Making a line for two unimpressive football teams is a complex issue.
The Philadelphia Eagles (1-4-1) host the New York Giants (1-5) on Thursday night in what is essentially a race away from the NFC East cellar.
Oddsmakers obviously know the Eagles are favored at home, but how many points can they really lay? Philly has one victory this year. At the same time, how many points do you have to hang for Giants backers to want to bite the apple?
It’s like pin the tail on the donkey.[[ad:athena]]
“This is a good example of trying to hang a number and letting the market tell us,” PointsBet Sportsbook senior sports analyst Andrew Mannino told NBC Sports. “Let people bet it and move it from there. You hang a line, see what happens and move off the action.”
PointsBet opened the game Philadelphia -6 and moved it all the way down to -3.5 before some Eagles buyback kicked it back up to -4.5. The total in the game sits at 44.5.
“The bets are coming in on the Eagles,” Mannino reported. “There’s about 76 percent of our spread bets on Philly and just a little less than that on the handle. Moneyline too. I guess nobody believes in the Giants. People in New Jersey are tired of watching them. I think Eagles fans smell blood. So we’re rooting for the dog tonight.”
It always amazing to me that many people wouldn’t dare bet on the Eagles or Giants on a Sunday, but you throw them on opposite sidelines on national television and the opinions fly from every direction. I guess that’s what happens when there’s a standalone football game with no other major American professional sports on the board. People don’t want to miss out on the only game in town.
Personally, I have no idea what’s going to happen in this one. No outcome in a game between these two teams would surprise me.
“Somebody’s gotta win it,” Mannino quipped.
Well said, Andrew.
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