Sunday Slips: Why Sportsbooks ‘Rooting Hard’ Against 49ers, Seahawks

There’s nothing quite like the chaos of an NFL Sunday.

Bettors flock into casinos around the United States or log in to their mobile betting apps to scratch that last minute itch before the games kick off at 1 p.m. ET. And bookmakers do 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 1 of the NFL:

–The New England Patriots have become one of the most popular sides in Week 1. Offshore sportsbooks opened New England at -1.5 back in May and most American shops opened the Pats -2 shortly after. Those numbers are long gone as Bill Belichick and Co. are now 3.5-point favorites at most sportsbooks.

“It’s not often that you see a team with a rookie quarterback laying 3.5 in the season opener,” one professional bettor told NESN. “That’s very rare. Sharps got to that one early last week to move it to 3 and the money hasn’t stopped. It’s wise guy and public money. Usually, there’s that resistance on the (underdog) at +3.5, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

The Patriots-Dolphins game is the most wagered game at BetMGM and New England has received the highest percentage of betting tickets on the entire board. Multiple bookmakers have made it very clear that they’re rooting for the dog.

Weekend Football Picks: Steelers Should Keep It Close Against Buffalo

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Liabilities are different at every sportsbook, but none are created equal.

“We’ll be rooting hard against the 49ers and Seahawks,” WynnBET senior trader Motoi Pearson told NESN. “The customers are betting those two teams like they’ve got Biff’s almanac. It’s wild.”

“These guys came into my shop and they’re with a really respected group,” South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews told NESN. “They bet the Steelers with both hands. So Pittsburgh is our biggest liability at the moment.”

Notable NFL Week 1 bets:
$100,000 on Steelers +7 at South Point
$50,000 on Bills -6.5 at Westgate SuperBook
$15,000 on Colts +3 at PointsBet

Biggest line moves:
Colts -2.5 to Seahawks -3
Rams -7 to Rams -9
Jaguars -1.5 to Jaguars -3.5
49ers -7.5 to 49ers -9
MIA-NE O/U 46 to 43
AZ-TEN O/U 51.5 to 54

Last but certainly not least, most sportsbooks will be in the luxurious position of rooting for Andy Dalton and the Chicago Bears to cover the point spread on “Sunday Night Football.”

“I expect us to be pretty heavy to the Rams,” Westgate SuperBook executive director John Murray told NESN. “All those parlays and money line parlays will roll over to Sunday night and the Rams will be the last leg on a lot of tickets. I would be stunned if we’re not rooting for the Bears to cover.”