The Volunteers started the week as 8.5-point underdogs, and the betting public, otherwise known as “Joe’s,” couldn’t get enough of them. On Thursday, at Caesars Sportsbook, 87% of the money wagered on the spread was on Tennessee. Money line bets — the odds of winning the game outright — were even more lopsided. On DraftKings, 99% of bets placed on the money line were on Tennessee. With the money overwhelming the Vols, the line went to Tennessee -7.5 on Friday, and that’s when the “Pros,” aka professional bettors, got involved. Around 10 am PT, Friday, Caesars took a $110,000 bet on Georgia -7.5. Thirty minutes later, the book took a $362,000 bet on Bulldog -8. “I was just waiting for the sharp money to come and it just wasn’t coming. We were so one sided [on Tennessee]Joey Feazel, chief college football marketer for Caesars Sportsbook, recalls. “And, after Friday, pop-pop.” In less than 24 hours, the money in the point spread had dropped from 87% in Tennessee to 68% in Georgia. Other sportsbooks also saw big business money in Georgia. The sportsbook at The Borgata in Atlantic City also reported placing a $200,000 bet on the Bulldogs around the same time as Caesars on Friday. Professional action continued on Saturday, leading the line as high as Georgia -10 in some early sports betting. The game ended up being the biggest gamble of the college football season at Caesars. “It was absolutely a pro vs. Joe situation,” said John Murray, executive director of SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas. “We saw some of our sharpest teams, favorite Friday and early Saturday.” Georgia won and covered the spread with an impressive 27-13 win. “The sharps were right,” said Adam Pullen, assistant director of trading for Caesars Sportsbook.
NFL notables
Caesars Sportsbook called Sunday’s results “solid.” The big game for the book was the New York Jets upsetting the Buffalo Bills 20-17 as a 10.5 point underdog. “Anytime you have a big favorite going down, it kills all those side effects, all the teasers, it’s usually a good start,” Pullen said of the Jets’ win. “Obviously, having Super Bowl favorites [Bills] come down, he made it even bigger.’ The Jets’ win was the second-highest scoring upset of the season, behind only the Carolina Panthers’ win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a 13-point underdog.
The Underdogs were 7-3-2 against the spread this week entering Monday night’s Baltimore Ravens-New Orleans Saints matchup. Underdogs have covered the spread in 59.2% of games this season. The Under is 8-4 in Week 9 heading into Monday Night Football. Just over 58% of those games have gone under the total, the highest percentage of unders through Week 9 in any season since 1991, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Biggest Bets Reported at Caesars Sportsbook $500,000 Patriots -5.5 vs. Colts (Win) $325,000 Saints +3 (-130) vs. Ravens (TBD) $300,000 Vikings -3 (-120) vs. $20 in Commanders (5P) +12 vs. Bills (Win) Not all sportsbooks had successful Sundays, which shows how results can vary from book to book.
“Sunday was disappointing,” SuperBook’s Murray told ESPN. “The rams [straight-up] ended up being our biggest need of the day, and we had a player to take home [VIP customer] He beat us very well in Seattle.” The Rams surrendered a last-second touchdown in a 16-13 loss to the Buccaneers and the Seahawks upset the Arizona Cardinals 31-21 as 2.5-point underdogs.
1 Related “The volume in the NFL this week wasn’t great anyway,” Murray added. “The last two NFL cards have been brutal. Next week looks better. Hopefully the volume will come back. We can’t complain as we had a great day on Saturday.”
College Football Hall of Famers
Heisman Update: After Georgia’s big win over Tennessee, Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett went from 100-1 to 25-1 to win the Heisman Trophy at BetMGM. Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud is the favorite at +150, followed by Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker (+175). Hooker was the even-money favorite last week. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels’ stock in Mojo, a platform that allows clients to buy and sell shares of players’ career statistical achievements, rose 8.5%, from $4.44 to $4.88, after leading the Tigers upset Alabama on Saturday. Remarkable opening lines [via Circa Sports] LSU -2, 65.5 at Arkansas Nebraska at Michigan -29, 49.5 Alabama -12, 66.5 at Ole Miss Washington at Oregon -12, 70.5 Georgia -16, 50.5 at Mississippi State TCU at Texas -7, 66.5
