Sports Betting Buzz: NFL Playoffs and College Football Championship
Everything that happens in sports has additional context when viewed from a betting perspective. From season-changing injuries to record-setting moments and so much more, the news cycle will constantly and significantly affect the sports betting industry. In this article, we’ll explore the latest developments in the NFL playoffs and the College Football Championship, providing insights and analysis from experts in the field.
The NFL playoffs have begun, and the road to Super Bowl LX is filled with intriguing matchups. The Los Angeles Rams are enormous 10.5-point road favorites against the Carolina Panthers, per DraftKings odds. This spread is historic, as it would be the largest favorite spread for a road playoff team in the Super Bowl era. However, home playoff underdogs of at least 6.5 points have a notable record, with a 3-1 outright win and covering the spread in all four games since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
The Green Bay Packers will face the Chicago Bears, with the Packers coming in as 1.5-point favorites, according to DraftKings odds. However, this number has fluctuated greatly since the open across the sportsbook marketplace. The action has been undulating, with bettors jumping to the underdog when one team is made the favorite. The Bears have attracted the most wagers at DraftKings, theScore Bet, and BetMGM, with the latter confirming this is currently its most-bet game overall.
College Football Championship
The winner of the Indiana-Oregon game will be favored to win the national championship, regardless of the opponent or home-field advantage. Early lines on potential championship game matchups have Indiana or Oregon favored over either the Miami Hurricanes or Ole Miss Rebels. DraftKings Sportsbook lists Indiana as a 5.5-point favorite over Miami and an 8.5-point favorite over Ole Miss. Oregon is listed as a 1.5-point favorite over Miami and a 4.5-point favorite over Ole Miss.
Nationally, bettors are divided on the Hurricanes and Rebels. At DraftKings, approximately 56% of bets on the outright winner between Ole Miss and Miami were on the Hurricanes as of Thursday morning. BetMGM was reporting similar even money-line action on Thursday’s game. However, at Hard Rock Bet, the only licensed sportsbook in Florida, a larger majority of bettors are backing the Hurricanes, as 70% of the money that has been wagered on Thursday’s winner was on Miami.
Super Bowl ATD Markets
DraftKings and FanDuel are offering markets on anytime touchdown scorer for Super Bowl LX. Seattle Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet is the leader in the market at +450, followed by his teammates RB Kenneth Walker III and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, then Los Angeles Rams WR Davante Adams at +500, according to DraftKings odds. The odds are mostly a reflection of those teams’ likelihood of getting to the championship game.
DraftKings sportsbook director Johnny Avello told ESPN that this could be a good way for bettors to get value now if they truly believe a certain team could end up in the Super Bowl. FanDuel reports that Charbonnet and Smith-Njigba have been two of the most popular bets thus far in the market. However, the sportsbooks are not seeing a ton of action in the market just yet, but Avello sees it as more of a tool to get bettors into the playoff spirit.
For more information on sports betting and the latest odds, visit the Sports Betting Home page. You can also check out the NFL odds page, NBA odds page, MLB odds page, and NHL odds page for the latest updates and analysis.
