NFL Week 10 Pros vs Joes: Public loves the Packers as big favorites
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Before you make your NFL bets this weekend, it's worth knowing which side other bettors are backing - especially on games drawing sharp action.
We talked to Jay Rood, Bet.Works' chief risk officer and theScore Bet's head trader, to see how sharps and public bettors are playing the Week 10 slate.
Chargers @ Dolphins (-2, 48), 4:05 p.m. ET
The biggest liability this week is on the Chargers, who are drawing sharp attention despite public interest on the Dolphins.
Los Angeles opened as a 3-point underdog but has been bet down to +2 after a 20-to-1 advantage in money spent throughout the week. Yet Miami had seen roughly 60% of the bet slips entering the weekend, setting up a classic Pros vs. Joes matchup on Sunday.
Surprisingly, there's been a steady amount of parlay activity for both sides, which should help mitigate the potential damage for books.
"That's kind of a parlay killer either way," Rood said. "Which is good for us."
Jaguars @ Packers (-13, 48.5), 1 p.m.
No team has drawn more parlay activity than the Packers, who are unsurprisingly pulling a ton of public money as big favorites over the lowly Jaguars.
The spread bets on both sides have actually been fairly even from a money perspective, even though three times as many tickets are on Green Bay. In parlays, the Packers are drawing eight times as many tickets with a 13-to-1 advantage in money, and that could rise come game day.
"As long as this game stays under 14, I think the public is not going to be able to help themselves," Rood said. "We're going to need some magic from Jacksonville."
Texans @ Browns (-3.5, 46), 1 p.m.
Another team earning support from the public this week is the Browns, who are being bet every which way as short favorites against the Texans.
Cleveland had seen eight times as many tickets entering the weekend with an astounding 70-to-1 advantage in money bet, though volume was relatively low. Still, bettors also played the Browns in parlays with a 10-to-1 edge in money bet and even laid a more sizable wager on the moneyline at -170.
"It's kind of surprising to see this much public support for the Browns," Rood said.
Broncos @ Raiders (-4, 50.5), 4:05 p.m.
Another active game for the public is this AFC West showdown, in which bettors are targeting both sides in different ways.
The Raiders are the more popular play, drawing five times as many parlay slips and twice as many straight bets with a similar money advantage in both. Yet 70% of moneyline bettors are playing the Broncos (+170), with enough money overall to nudge this line from +5 to +4 as of Saturday.
The wiser play might be to just take the points. Denver is 8-4 against the spread in its last 12 games as a road underdog, though it's just 4-8 straight up over that stretch.
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.