NFL, CFB Weekend Recap: Broncos' Win Over Chiefs Helps Limit Books' Damage

NFL Week 8 odds featured a back-and-forth battle between bookmakers and the public betting masses.

And in one matchup, there was something to be happy about on both sides: The Cardinals’ stunning 33-30 overtime victory vs. the Cowboys.

"Arizona provided the biggest bailout … erasing a 14-point deficit to beat Dallas in overtime and remove a considerable Cowboys liability," Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel said.

However, when it looked as if the Cards were dead in the fourth quarter, down by 14 points, some customers thought: Why not take a flier on Arizona in-game moneyline +1250?

"Plenty of bettors took a shot on the Cardinals at around 12/1 before the comeback," Feazel said. "The wagers were generally modest, so there was not a significant amount of money behind Arizona at that stage.

"[But] it became a great result for those bettors who believed Gardner Minshew could turn the ship around on the Cowboys."

Oddsmakers from Las Vegas and across the country chimed in to recap the weekend that was in NFL and college football betting.

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BetMGM trading manager Adair Horne termed Sunday "a bit of a mixed day for bettors and the book alike."

One key decision in favor of the public masses was the Lions getting a late touchdown to beat the Vikings 19-15 and narrowly cover as 3.5-point home favorites.

"The worst result for the book was the Lions covering against the previously undefeated Vikings," Horne said, while also adding that BetMGM — unlike Caesars — needed the Cowboys.

Further, although the Bengals — 13.5-point home favorites — got nowhere close to covering while beating the Titans 43-36 in an overtime thriller, Cincy just winning salvaged bundles of moneyline parlays.

"Cincinnati’s overtime win rewarded the heavy Bengals moneyline support," Feazel said. "Moneyline favorites carried the day for bettors, with most of the public’s biggest positions cashing."

Joining the Lions and Bengals in that category were the Bills, Jaguars and Steelers. Buffalo rolled to a 36-10 win over the Ravens, who lost Lamar Jackson almost as fast as they got him back. Jackson suffered a thumb injury on Baltimore’s first play from scrimmage and will miss four weeks minimum, perhaps much longer.

Jacksonville thumped Indianapolis 42-7 and Pittsburgh slowed Cleveland’s roll in a 27-6 decision. The Jaguars (-10.5), Steelers (-3.5) and Bills (-3) joined the Lions in also covering the spread, another bonus for the betting masses.

And all those key favorites played in Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET slate of games.

"The book spent much of the [early window] on the ropes and needed a few well-timed Unders to limit the damage," Feazel said.

The biggest of those Unders came in Ravens-Bills, with a season-high 55.5 total, and Vikings-Lions (total 46.5).

"The Unders and a handful of underdog covers slowed the momentum, but bettors still finished the day comfortably ahead," Feazel said.

Horne pointed to three key decisions that helped BetMGM post a modest win for the day.

"The best results for the book were the Broncos over the Chiefs, the Raiders’ upset of the Jets and the Patriots beating the Dolphins in a one-score game," Horne said.

Denver trailed 24-13 in the fourth quarter and rallied for a 28-24 victory as a 1-point home underdog. Kansas City was literally on the doorstep at the 1-yard line in the waning seconds, but couldn’t punch it in for the win.

Las Vegas was a 1.5-point underdog at New York and also had a comeback win, 38-33. New England was a popular play to cover as a 7-point road favorite, yet had to rally from a 13-3 halftime deficit to beat Miami 24-19.

Several popular player props were also a boon for bettors Sunday, with Bengals QB Joe Burrow leading the way.

"The end-zone celebrations rarely stopped during the early slate, and many of the most popular players joined the party," Feazel said. "Joe Burrow threw five touchdowns, Josh Allen (Bills) and Trevor Lawrence (Jags) cashed popular passing props, and Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals) surpassed 100 receiving yards."

In the late window of games, the Rams’ Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams — both well-bet as anytime touchdown scorers — found the end zone in a 24-9 win over the Chargers. And while Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was dealt a loss in Denver, he delivered on props with 321 passing yards and three TDs.

However, Feazel noted that Caesars got off the hook with one player.

"The book caught its biggest break when Kenneth Walker III, the day’s most popular touchdown selection, was stopped at the 1-yard line on Kansas City’s frantic final drive," Feazel said.

College football Week 9 odds proved less back-and-forth than the NFL, with bookmakers having a better Saturday. 

Upsets will do that.

Particularly Saturday night’s semi-stunner in Los Angeles, where USC — a 6.5-point underdog — never trailed while upending Ohio State 30-18.

"Bettors struggled the most in the Ohio State vs. USC game," Horne said.

Additionally, Indiana nearly losing outright and falling miles short of covering the spread didn’t help bettors’ cause. The Hoosiers were 20.5-point home favorites vs. Minnesota and escaped in overtime 23-16.

Interestingly, Cincinnati was a trendy home underdog vs. unbeaten Utah, with the Bearcats fresh off a big upset of Texas Tech. But the Utes plowed to a 49-25 victory as 7.5-point favorites.

"Cincinnati was [expected] to at least give a good offensive fight against Utah. But in reality, the Bearcats got absolutely crushed," Horne said.

Horne said popular SEC favorites helped bettors claw some money back on Saturday:

• Georgia (-11.5) rolled over Florida 27-8
• Ole Miss (-10.5) punched out Auburn 45-15
• Texas (-20) routed Mississippi State 31-3

"Overall, it was a nice day for the book. But there were still multiple games that proved to be successful for bettors," Horne said.