NFL odds: Fading 'Manningcast' guests has been profitable for bettors

Peyton and Eli Manning were no strangers to winning games in their playing careers. They frustrated NFL defenses and many gamblers, with their smarts, grit and determination. And now they are back to their winning ways in retirement. 

The "Manningcast" is a refreshing alternate take on the traditional MNF telecast. The brothers entertain celebrities and athletes, many of whom are still active. While that is fine and dandy from an entertainment perspective, our focus here is on winning money. And from a gambling viewpoint, those active NFL player visits have proven to be very profitable for bettors. 

If you are a savvy bettor, the Mannings can still guide you to big wins even when they aren't playing. The duo went undefeated in one category during the 2021-2022 NFL season. If you focused on the succeeding opponents of the show's NFL guests, particularly if said opponent was an underdog, you would've cashed out on some big wins.

During this season, seven active NFL players made appearances on the show and every single one of them went on to lose their matchups the following week. What was even more amazing was that six of those players' teams lost outright as betting favorites. 

Let's take a quick look at the players who appeared on the show and their team's results the following week, with some odds mixed in, of course.

Travis Kelce and Russell Wilson appeared on the program in Week 1 and lost their matchups in Week 2. Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Baltimore Ravens 36-35, and Wilson's Seattle Seahawks lost to the Tennessee Titans 33-30. The Ravens and Titans were +175 and +225 dogs on the moneyline, respectively. 

Rob Gronkowski joined the Mannings in Week 2 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went on to lose in Week 3 to the Los Angeles Rams, 34-24. Los Angeles was -110 on the moneyline in that big matchup. 

In Week 3, Matthew Stafford connected with Peyton and Eli only to guide the Rams to a Week 4 loss against the Arizona Cardinals 37-20. The Cardinals were +140 dogs on the moneyline going into that game. 

Tom Brady relived his Superbowl XLVI woes against Eli in Week 7 and, unsurprisingly, he was upset again as a favorite when Tampa Bay lost to the New Orleans Saints in Week 8, 36-27. New Orleans was +170 on the moneyline. 

In the biggest "Manningcast" upset of the season, the long shot Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Buffalo Bills in a 9-6 slugfest in Week 9 after the Bills quarterback Josh Allen turned up on the "Manningcast" in Week 8. The Jaguars were a whopping +650 underdogs on the moneyline. 

Lastly, Aaron Rodgers smiled his way through his Week 17 show debut, only to have the Green Bay Packers lose to the Detroit Lions 37-30 in Week 18. Granted, the Packers already had clinched the top seed and had nothing to gain, but Detroit was still +150 on the moneyline. 

In short, if you are a gambler and faded guests on the "Manningcast", you had a profitable season. 

One thing you learn early in sports gambling is that you need to exploit any edge you can, even if it is as crazy as this one. Of course, this is all in fun, but if you laid down a $10 bet on every team going against the player who appeared on the program during the season, you would have ended up with $230.09 ($160.09 profit)! Who needs crypto when the Mannings provide such a great return?

As for the tandem's next guests? It looks like the Mannings will be joined by Larry Fitzgerald, Russell Wilson and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on Monday. We're sure the Rock will "cook" up some laughs during the Cardinals-Rams matchup, so stay tuned!

And remember, if you want to earn a couple of dollars over at FOX Bet, be on the lookout for any player from a surviving playoff team that decides to make an appearance.

Download the FOX Super 6 app for your chance to win thousands of dollars on the biggest sporting events each and every week! Just make your picks and you could win the grand prize. Download and play today!