NFL odds: Could Gronkowski unretire, add to stellar betting record?

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From the Patriots to the Buccaneers, one thing bettors could rely on over the past 12 NFL seasons is Rob Gronkowski making big plays at tight end. 

But the four-time Super Bowl champion announced his retirement this week which effectively makes gambling on Gronk in the NFL a thing of the past.

Or does it?

Picked 42nd overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, the tight end out of Arizona dominated the position during his NFL tenure. He was named to five Pro Bowls and was a four-time first-team All-Pro selection. 

While all these accolades are great, how did Gronk on the gridiron pan out for bettors? Moreover, do bookmakers think there's a chance that the 2014 NFL Comeback Player of the Year comes back out of retirement a second time?

When it comes to Gronk doing his best Jordan impersonation for the second time in three years, FOX Bet gave us the hypothetical odds on the tight end's return.

ODDS THAT ROB GRONKOWSKI REMAINS RETIRED

Makes a comeback: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Remains retired: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)

All that non-actionable juice on Gronk returning to the turf might leave bettors wondering if and when they can expect to see him catching touchdown passes again.

According to FOX Bet sports trader Daniel Montanari, Gronk coming back to the league could happen sooner than you think.

"I’m of the opinion he comes back midway through the season if the Bucs get off to a good start," Montanari noted. "His agent has confirmed as much.

"A player of Gronk’s caliber can miss OTAs, training camp and a large portion of the regular season and slot back into a Bucs team ready to make another Super Bowl run."

And while the movement was slight, Gronkowski's retirement did lengthen Tampa Bay's Super Bowl and NFC South odds. The Buccaneers' odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy went from +850 to +900 in the wake of Gronk's retirement announcement. To win the division, the squad's odds lengthened from -303 to -278. 

However, what if the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team member has hung up his cleats for the last time? 

Well, we did a dive into Gronk's career from a betting perspective to see if gamblers are going to miss placing wagers on 87's squads when he's in the lineup.

Let's look at the postseason first. 

According to FOX Sports Research, Gronk's teams are 13-9 against the spread (ATS) in playoff games. That's a 59% cover rate when the TE suits up. So folks who bet on Gronk's teams to cover every time he played a playoff game have gotten a handsome return on their investment — although not quite as handsome as Gronk's four championship rings.

And speaking of handsome, it has been the GOAT — quarterback Tom Brady — pushing the pigskin through the air to the 2011 NFL receiving touchdowns leader. 

When Gronk was catching passes from Brady as a Patriot, New England went 9-7 ATS in playoff games. With Gronk in the lineup in Tampa Bay with TB12, the Buccaneers went 4-2 ATS in the postseason. 

But how did betting on one of Brady's top targets work out for gamblers when he suited up in the regular season? 

FOX Sports Research found that Gronk's teams went 86-56-1 ATS when he played during the regular season, so banking on the big guy there won for bettors 60% of the time. 

From the Pats to the Bucs, if Gronk was on the field, the best bet was to take his team to cover.

And the talented tight end achieved a lot more than keeping gamblers happy. 

In 2011, he became the first tight end to lead the league in receiving touchdowns. His 297 receiving yards are the most by a tight end in Super Bowl history. And Gronk's 15 receiving touchdowns in the postseason are the most by a TE.

All of that winning and at the ripe "old" age of 33. Presumably, there's more in that tank, so it's obvious why some oddsmakers believe another Buccaneer un-retirement announcement is looming.

Do you think that the future Hall of Fame player has taken his final snaps in the NFL, or do you expect Gronk to add to his impressive record against the spread in his second encore? Stay tuned to FOX Bet as this story unfolds!

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