Tag: Odds

The Bears’ last gasp 30-second lateral bonanza vs. the Giants was a perfect summary of their bleak afternoon

Yakety Sax was recorded specifically for moments like this.

If you look at the final 20-12 score of the Bears’ game with the Giants (+3), you’d think it was a closely-contested and heated affair between two surprising NFC teams. Look through their general offensive box score — 155 yards passing, six sacks, zero touchdowns on three red zone trips, three fumbles lost — and you see that Justin Fields and Co. actually “enjoyed” a bleak afternoon on the road.

That’s what made the Bears’ final desperate schoolyard toss around the field to try and win the game all too fitting. Like their overall effort on the day, the hook-and-ladder attempt showed hints of promise when it shuffled through the hands of Fields and offensive linemen like Teven Jenkins.

And by the end of all the flailing and lateral movement (over roughly 30 strange seconds), they ultimately moved the ball up the field very little:

Incredible! Look at the dots of this wild one, too:

Truly, what art.

Only the Bears could turn a 30-second play that seemingly touched the hands of every player on offense into absolutely nothing up field. At least it’s nothing out of character for a team that struggles to score 20 points and eclipse 300 yards of offense every Sunday.

Saquon Barkley had to take over at QB for the Giants and it actually went pretty well

Running backs playing quarterback! Mass hysteria!

In the slugfest unwatchable mess that was Giants and Bears (-3) on Sunday, we still got a few silly football surprises worth noting. For example, noted Elusive Athlete Daniel Jones had almost 70 yards rushing with two scores on the ground. The hapless Bears and Justin Fields, meanwhile, managed to piece together three red-zone worthy possessions and somehow failed to score a touchdown anyway.

But it’s Saquon Barkley’s cameo at quarterback for the Giants that should probably make most headlines. After an injury to backup Tyrod Taylor forced the Giants’ hand, they put their star running back … at quarterback. With hurt starter Daniel Jones on the field!

The result of this initial play (and drive)? A solid rush up the middle and field goal for the Giants!

If you’re the Bears, and you lose a team with 71 passing yards and a running back under center, it’s time to look in the mirror. If you’re the Giants, you should smile. You just won a game, 20-12, by bullying a team in an old-fashioned manner.

Saints’ clanging missed FG in loss to Vikings wasn’t even the worst bad beat from the game in London

The Vikings won, but their bettors aren’t likely happy.

The New Orleans Saints’ missed field goal at the end of their loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday would have been as dramatic as Kawhi Leonard’s bouncing game-winner against the Philadelphia 76ers had the stakes been as high.

The 61-yarder struck the left upright of the goal posts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, ricocheted to the crossbar, then bounced back out of the uprights for a heart-breaking missed field goal. Instead of a tied game headed for overtime, the Vikings won 28-25, and Saints bettors were left in disbelief.

However, the missed field goal wasn’t the worse bad beat from the game. That distinction belongs to a missed extra point about four minutes earlier.

New Orleans’ miss was no doubt a tough blow for Saints moneyline bettors, the majority of the betting public was on Minnesota. The Vikings received 78% of bets against the spread and 84% of bets on the moneyline.

Those spread bettors got the rawest deal, because the line closed at -4 and bounced around between -3 and -3.5 in the days leading up to the game. That missed extra point could have very well been the difference between a four-point win and cover — or a push at the very least — and a loss.

Down just three after the missed XP, the Saints were willing to settle for a 60-yard field goal the following possession, rather than attempting to convert a fourth-and-9 with under two minutes left. Had they been forced by a four-point deficit to go for it, and failed, the game likely would have been over. Instead, kicker Will Lutz hit the field goal to tie the game at 25, and Vikings kicker Greg Joseph responded a minute later with a 47-yarder to redeem himself for the missed XP.

That set the stage for Lutz’s dramatic miss to end the game. But while the Vikings won, their bettors weren’t likely happy at all. The three-point win didn’t do much for many of them.

[mm-video type=video id=01ge7n0n7y9s8qmppqgf playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ge7n0n7y9s8qmppqgf/01ge7n0n7y9s8qmppqgf-a4b5386ff499dab9c8d6d1926c5ce138.jpg]

[listicle id=1967004]

Lamar Jackson and Devin Duvernay’s double Houdini act on wild, bobbled deep pass had NFL fans in awe

Exhibit A that magic is real.

Everything was going in the Ravens’ favor in an AFC heavyweight matchup with Bills (-3.5) on Sunday. You might have thought Lady Luck was on Baltimore’s side when Buffalo started the game with two turnovers on three possessions. You also might have thought the Ravens were getting some home-cooking when they (eventually) jumped out to a comfortable three-score lead on one of the NFL’s best teams.

Both of those dice rolls were pale comparisons to what happened on one of the wilder connections you’ll see between Jackson and one of his favorite targets, Devin Duvernay. Midway through the second quarter, on a second-and-very-long, the Bills pressured Jackson and should’ve had the sack.

Instead, in what had to be an act of sorcery, the superstar quarterback slipped through three defenders and launched a tipped pass that had no business being caught. No one told Devin Duvernay:

Oh my goodness. The sequence of events there is almost worth a thousand words in themselves. The Jackson elusiveness is one thing. For Mark Andrews to effectively play “tip drill” with Johnny on the spot, aka Duvernay — is the best sign the football gods were ruling in favor of the Ravens early on Sunday.

NFL Week 4 public betting data: Big money riding on a Commanders win over Cowboys

Week 4 public betting stats from Tipico.

Part of being successful in sports betting is being aware of how the public is betting and where the sharp money lies. So, each and every Sunday of the NFL season, Bet For The Win is going to provide public betting stats straight from Tipico Sportsbook to help bring that knowledge to the forefront.

Betting the same way as the public doesn’t guarantee positive results, but it can’t hurt to be more informed. When the percentages are drastically slanted in an unexpected direction, there’s likely a reason for that beyond simple matchups.

Here’s how the public is betting in Week 4.

College football Week 5 best bets

College football Week 5 @tipico best bets

If you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We are diving into our favorite picks against the spread for this week, but if you are looking for more information or to place a bet check out Tipico Sportsbook.

Last week we were horrible at 3-5 and that brought our season total down to 21-18, which makes our winning percentage too small at 53%. The goal for the season is 55%. We are already off to a rough start as I watch BYU struggle with Utah State, but I’ll try to rip off some big wins for us on the Saturday slate.

Prince’s NFL Player Props: Amari Cooper could have another big game in Week 4

NFL Week 4 player prop bets.

Week 3 was a week of progress for me when it came to making picks against the spread. Unfortunately, the improved picking didn’t carry over to my player prop picks, with just two of those hitting last week.

The two props I nailed were players from teams that lost, which is actually becoming a season-long trend involving four of my five correct picks. The majority of props I’ve missed have been players on winning teams. It’s obviously just a wild coincidence, but so is the fact that most of my picks this week are from teams I expect to lose. So let’s hope that trend lasts another week.

Week 3: 2-4

2022 record: 5-12

Lions being favored with their 2 best playmakers out is proof of how far they’ve come

D’Andre Swift and Amon-Ra St. Brown are both out against Seattle.

The days of teams seeing the Detroit Lions on their schedule and assuming victory are over. In the year 2022, it’s actually been the reverse. The Lions are going into games with expectations of victory.

They were 2.5-point favorites over the Washington Commanders in Week 2, which was set to snap a nearly two-year long underdog streak at several sportsbooks, though the public bet them down to one-point dogs at BetMGM. The Lions responded with a thorough beatdown of the Commanders.

Now, they’re favored over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, and that’s even with running back D’Andre Swift and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown both ruled out with injuries. If that’s not proof of how far Detroit has come, I don’t know what is.

St. Brown and Swift are Detroit’s two biggest playmakers, though the loss of St. Brown is potentially bigger. Prior to last week’s loss to the Vikings, the receiver had caught a touchdown in a franchise-record six straight games. He still finished with six catches for 73 yards, and leads the team in targets this season by a wide margin with 33. The Lions have been maybe the NFL’s most consistent offense through three weeks, and he’s a huge reason why.

With St. Brown out, Jared Goff will likely divide his target-share between receivers Josh Reynolds and DJ Chark and tight end TJ Hockenson. Meanwhile, Swift’s absence is softened by the presence of Jamaal Williams, who led the team with 20 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings. His four touchdowns on the season leads the team.

Detroit is undefeated against the spread, but that no doubt becomes a little more difficult as the favorites, and without their two best offensive players. The public has already bet the line down from -4. I’d avoid betting Detroit at anymore more than -2.5, but if there’s a coach who can maximize what he has to work with, it’s Dan Campbell. I’m riding the Lions moneyline all the way.

Prince’s Pick: Lions win 24-21

[mm-video type=video id=01ge7n0n7y9s8qmppqgf playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ge7n0n7y9s8qmppqgf/01ge7n0n7y9s8qmppqgf-a4b5386ff499dab9c8d6d1926c5ce138.jpg]

Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Ohio State Buckeyes: Odds moving toward Rutgers money?

Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Ohio State Buckeyes: @Tipico odds moving towards Rutgers money? #GoBucks

On October 1, the Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0) will kick off their fifth game of the season against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-1) at 3:30 p.m. ET in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes have dominated this series going in 8-0 against Rutgers straight-up and winning by an average of 42.5 points per game.

Our friends at Tipico, our official odds provider, originally had Ohio State listed as 40.5-point favorites, but the line is getting smaller. The Buckeyes now sit as 39.5-point favorites. It may seem humorous to spend time evaluating why a line that is still over five touchdowns changed by one point, but it is interesting to think that money may be coming in on a Rutgers squad that has such a rough history against Ohio State.

The over/under also moved as it originally opened at 60.5, but has now moved to 58.5.

Neither the side nor the total moved through key numbers on their way down, but they do provide an indication of how the line is trending and if you are like me and considering emptying the wallet on the Buckeyes, it may be in your best interest to wait.

[listicle id=97485]

NFL fans adored the Bengals’ chic white-striped uniforms in live action

This was a SHARP look for the Bengals.

Joe Burrow might have worn a floral suit that drew mixed reactions around the NFL world, but it seems everyone loved what the Bengals had cooking otherwise on Thursday night.

For their pivotal matchup with the Dolphins (+3.5) on Thursday Night Football, Cincinnati unveiled some unique white-striped “White Bengal” helmets and uniforms. The helmets specifically are the Bengals’ official alternate this season (which, for what it’s worth, they’re ranked third-best in our official rankings). What’s more, the Bengals even painted their centerfield logo and end zones at their home stadium with matching black and white stripes.

And folks, let’s just say that all looked terrific in real-time before and after the action:

I know the Bengals have a famous orange and black aesthetic. But hoo boy, in this fashionista’s eyes: I’d consider making this new tradition more of a full-time thing.