Tag: BetMGM

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams dives into the end zone to celebrate scoring a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024.

Lions are Super Bowl favorites for first time ever

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Kansas City Chiefs finally took their first loss of the season on Sunday, and while 9-1 is still a strong record to have, it caused a noteworthy shift in the NFL landscape.

The Detroit Lions surpassed the Chiefs to become the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl at several sportsbooks — for the first time in the woebegone franchise’s history.

The Chiefs were the unchallenged favorites to win Super Bowl LIX ever since notching their second straight championship last February. They remained atop odds boards despite several shaky performances and near-losses throughout their first nine games.

Before the Chiefs lost 30-21 to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the Lions steamrolled the Jacksonville Jaguars 52-6, scoring touchdowns on their first seven drives and never punting. Jared Goff had 412 passing yards and four touchdowns in the Lions’ eighth straight victory.

That combination of events put Detroit, a franchise that had not won a playoff game between 1991 and 2023, over the top.

“For the first time in the history of the franchise, the Lions are now the favorites (+400) to win the Super Bowl,” Fanatics Sportsbook posted on social media Monday.

At BetMGM, the Lions are a mere +325 to win the Super Bowl, with the Chiefs at +450. They’re the +350 favorites at both Fanduel Sportsbook and DraftKings, with Kansas City running second (+500 at Fanduel, +450 at DraftKings).

The Bills, who improved to 9-2 by beating the rival Chiefs, sit third on the board at each of those sportsbooks — +600 at DraftKings, +650 at Fanduel and +700 at BetMGM.

–Field Level Media

Nov 26, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) throws the ball in the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Wilson addition puts charge into Steelers’ futures

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Russell Wilson’s decision to cook the next chapter of his NFL career in Pittsburgh didn’t cause oddsmakers to flinch, but the public reacted swiftly to the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback choosing the Steelers.

After news broke Sunday night that Wilson had settled on Pittsburgh once he is officially released by Denver, the Steelers’ odds of winning the Super Bowl remained at +8000 at BetMGM. However, the sportsbook reported that since the news, 38 percent of all new bets on the Super Bowl champion next season were placed on Pittsburgh.

The Steelers remain tied for the seventh-longest odds at BetMGM, equal with the team Wilson spent his first 10 NFL seasons with (Seattle at +8000) and slightly ahead of the one he toiled the past two years for (Denver at +10000).

Wilson wasn’t the only major headline ahead of the start of free agency that failed to spark movement in futures markets.

The Kansas City Chiefs remained the +350 favorite to win the AFC Championship and have the second-shortest Super Bowl odds at +650 after defensive lineman Chris Jones reportedly agreed to a $95 million extension. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl odds were unchanged at +6600 after reportedly keeping quarterback Baker Mayfield with a $100 million deal.

Wilson was the first of the starting quarterback dominoes to change destinations this offseason. Whether that proves a significant enough addition for the Steelers to compete in the stacked AFC North — much less the AFC — very much remains to be season

Wilson, 35, also reportedly sat down with the New York Giants before apparently deciding to team up with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

Per an ESPN report, Wilson — a former Super Bowl champion and nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback — will sign a team-friendly one-year deal that will result in his former employer, the Denver Broncos, paying $38 million of his salary.

Upon the reports surfacing on Sunday, Wilson posted a video of Steelers fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, along with the caption, “Year 13. Grateful.”

Wilson would join Kenny Pickett, the Steelers’ 2022 first-round pick, as the team’s only quarterbacks under contract. Mason Rudolph started three games and led Pittsburgh to the playoffs in 2023 but is headed to free agency. Mitch Trubisky, who started two games for the Steelers last season, returned to Buffalo, where he played in 2021.

Earlier this week, the Broncos gave Wilson permission to seek a new employer before they officially release him when the 2024 NFL league year begins on Wednesday. The Broncos are facing a huge dead-cap hit of $85 million but can save some money if the veteran lands a new deal.

Wilson was benched for the last two games of the 2023 season to avoid an injury that would trigger guarantees in his contract. He posted an 11-19 record in 30 starts across two seasons with the Broncos.

Wilson took Seattle to a pair of Super Bowls during a decorated decade with the Seahawks, winning a championship at Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.

He won 104 regular-season games as the starter in Seattle and has passed for 43,653 yards with 334 touchdowns and 106 interceptions in 188 career contests. He has added 5,307 rushing yards and 29 scores.

–Field Level Media

Sep 18, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) is taken from the field on a cart after suffering an apparent injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Browns’ odds plummet with Nick Chubb out for season

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The significant knee injury suffered by Browns running back Nick Chubb on Monday night sent Cleveland’s playoff odds falling.

Chubb was carted off the field in the second quarter, and coach Kevin Stefanski said after the team’s 26-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers that the star running back was expected to miss the rest of the season.

The sports books reacted to the news Tuesday.

DraftKings moved the Browns from -230 to make the playoffs to -145. The chances of winning the AFC North went from +200 to +330, and to win the AFC championship from +900 to +1200.

Odds of winning Super Bowl LVIII moved from +1800 to +2200.

At BetMGM, the odds of the Browns winning the division lengthened from +220 to +360 and from +1800 to +3000 for the Super Bowl.

Chubb rushed up the middle for a gain of 5 yards with 14:14 left in the second quarter and was in the process of being tackled by Pittsburgh linebacker Cole Holcomb when safety Minkah Fitzpatrick dropped his shoulder and ran directly into Chubb’s left knee.

The hit by Fitzpatrick caused Chubb’s leg to bend, and Chubb sat up and grabbed his knee and could be heard yelling in anguish through the field microphones.

Chubb, 27, rushed for 64 yards on 10 carries before exiting. He has 170 yards on 28 carries this season.

The four-time Pro Bowl selection topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past four seasons, including a career-high 1,525 last season. Chubb had 996 yards as a rookie in 2018 before beginning his streak of 1,000-yard seasons.

–Field Level Media

Sep 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau (50) pressures New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Jets’ SB odds plummet with Aaron Rodgers’ injury confirmed

Posted on | by Field Level Media

An MRI confirmed the worst fears for the New York Jets and their fan base on Tuesday, and oddsmakers were at the ready.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will miss the remainder of the 2023 season with a torn Achilles suffered just four snaps into his Jets career. The reins to the offense, at least for the short term, will be handed to embattled former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson.

The Jets opened the season at +1600 by DraftKings to win the Super Bowl, +1100 to win the AFC Championship and +270 to win the competitive AFC East. After taking an immediate hit when Rodgers was helped off the field Monday night, the odds plummeted even further following Tuesday’s MRI that confirmed the severity of the injury.

The Jets are now +6000 longshots to win the Super Bowl, +3000 to win the AFC and +600 to win their division. Their odds of even reaching the postseason shifted from -130 to +280, while their regular-season win total Over/Under market dropped from 9.5 to 8.5.

It could prove to be a boon for sportsbooks, with DraftKings reporting that the Jets have drawn the most money among all teams to win the AFC at 23 percent and the second most money to win the Super Bowl at 11 percent. They have also been backed by 37 percent of the money to win the division.

The story was similar at BetRivers, where the Jets went from +1700 to win the Super Bowl entering Monday night to +6000 on Tuesday. They had drawn the sixth-most money at the book with 6.7 percent.

The Jets’ odds of winning the AFC have moved from +1100 to +3000 while their odds of winning the division have lengthened from +270 to +550.

Wilson was able to help steer the Jets to a dramatic 22-16 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night. It was a huge win for New York, which is now atop the AFC East at 1-0 along with Miami, while Buffalo and New England are 0-1.

However, faith in Wilson’s ability to keep the Jets in the thick of the playoff mix is clearly modest.

The Jets face a difficult upcoming slate, with a trip to Dallas on Sunday followed by home games against New England and Kansas City. New York then travels to Denver before hosting Philadelphia entering its Week 7 bye.

The Cowboys are coming off a 40-0 drubbing of the Giants on Sunday night on the same field where Rodgers suffered his injury 24 hours later.

The spread for the game at the Dallas opened at the Jets +3.5 points at DraftKings, but moved to +8.5 by Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Cowboys’ moneyline shifted from -166 to -395 and the Over/Under moved from 46.5 points to 40.5 — speaking volumes about how oddsmakers expect Wilson to fare against a defense coming off a road shutout.

Rogers’ season-ending injury affected more than just the team futures.

Second-year wide receiver Garrett Wilson opened the season at +2500 by DraftKings to win Offensive Player of the Year honors and now is +4500.

The Jets acknowledged the season-ending injury to Rodgers on social media.

“Not the way any of us wanted it to go, but we know the commitment you’ve made to this team will continue to impact us moving forward,” the Jets posted on their official Twitter account, accompanying a photo of Rodgers.

–Field Level Media

Jan 29, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) throws a pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles see majority of early action as Super Bowl spread shifts to -2

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The early returns show that football bettors are lining up behind the Philadelphia Eagles to win Super Bowl LVII.

After emerging as the slight favorites Sunday night after the conclusion of conference championship weekend, the Eagles have solidified as two-point favorites over the Kansas City Chiefs at some major sportsbooks.

DraftKings Sportsbook revealed Monday evening that 70 percent of the total bets and 72 percent of the handle are backing the Eagles at -2. On the moneyline (-130), 57 percent of the handle is with Philadelphia.

The story was similar at BetMGM, which opened Sunday night with the Chiefs as a -1.5 favorite before the odds swung the Eagles’ way. Philadelphia enjoyed a -2.5 spread Monday morning, a number that has since settled back to -2.

At BetMGM, the Eagles raked in 66 percent of the tickets and 69 percent of the handle. The moneyline still leaned Philadelphia’s way as well, as the Eagles (-130) had earned 43 percent of the bets but 68 percent of the handle.

The over/under stood at 49.5 points at BetMGM and an even 50 at DraftKings. Bettors figure the battle between Patrick Mahomes’ aerial attack and Jalen Hurts’ run-first machine will be a high-scoring one; 54 percent of the handle at BetMGM and 57 percent of the handle at DraftKings was bet on the over.

The Eagles and Chiefs both entered the playoffs as their conferences’ respective No. 1 seeds. Philadelphia beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC Championship Game, and Kansas City followed that with a much more entertaining affair in beating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on a field goal in the final seconds.

–Field Level Media

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) participate in training camp Wednesday, July 28, 2021, in Green Bay, Wis. Usp Nfl Green Bay Packers Training Camp S Fbn Usa Wi

Aaron Rodgers’ post spurs Packers QB prop markets

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Aaron Rodgers’ “Monday Night Gratitude” Instagram post ignited a firestorm of speculation about the future of the Green Bay Packers quarterback.

It also spurred multiple sportsbooks to set odds on who will be under center for the Packers in Week 1 of the 2022 season — if it’s not Rodgers — and where the four-time NFL MVP might be if it’s not with Green Bay or enjoying retirement.

Rodgers said Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he had not made a decision about his future.

Packers backup quarterback Jordan Love was among the numerous people Rodgers expressed gratitude for in his Monday night post. The 23-year-old has been waiting in the wings since his controversial selection in the first round two years ago.

The former Utah State quarterback saw his first regular-season action in 2021, completing 36 of 62 passes (58.1 percent) for 411 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s the clear favorite to take over the starting job if Rodgers moves on, with MaximBet offering him at 2-1.

The next shortest odds belong to San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (5-1), who is widely expected to be traded this offseason with the 49ers spending the third overall pick on Trey Lance last year. He’s followed by Russell Wilson at 6-1, despite Seattle’s quarterback saying earlier this month that his “hope and goal” is to remain with the Seahawks.

BetMGM is offering -350 odds that Wilson takes the first snap for Seattle in Week 1 compared to +240 odds that it will be any other quarterback for the Seahawks.

Any rookie quarterback taking over for Rodgers and starting in Week 1 has 8-1 odds at MaximBet, followed by Las Vegas backup Marcus Mariota (9-1) and Minnesota starter Kirk Cousins (10-1).

The sportsbook is offering odds on 14 possibilities, all the way down to the Packers luring Tom Brady out of retirement at 25-1.

Packers Week 1 QB Odds:
Jordan Love (2-1)
Jimmy Garoppolo (5-1)
Russell Wilson (6-1)
Rookie Quarterback (8-1)
Ryan Tannehill (8-1)
Marcus Mariota (9-1)
Kirk Cousins (10-1)
Carson Wentz (10-1)
Ryan Fitzpatrick (10-1)
Jameis Winston (12-1)
Gardner Minshew (16-1)
Cam Newton (20-1)
Derek Carr (20-1)
Tom Brady (25-1)

–Field Level Media

Jan 9, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Could Russell Wilson replace Tom Brady in Tampa?

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Russell Wilson’s future in Seattle remains a topic of debate despite saying earlier this month that his “hope and goal” is to remain with the Seahawks.

BetMGM is offering -400 odds that the 34-year-old will remain with Seattle compared to +280 odds that another quarterback will be under center for the Seahawks in Week 1 next season.

But with several playoff contenders likely to be in the market for a quarterback upgrade this offseason and a draft class widely considered to be weak at the position, Seahawks general manager John Schneider may well receive tempting offers for Wilson.

Tampa Bay (Tom Brady) and Pittsburgh (Ben Roethlisberger) lost their starting quarterbacks to retirement shortly after their seasons ended. They are among 20 potential NFL destinations SportsBetting.ag is offering odds on landing Wilson if he departs Seattle.

Russell Wilson Next Team Odds:
Buccaneers (+350)
Saints (+400)
Steelers (+400)
Dolphins (+500)
Raiders (+800)
Panthers (+1000)
Bears (+1000)
Broncos (+1200)
Browns (+1400)
Colts (+1400)
Patriots (+2000)
Commanders (+2000)
Titans (+2500)
Packers (+3300)
49ers (+3300)
Jets (+3300)
Eagles (+4000)
Falcons (+4000)
Ravens (+4000)
Texans (+5000)

Wilson reiterated in an interview with Chris Russo’s “Mad Dog Sports Radio” that he aims to be back with the Seahawks in 2022 and beyond.

“I’ve been fortunate to be able to play 10 amazing years in Seattle,” Wilson told Russo earlier this month. “My hope and goal is to be back there and keep winning there. That’s the vision, that’s the goal. That’s always been it. It’s never really been anything different.”

Wilson’s future in Seattle looked murky at best when he publicly lobbied for more offensive line help after the Seahawks lost in the wild-card round following the 2020 season. His agent then told ESPN that Wilson had not asked for a trade, but that the Super Bowl-winning quarterback would waive his no-trade clause to go to the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders.

The quarterback landscape has changed since then, with the Cowboys locking up Dak Prescott long-term and the Bears drafting Justin Fields. Wilson is coming off a challenging 2021 season. He missed games due to injury for the first time and missed the playoffs with a losing record altogether, all career firsts.

In 14 games, Wilson threw for 3,113 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions with a 64.8 completion percentage.

Near the end of the season, Wilson told reporters that he hoped he wasn’t nearing his last game as a Seahawk and said he planned to win more Super Bowls with the franchise.

“I want to win three more Super Bowls,” Wilson told Russo. “That’s my focus, is to get back and win again and for us to overcome all the obstacles. There’s nothing more fun than that.”

–Field Level Media