Bettors found comfort in victories by the Packers, Patriots, Saints, and Rams in Week 8 of the NFL season. Those teams each moved to 6-2 against the spread, and dealt sportsbooks a minor loss on Sunday.
William Hill reported that of the games featuring the Packers, Saints, Patriots, and Rams, Los Angeles was bet on more than any other team. The Rams, who were 12-point favorites over Cincinnati, had 84 percent of the tickets written, and 85 percent of the money at William Hill.
The game was played in London’s Wembley Stadium, and the Rams covered by two points, 24-10. Safety Eric Weddle told reporters after the game he was disappointed the team let the Bengals back in it.
“We didn’t step on their throats and end it,†Weddle said. ““I’m frustrated that we didn’t finish. We finished where we had to.â€
Packers, Patriots Cover, Cash
The Packers and Patriots were two other favorites that didn’t fail bettors.
Green Bay faced Kansas City on Sunday night and were five-point favorites. Green Bay was seeing 77 percent of the tickets written, and 79 percent of the money.
They covered, 31-24, and brought their record to 7-1. Matt LaFleur is the first Green Bay head coach to have that record in his first year. LaFleur told reporters that it is his relationship with quarterback Aaron Rodgers that has brought the team success.
“The way I view the quarterback is, it’s an extension of the coaching staff. So, we’ve got to be on the same page,†LaFleur said. “And I think just like anything, any relationship: It takes time to make sure that the communication is on point. I like where we’re at right now, but we’ve got to continue to work each and every day just like any other relationship.â€
The Patriots have the most famous coach/quarterback duo with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. The two have been bettors’ favorites most of the season.
That was the case on Sunday when 80 percent of the tickets at William Hill were on the Patriots. They did only have 69 percent of the money there, however. New England was a 10-point pick over Cleveland, and won 27-13. The Patriots are undefeated on the season.
Brees Returns for Saints
There were some bettors who thought New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees wasn’t ready to return from his torn thumb ligament, but the veteran spent Sunday proving them wrong.
Brees torched Arizona, 31-9, throwing for three touchdowns. Brees told reporters he knew he was ready to go for the Saints.
“I know the thought would be, ‘Hey, why don’t you just wait until after the bye week? Everything seems to be going well. So why take the chance?'” Brees said. “But, hey, I’m a football player. … As soon as I could get back, I was gonna get back.”
Underdogs Fall
Taking a flyer on an underdog on Sunday would have been costly, especially on the moneyline.
The odds were attractive. The Bengals were +525 on the moneyline, followed by Arizona (+450), Cleveland (+385), Atlanta (+300), and the New York Jets (+255).
All five teams lost outright, and only the Jets covered.
Stat of the Week
When looking at the over/under in Sunday night games, the under has come through eight consecutive times.
That streak was broken Sunday when the Chiefs and Packers hit the over. It was set at 48, and the final score was 31-24.
Bad Beat of the Week
The Bills were a half-point favorite for the first half over the Philadelphia Eagles. Buffalo was leading 7-3 with less than two minutes before halftime.
Then, Philadelphia recovered a Josh Allen fumble. With 25 seconds remaining, Carson Wentz threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to ruin Bills backers.