Bet against New Orleans quarterback Teddy Bridgewater at your own peril. The backup signal caller is now 5-0 against the spread after the Saints defeated Chicago, 36-25.
New Orleans was a 4.5-point underdog, but Bridgewater worked his magic, completing 23 of 38 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns. He gave the credit to the team, especially the defense.
“This division (NFC North) is known as the black and blue division,” Bridgewater said. “They take pride in being the most physical team and running the football. I told the guys it was going to be a physical game and our guys were the most physical team. I say the message was received well.”
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater Back on Bench?
There is no quarterback controversy in New Orleans. Drew Brees is the starter, and back up quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will return to the sidelines when the veteran comes back from his thumb injury.
That could be as soon as next Sunday. The Saints host the Arizona Cardinals, and are an 8.5-point favorite. The line opened at 7.5, but quickly jumped up a point.
Bridgewater has shown that the Saints lose nothing when he is under center. The team has been the underdog four of the five games Bridgewater has played, and they have won outright in all four of them. They also covered the one game they were a favorite in when they beat Tampa Bay, 31-24.
Brees told ESPN he is going to practice, but will take a “wait and see†attitude towards playing next Sunday.
Bad Beat of the Century
One unidentified gambler had a 10-team NFL parlay at PointsBet Sportsbook and was this close to a huge payoff. He bet nine teams on the moneyline and one against the spread.
He placed $150 on the Rams, Cardinals, Colts, Vikings, Packers, Jaguars, 49ers, Saints, and Chargers to win outright. His 10th team, Miami, he took the 17 points against the Bills. If all 10 teams won, he would collect $58,000.
Every team came in for him, and the only game remaining was the Chargers against Tennessee. The Chargers, who were trailing 23-20, were at the 16-yard line when quarterback Philip Rivers threw a touchdown pass to Austin Ekeler with 44 seconds left.
Except the referees ruled Ekeler was ruled down at the 1-yard line. Then the Chargers got a false start penalty, which moved the ball to the six. A defensive pass interference call gave Los Angeles the ball on the 1-yard line again.
Running back Melvin Gordon appeared to score with 34 seconds left, but was ruled down before crossing the goal line. The Chargers handed it to him again with 19 seconds left, and he fumbled. Tennessee recovered and preserved the victory.
Big Win for Sportsbook
Money came piling in on the San Francisco 49ers against the hapless Washington Redskins. The 49ers were a 10-point pick, and at Caesars Sportsbook they reported 92 percent of the tickets were on San Francisco, as well as 84 percent of the money wagered.
The 49ers failed to cover, winning 9-0.
Dumb Bet of the Week
One bettor wagered $130,000 on the Bills on the first half moneyline. The line was -650. If he had won, he could have collected a $20,000 profit. Miami led at halftime, 14-9.
Stat of the Week
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is 8-3 against the spread as an underdog, but only 2-3 ATS as a favorite.
The Bills were a 17-point pick against Miami, but failed to cover, winning 31-21, dropping Allen’s record to 2-4 ATS as a favorite.