Nothing went right for NFL Week 12 bettors as the teams backed by gamblers lost or failed to cover the spread, with losses punctuated by several six-figure wagers.
BetOnline reported that the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders had some of the heaviest action from gamblers. At BetMGM, 98% of the money was on the Raiders. Both teams cost bettors.
Chris Andrews, sportsbook director at South Point in Las Vegas, told Online Gambling News that his facility did well on Sunday.
“With underdogs going 8-3 it was a very good day for the house,†Andrews said.
BetOnline sportsbook brand manager Dave Mason echoed Andrews’ glee about NFL Week 12 betting to Online Gambling News.
“Week 12 was definitely a good one for the house,†Mason said. “Our biggest winners were the Falcons, Bengals, Pats, Jags, and Bucs were strong for us. The Falcons and Bucs were the two biggest decisions of the day.â€
FanDuel reported that its biggest action all went in favor of the house. Gamblers had 91% of the money on the Giants, 89% on the Cardinals, 87% on the Chiefs, 84% on the Browns, and 83% on the Raiders.
The Raiders got a lot of money at Las Vegas sportsbooks, and gamblers found out their fate early. Atlanta never trailed, and scored 27 second-half points to win, 43-6. The game opened as a pick ’em, but Las Vegas was a 3.5-point favorite by game time.
Kansas City bettors took one of the worst beats of the day. The Chiefs were a 3.5-point pick against Tampa Bay, and led 27-10 going into the fourth quarter. The Bucs, however, scored 14 points in the final quarter, including a touchdown with four minutes remaining for the backdoor cover.
Six-Figure Bets on Raiders, Bears Go Down in Flames
In addition to regular gamblers taking a bath in Week 12, several large wagers also lost. Two gamblers made six-figure bets on the Raiders at BetMGM and lost. One wagered $200,000, while another plunked down $110,000.
Another gambler at BetMGM placed $100,000 on the moneyline on Chicago in their road game against Green Bay. They would have won, $320,000, but the Bears lost to the Packers, 41-25.
In addition to that bet, another $100,000 was bet on Chicago against the spread. The gambler got 7.5 points, but it wasn’t enough.
Saints Give Gamblers Small Win
The news of Denver not having a quarterback for its home game against the New Orleans Saints sent the line into a frenzy. It opened at 5.5 points in favor of the Saints, but once all three of the Broncos QBs had to go into COVID-19 quarantine, the spread jumped to 17 points.
The public was unfazed by the double-digit line and backed New Orleans. At William Hill, 78% of the tickets were on the Saints, as well as 72% of the money. At BetOnline, 85% of the money was on New Orleans.
The Broncos were forced to start practice squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton, who hadn’t thrown a pass since 2017 as the backup quarterback against Clemson.
Turns out, the sportsbook didn’t adjust the line high enough. The Saints won easily, 31-3.
Stat of the Week
The Broncos became the first team with more passes intercepted than completions since the 1998 Chargers against the Chiefs. Ryan Leaf started that game for San Diego.
Hinton went one of nine with two interceptions in the Sunday loss to New Orleans.