Tag: Spread

Sportsbooks won big on stunning losses by the Bills and Chiefs, and bettors were sick

Fade the public.

If the Buffalo Bills spread against the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs spread against the Indianapolis Colts seemed too good to be true, that’s because they were.

After looking like the clear best team in the league through two weeks, the Bills went into their Week 3 game against the Dolphins as just 4.5-point favorites. And the 2-0 Chiefs were just 5.5-point favorites against the Colts, who looked like the worst team in the NFL. Surely, the favorites would each win by at least a touchdown right?

WRONG. Not only did the Bills and Chiefs fail to cover, they both lost outright. And it was a huge win for sportsbooks.

At BetMGM and other sportsbooks, Chiefs and Bills spreads were two of the three most bet on spreads by both ticket number and handle.

At Tipico Sportsbook, 77% of Bills-Dolphins moneyline bets and 91% of the handle was on Buffalo. And the Chiefs moneyline received 96% of the bets and handle. The results left bettors sick.

Saints open as road favorites against the Panthers in Carolina

Saints open as road favorites against the Panthers in Carolina at Tipico Sportsbook:

We’re on to the next. The New Orleans Saints (1-1) are looking to tread water in the NFC South after falling short against a divisional opponent last week, but they’ll be facing a similar challenge this week against another division-rival team. Fortunately for them, the Carolina Panthers (0-2) have fallen on hard times, and this could be a get-right game for New Orleans.

With that said, we shouldn’t undersell the difficulty involved here. The Saints are favored by 2.5 points in this road game at Tipico Sportsbook, which features one of the lowest point totals of the week at 40.5. That suggests a final score of about Saints 22, Panthers 19 in Carolina.

New Orleans lost in this same venue to this same opponent last year by a gnarly margin of 26-7. It’s worth noting that the Saints were without a third of their offensive coaching staff due to COVID protocols, but Jameis Winston’s second start still didn’t exactly impress anyone. He’ll be looking to bounce back again after throwing three interceptions a week ago.

As for other matchups around the NFC South: the Atlanta Falcons (0-2) have a good shot at upsetting the Seattle Seahawks on the road, with Seattle favored at home by less than a field goal. Odds for this week’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) game are not available (they’ll be hosting the Green Bay Packers) just yet, likely because the Bucs have a lot of uncertainty at wide receiver. Stay tuned on that front.

Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list.

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Updated Alabama vs. Texas: Prediction, point spread, odds, best bet

Alabama vs. Texas Prediction, point spread, odds, best bet

The Alabama Crimson Tide plays the Texas Longhorns tomorrow, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet at Tipico Sportsbook.

The game starts at 11:00 a.m. CDT and can be seen on FOX Sports.

The Longhorns enter the matchup 1-0 after an easy week one over Louisiana Monroe. Former Crimson Tide offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian, is now the head man of the Longhorns and looks for a big-time win against his former mentor. For Nick Saban, this is his first matchup against Texas since winning the 2009 National Championship and a chance to express his dominance over another former assistant.

Alabama initially opened as a (-19.5) favorite and -1000 on the money line for their showdown with the Longhorns this week. However, the Tide has been a popular bet and we have seen the spread move up a point and the money line continue to plummet to -1400.  With only a day until kick-off, get your bets in!

5 most intriguing spreads for NFL Week 1 (featuring the Arizona Cardinals as home underdogs!)

Keep an eye on the Steelers and Panthers in Week 1.

We’re only days away from the first real NFL game of the season and already the betting markets are heating up.

While most money isn’t likely to pour in until right before kickoff, there are a few lines on the board that should have bettors paying attention—if not grabbing them now before they shift at the last minute.

The NFL is still incredibly tough to figure out. Week 1 may be the toughest slate of them all, since we’re mostly going off of preseason action. From home underdogs to contenders who are undervalued, here’s a look at five plays that have our attention.

All odds via Tipico.

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LSU vs. Florida State: Prediction, point spread, odds, best bet

Here’s how you should bet LSU’s season opener.

The LSU Tigers play the Florida State Seminoles on Sunday, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet at Tipico Sportsbook.

The game starts at 6:30 p.m. CT and can be seen on ABC.

All eyes will be on the beginning of the [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] era as it’s in prime time and is the only FBS game of the day. The Tigers open with a Power Five opponent in FSU, which is searching for its first bowl appearance under third-year coach Mike Norvell after last season’s 5-7 finish.

The Seminoles won their opener in Week 0 against the Duquesne Dukes in blowout fashion, with three rushers exceeding 100 yards. This will be their first real test, though, as they face what should be an LSU-heavy crowd in New Orleans.

Here’s how the betting odds break down, per Tipico.

Alabama vs. Utah State: Prediction, point spread, odds, best bet

Alabama vs. Utah State: Prediction, point spread, odds, best bet

The Alabama Crimson Tide plays the Utah State Aggies on Sep. 3, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet at Tipico Sportsbook.

The game starts at 7:30 PM EDT and can be seen on SEC Network

Utah State enters the game 1-0 after defeating the UConn Huskies 31-20 in their week zero season opener. For Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide, this will be the start of their 2022 campaign as they have their sights set on a record nineteenth national title.

Chiefs open as a 6.5-point favorite over the Bengals in the AFC title game

The Chiefs have opened as a 6.5-point favorite over the Bengals. The 49ers are 3.5-point underdogs vs. the Rams.

The NFL’s final four has been set. We’re only one Sunday away from knowing who’ll take the field for Super Bowl 56.

The Kansas City Chiefs, fresh off a thrilling overtime win against the Buffalo Bills have opened as a 6.5-point favorite against the Cincinnati Bengals, who knocked off the top-seeded Tennessee Titans on Saturday, per Tipico. Over on the NFC side, the Los Angeles Rams are a 3.5-point favorite against the San Francisco 49ers — the same team that’s already beaten them twice in the regular season.

As expected, the showdown between Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow is being tabbed as a higher-scoring affair than the game that features Jimmy Garoppolo and a 49ers offense that failed to score a touchdown against Green Bay. The total for Bengals-Chiefs clocks in at 53.5, while for 49ers-Rams it’s 46.5.

Here are the full lines as of Sunday night, courtesy of Tipico sportsbook.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. the Kansas City Chiefs

Spread: Chiefs -6.5
Total: 53.5 points
Money line: Chiefs-320, Bengals +250

San Francisco 49ers vs. the Los Angeles Rams

Spread: Rams -3.5
Total: 46.5 points
Money line: Rams-180, 49ers +145

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Bills slight road underdog vs. Chiefs in divisional round

#Bills slight road underdog vs. #Chiefs in divisional round:

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For the second time this season the Buffalo Bills will face the Kansas City Chiefs as an underdog.

Heading into the divisional round, Kansas City has opened as an early 2.5-point favorite over Buffalo. That line comes to us via Tipico Sportsbook  (access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list).

Throughout the start of the 2021 NFL season, the Bills were the favorite in most of their games. That all changed in Week 5, the first time they did battle with the Chiefs.

In that contest, KC was favored over Buffalo by three points. However, the Bills ended up going on to win that matchup, 38-20.

The Bills victory came after the Chiefs beat them twice in 2020, including their playoff matchup in the AFC championship round.

To reach next weekend, Buffalo and Kansas City both routed their wild-card round foes.

In addition to the spread, the Bills have an over/under point total of 54.5 points with the Chiefs. The moneyline opens at Buffalo (+118) and Kansas City (-138).

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The Bills did the impossible. They demolished Bill Belichick and the spread.

The city of Buffalo finally gets one over when it matters most on Bill Belichick.

For years, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots made it their mission to embarrass the Buffalo Bills. Season after season, what was supposed to be a heated division “rivalry” in practice, turned out to be more of a relaxed tune-up for New England. In Belichick’s entire tenure (starting in 2000), he had only lost to the Bills five times. The Bills were his punching bag, and they could not punch back for the life of them.

With all that vital history laid out, Saturday night had to be cathartic for the greater Buffalo area.

The Bills beat the Patriots in the Wild Card Game. Okay, Josh Allen is a great quarterback. That’s not exactly surprising. Moving on. What’s next?

Wait, sorry. Scratch that. The Bills gave the Patriots an absolute beatdown in the Wild Card Game.

A 47-17 win. For the Buffalo Bills. On a Bill Belichick-coached team. In a playoff game. (Also, by far the worst postseason loss for the Patriots since a 46-10 thrashing in Super Bowl XX where the ’85 Bears scraped Tony Eason off the Superdome turf.)

It reads even crazier in text than seeing it happen live.

What might be even more insane, considering that whole Belichick context thing, is how the Bills smashed major pre-game bets. (Odds courtesy of Tipico.)

A -4.5 spread in favor of the Bills? Obliterated.

A pre-game Over/Under of 42.5? Well, the Bills kind of got there on their own, now didn’t they?

Again, in case it hasn’t been emphasized enough: This was the Buffalo Bills against Bill Belichick. It boggles the mind.

For more of a picture of how the Bills did whatever they wanted against one of their most famous, entrenched tormentors, take this tweet from ESPN Stats and Info.

The Bills were so dominant that they extended their own extremely new Super Bowl era record by scoring a touchdown on their first six possessions (!).

How about how the Bills faced only six proper third downs—meaning chunk play after chunk play came primarily on first and second down—against what was the NFL’s No. 4 defense?

There’s well-deserved vengeance, and there’s becoming an intimidating, unruly bully yourself.

Last but not least, to really drive the point home: With the blowout victory, the Bills not only handed Belichick his worst loss ever in January or otherwise, but it’s also worth noting they’ve always been the team to give him his worst, most cemented defeats as coach of the Patriots.

Bananas (or wings?) all around.

Buffalo celebrates and starts thinking Super Bowl while Belichick’s Patriots lick their wounds. Did you ever think you’d read a sentence like that?

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Congrats to the Lions, who now own the longest playoff drought with the Bengals’ win

The Bengals win and the Lions somehow keep losing even when they’re not playing.

There are no shortages of NFL fanbases who understand nothing but playoff pain. In a league where any opportunity at a postseason win can be very few and far between, the sting of a mid-January loss is a unique hurt.

It lingers.

Before Saturday afternoon, the Cincinnati Bengals and their poor fans were, quite frankly, unmatched in winter misery. Fortunately for everyone in southwestern Ohio, they can finally rip the collective monkey off their back.

Led by stellar performances from Joe Burrow in their first playoff game, the Bengals beat the Raiders, 26-19.

Here’s the glorious moment of euphoria, courtesy of linebacker Germaine Pratt.

Cincinnati now has its first playoff win in over three decades. That’s after seven straight losses (!) in the Wild Card round, from Carson Palmer to Andy Dalton. It is the first time that the Bengals advance further in the postseason since 1990.

More importantly, it ends the NFL’s longest playoff-win drought at 32 years. For a frame of reference, the last time the Bengals played on the second weekend of the playoffs, Back To The Future Part III was the top movie of the U.S. box office, and Phil Collins led the charts with his ever-smooth symphony, “Another Day in Paradise.” What a time to be alive.

Where it gets interesting is what the Bengals’ victory means for another perennially downtrodden franchise: The Detroit Lions.

With Cincinnati and their Golden Boy Quarterback no longer having to sweat big January wins, the spotlight centers on the Detroit faithful—now the leaders of the losers with pro football’s longest playoff-win drought at a frigid 31 years.

For a frame of reference, the last time the Lions won a playoff game, the No. 1 movie of the box office was Hook, not exactly Robin Williams’ magnum opus, and the top song was Michael Jackson’s “Black and White.” Woof. (To be clear, both being decidedly less cool than Michael J. Fox and Mr. Collins, near their respective peaks.)

Time will tell whether the Lions can exorcise their demons in the coming years. After a 3-13-1 season under first-year head coach Dan Campbell, it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen any time soon.

We can assure you, everyone’s knee caps are safe.

Suffice to say: Barry Sanders is not walking through that door, and Calvin Johnson is not walking through that door. And if the Lions expect them to walk through that door, well, they’ve got bigger issues than we all thought. That would be quite the accomplishment for the already hapless Lions.

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