Despite an ugly team effort, New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe earned the belief of sports bettors in a loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night.
Things started off hot for the rookie, with Zappe being thrust into action in the second quarter in relief of a returning Mac Jones. The early portion of his stint at QB -- which lasted clear through the end of the 33-14 loss -- was solid, with the rookie signal caller completing each of his first four passes for 97 yards and a touchdown, leading New England on two quick scoring drives to take a 14-10 lead.
That seemed to be enough for sports bettors to start laying money down.
The amount of total bets placed on Zappe to win the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award improved from 28th among active offensive rookies in Week 6 to 12th in Week 7. Even more surprising was the amount of total money placed on the rookie in Week 7, where he improved from 27th to third, per Max Meyer of Caesars Sportsbook. The book had no choice but to react, moving the rookie from +5000 to +650 during Monday's game, according to Caesars.
Not all sportsbooks have Zappe with such high odds, however.
Here is where he stands in the field of potential OROY winners, per DraftKings Sportsbook:
Kenneth Walker III +200
Dameon Pierce +300
Chris Olave +800
Brian Robinson Jr. +1400
BAILEY ZAPPE +1800
Wan'Dale Robinson +1800
Kenny Pickett +2000
George Pickens +2000
Drake London +2000
Isiah Pacheco +2000
Helping explain the large jump in handle is the statistic that Zappe received six bets of $1,000 or more during the contest itself.
Those who placed wagers on the rookie will certainly hope that he's handed the reigns to the Patriots offense moving forward, though they won't get an answer until New England's matchup with the New York Jets kicks off in Week 8, as Bill Belichick is keeping things close to the vest.
