals game was getting closer, fans started to move away, but that it was bustling at the beginning of the day.
Cain shared, “It’s a lot of fun watching the energy grow as the chaotic morning develops.”