NFL Week 15 Pros vs. Joes: Bettors are all-in on Patriots, Saints
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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 this week's slate.
Patriots @ Dolphins (-2, 41.5), 1 p.m. ET
The Dolphins have been the NFL's best bet this year with a 10-3 record against the spread. That isn't swaying bettors this week in a tricky divisional test against the Patriots.
New England opened as 3-point underdogs and was quickly bet to +2 behind a whopping 40-to-1 advantage in money wagered on three times as many tickets. Parlay bettors are playing Miami at a 3-to-1 clip, though it's not enough to move the ledger for books.
"This is shaping up as a Pros versus Joes game here,” Rood said.
Chiefs (-3, 51.5) @ Saints, 4:25 p.m.
It's been over two months since the Chiefs last lost, but bettors are expecting their five-game ATS losing streak to continue Sunday against the Saints.
Drew Brees is back for New Orleans, which started to see an influx of wagers after news of the quarterback's return earlier this week. The Saints opened as 4-point underdogs and have seen the line move a point in their direction behind a 30-to-1 advantage in money wagered on just a 3-to-1 ticket count.
Parlay bettors are still laying six times as much money on the Chiefs, who have covered three of their last four games when giving fewer than a touchdown.
Seahawks (-6.5, 43.5) @ Washington, 1 p.m.
Another quarterback change this week has swayed the opinions of bettors, but not in favor of the team making the move.
Washington opened as 4.5-point underdogs early in the week when Alex Smith still had a shot at playing. That changed as the week progressed and Smith's status was in doubt, prompting bettors to place six times as many tickets on the Seahawks with 40 times as much money wagered.
By the time Smith was ruled out Friday, leaving Dwayne Haskins as the team's new starter, books had already moved the line to Seattle -6 and continued to adjust into the weekend.
“We’re seeing pretty much exclusive Seahawk money," Rood said Friday, "and most of the money came in before today.”
Browns (-6, 44.5) @ Giants, 8:20 p.m.
Browns bettors were victims of one of the worst beats of the year a week ago in a five-point loss to the Ravens. Still, they're taking a shot once again in a favorable spot for Cleveland as road chalk.
The Giants opened as 4-point underdogs before news that Daniel Jones would miss Sunday night's game with nagging hamstring and ankle injuries. The line has since jumped by two full points behind a 12-to-1 advantage in straight-bet money on the Browns and a 20-to-1 margin in parlay money.
Bettors are even playing the Browns on the moneyline at -185 and -220, bumping that number up to -280 by Saturday night. Cleveland has gone 3-1-1 ATS in its last five games when giving at least six points, while the Giants have covered four straight as 6-point 'dogs or larger.
(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.