An hour before the early NFL kickoffs on Sunday at Bally’s beautiful sportsbook, a line of roughly 30 people formed in front of the betting windows. The sportsbooks at the Tropicana casino, Ocean Resort and The Borgata in Atlantic City also were busy Sunday.
Tom Gable, director of race and sports for The Borgata, said he has been impressed by the accelerated growth of the New Jersey market post-PASPA.
“On the retail side, there obviously was a pent-up demand for sports betting and the commercial experience that comes with going to a sportsbook to bet and watch a big game,” Gable told ESPN. “We’ve seen it with the success of our new $12 million venue, Moneyline Bar & Book. It has allowed millions of people to enjoy an experience they could only previously get by jumping on a plane and flying to Vegas.”
Recap of sports betting notables from around the nation.
The best games for the house were the Tennessee Titans’ covering the spread in a 27-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Oakland Raiders’ covering the spread in a 27-24 loss the Houston Texans and the San Francisco 49ers’ covering in a 51-13 rout of the Carolina Panthers.
The Los Angeles Rams’ covering in a 24-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in London and the New England Patriots’ covering in a 27-13 win over the Cleveland Browns were the most costly games for the books.
Las Vegas sportsbook operator CG Technology lost money on seven of the 12 afternoon games Sunday, with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 29-15 win over the New York Jets a virtual no-decision.
Carolina Panthers disappoint
The Panthers were a popular pick among professional players, sportsbooks said. Carolina opened as a 6.5-point underdog, but the line was bet down to as low as -3.5 by kickoff.
“Some big-time players really liked the Panthers,” Berg said. “The handle was really big on that game, too.”
• MGM sportsbook in Nevada reported taking three $100,000 bets on the Panthers from the same customer on Sunday. The bettor took Carolina +4.5 for one bet and had two bets at +4. “At one point, I saw the in-game line come across at Panthers +40.5,” said Jeff Stoneback, director of sports for MGM in Nevada. “That basically made our day.”
More Betting Notes
The Indianapolis Colts were included in more parlays and teasers than any other team at the sportsbook at The Borgata in Atlantic City. The Colts failed to cover as six-point favorites in a 15-13 win.
The largest reported bet by The Borgata was six figures on over 40.5 in the Jets-Jaguars game. The game went over the total.
“The morning NFL games were really good,” John Murray, executive director for the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas, said. “But we got crushed on the Patriots in the afternoon. We had almost 6-to-1 tickets on the Patriots, but the line went Patriots -13 to -10 at kickoff. That one hurt.”
• The return of Drew Brees to the New Orleans Saints’ starting lineup caused a nearly three-point swing in the line. The Saints opened as consensus 9.5-point home favorites over the Arizona Cardinals. After reports surfaced Saturday that Brees would return after missing five games with a thumb injury, the line climbed all the way to 12.5. Brees had a big game, as the Saints pulled away from the Cardinals in the second half of a 31-9 win.
Early Week 9 lines
Thursday
San Francisco 49ers (-8.5, 43.5) at Arizona Cardinals
Sunday
Houston Texans (-3, 47) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (in London)
Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles (-5.5, 43.5)
Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers (Pk, 43.5)
Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs (Off)
New York Jets (-5.5, 41) at Miami Dolphins
Tennessee Titans at Carolina Panthers (-3.5, 40)
Washington Redskins at Buffalo Bills (-9.5, 36.5)
Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders (-2, 51.5)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks (-6.5, 53.5)
Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos (-1.5, 42.5)
Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Chargers (Off)
New England Patriots (-4, 44.5) at Baltimore Ravens
Monday
Dallas Cowboys (-6.5, 47.5) at New York Giants
Byes:
Atlanta Falcons
Cincinnati Bengals
Los Angeles Rams
New Orleans Saints
