“None of the big favorites lost, so we got our teeth kicked in.”
That was a text message I received from a sportsbook director just after Sunday Night Football, when yet another favorite held out to win their game on the moneyline. Cam Newton and the Patriots got stuffed at the Seattle 1 to cement a 35-30 win (and cover) for the Seahawks.
Seattle was bet all week long from -3 to -4.5 and the result was a microcosm of the beating the sportsbooks took all Sunday long.
13 of the 14 NFL favorites won on the moneyline yesterday, with the only loser being the Philadelphia Eagles. And that game was essentially a coin flip with Philly as a -1 or -1.5 favorite.[[ad:athena]]
“Don’t forget the Thursday Night game too [with Cleveland outright],” another bookmaker reminded me. “I don’t remember a week like this in a very long time. Only one underdog won outright. That’s extremely bad for business. Especially with the way people bet these days, parlaying 7 or 8 favorites on the moneyline. We’re going to get destroyed if we don’t get a couple dogs to win here and there.”
One South Point sportsbook customer bet a three-team moneyline parlay for $64,000. Kansas City -430, Tampa Bay -400, San Francisco -330. The Chiefs squeaked out a three-point win late while the other two teams took care of business rather easily. So that customer hit all three legs and collected over $128,000. Easy peasy. That simple.
Parlay central pic.twitter.com/d3D8VRZySt
— Jimmy Vaccaro (@JimmyVaccaro) September 20, 2020
“What do you think we’ll need Monday Night?” one bookmaker asked me sarcastically.
I didn’t even have to think twice – the Raiders to win outright.
“We’re already liable for high five figures on the Saints moneyline. Mostly from parlays rolled over from the weekend. That number will only get higher near kickoff. Everybody will parlay the Saints and the over. It would be real sweet if Vegas can pull the upset.”
