Another NFL Sunday is upon us.
Bettors are flocking into casinos around the United States or logging into their mobile betting apps to scratch that last-minute itch before games kick off at 1 p.m. ET. And bookmakers are doing their best to balance money and liability behind the counter.
This is the place for big bets, notable line moves and late-breaking injury news.
Here are the “Sunday Slips” for Week 2 of the NFL:
— For the second straight week, most American sportsbooks will be rooting against the New England Patriots. After being bet up from -1.5 to -3.5 last week against the Miami Dolphins, New England is up from -4 to -6 on the road against the New York Jets.
Bettors clearly believe in rookie quarterback Mac Jones.
“This offense is going to be a lot better,” PointsBet trading director Jay Croucher told NESN. “The Patriots were miserable to watch last year with Cam Newton stumbling down the field. There are a lot more receiving options, particularly with the tight ends. And now there’s the threat of a vertical passing game. Some of the throws Mac Jones was making against Miami just weren’t possible last year with Cam. It’s an entirely different look.”
The Patriots-Jets game is the second-most wagered game at FanDuel and New England is receiving 82 percent of the bets and 83 percent of the handle. Most bookmakers will be pulling for the underdog and hoping that Zach Wilson can keep it close. It’s also pretty unusual for sportsbooks to be rooting against a rookie quarterback in his first two starts.
Another big decision for several sportsbooks will be the Broncos-Jaguars game. After Denver walloped the New York Giants in Week 1 and Jacksonville looked horrendous against the Houston Texans, the point spread jumped from Denver -3 on the lookahead line to -6.
“I can’t believe the Broncos are laying almost a touchdown on the road,” one professional bettor told NESN. “Sure, they played well last week, but Daniel Jones couldn’t hit a stop sign from the curb. Trevor Lawrence has the ability to make all the throws and Denver is playing on the road for a second straight week with heat and humidity in the equation this Sunday. There’s no way I’m laying the points.”
Notable NFL Week 1 bets:
$300,000 on Bengals +3 at Caesars
$100,000 on Seahawks -6 at BetMGM
$66,000 on Bills -3 at Westgate SuperBook
$500 a point on Bears -3 at PointsBet
Biggest line moves:
DAL-LAC O/U 50.5 to 55
LV-PIT O/U 48.5 to 46
Patriots -4 to -6
SF-PHI 47 to 49
Bengals +3 to +1.5
Seahawks -5.5 to -6.5
Last but not least, it shouldn’t be too difficult to guess what the sportsbooks will need on Sunday Night Football between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. When Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are a short road favorite, most bettors start foaming at the mouth.
“The ticket counts on the Broncos and Chiefs are astronomical,” WynnBET senior trader Motoi Pearson told NESN. “Most parlay roads will likely lead to Kansas City on Sunday night. Mark that down.”
“The ticket count was 35-to-1 in favor of the Chiefs on Thursday morning,” Westgate SuperBook executive director John Murray added. “That was as lopsided of a ratio as I’ve ever seen on a Thursday heading into an NFL weekend. It’s not that drastic anymore, but the book will definitely need the Ravens on Sunday night. We’re up from Kansas City -3 to -4.”
