Category Archives: NFL

NFL Divisional Round Line Movements

You know how everybody’s been saying that this weekend’s Divisional Round games in the NFL playoffs will become a teaser mania? Well, judging from how the lines have moved on all four games, it looks like we are heading down that road.

While there have been some heavy action on the four games this weekend, oddsmakers have been reluctant to swing the numbers dramatically. That can be attributed to the fact that we’re down to just eight teams left standing. That’s led to increased scrutiny from sharps and the betting public, which is why a lot of people are more careful on the timing of their bets.

Take the two AFC Divisional Round games for example. Both are sitting close to their own opening lines and while there are still a few touchdown spreads are still available for both the New England Patriots-Baltimore Ravens game the Denver Broncos-Indianapolis Colts game, the number has largely remained at -7.5 for the home teams. Unless the public and the sharps come in late with a rush of bets on one side, don’t expect these numbers to move a lot leading up to the games.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys – Green Bay Packers opened with Green Bay playing as -6.5 favorites but that number has dropped to -6 on account of questions surrounding Aaron Rodgers’ health. Whether it’s the fact that the public loves to bet on the Cowboys or there are legitimate questions Rodgers’ injured calf, the early betting trend on this game has weighed heavily on the Cowboys’ side. Based on how it’s looked, the public seems to betting less on the Cowboys’ actual chances to cover and more on the prospect that the Packers won’t have their MVP quarterback in peak health. In the event he gets hurt, Green Bay’s got the immortal Matt Flynn backing him up, which should immediately make the Cowboys short favorites in the game.

Lastly, we have the Carolina Panthers-Seattle Seahawks game sitting with the latter as -11.5 favorites after opening at -11. Not surprisingly, the spread in this game isn’t getting as much action as the total, which now sits at 39.5 after opening at 40.5 a few days ago. If you’re basing it on the recent history between these two teams, the under remains the safest bet, even if the total posted on this game is lower than any of the totals given to the last three games these two teams played. Still, the Panthers and Seahawks have always been good for low-scoring games and this one should be no different. The question is if bookmakers are willing to take off another point or two leading up to the game. It’s entirely possible if more under bets come into the picture.

This weekend’s games are arguably the toughest to handicap so far in the season. That’s precisely why a lot of bettors will likely take the teaser route to minimize the risk of tying up multiple games against the spread. So if you’re looking to make a bet on these weekend’s NFL games, teasers might be the best option for you.

Leagues see real benefits in daily fantasy sports

Bud Selig once tried to warn the world about what would happen if legalized sports gambling spread to more states.

Instead of cheering for their favorite teams, the baseball commissioner predicted, fans would be more inclined to cheer for themselves to win money — a factor he said would harm his sport’s character.

“Players would not be viewed by fans as exceptionally skilled and talented competitors but as mere assets to be exploited for ‘fast money,'” Selig wrote in a statement submitted in federal court in 2012.

Two years later, Major League Baseball is singing a drastically different tune — and so are the NFL, NBA and NHL.

After all four leagues issued similar warnings in 2012, each sport is partnered up with two start-up companies whose business model relies on fans trying to make fast money every day based on player performance in games.

It’s called daily fantasy sports. It’s legal in almost every state. And its popularity is starting to soar, especially among young adult males.

But the recent rise in partnerships with this new industry marks a significant pivot point for these leagues that could have major ramifications for the future of American sports, various experts told USA TODAY Sports.

If the deals work the way the leagues hope, daily fantasy sports consumption will have a steroid effect on television revenue, because nobody watches live sports on television quite as intensely as fans with money at stake.

At the same time, such deals have led to conflicting, and certainly evolving, positions on the subject.

— In November, the NBA announced it had become an equity investor in FanDuel, a daily sports fantasy site that says it pays out $10 million in weekly cash prizes. Yet the NBA won’t allow its players or personnel to buy what FanDuel is selling — daily NBA fantasy games that pay out these prizes based on real-life player statistics.

“Our policy is that NBA personnel are prohibited from participating in NBA fantasy leagues that require payment of an entry fee or award prizes to participants,” NBA spokesman Tim Frank told USA TODAY Sports.

A day after the NBA’s FanDuel announcement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver advocated for legalized sports betting in an editorial in The New York Times.

 

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