NFL Sunday odds and line moves: Public pounds Patriots, book desperate for Dolphins
Patrick Everson
The second Sunday of the NFL season features a huge pointspread in an AFC East contest. We check in on the action and odds movement for that matchup and three others, with insights from Derek Wilkinson, manager of The SuperBook at Westgate.
PATRIOTS AT DOLPHINS – OPEN +14.5; Move: +16.5; MOVE: +17.5; MOVE: +18.5; MOVE: +19; MOVE: +18.5; MOVE: +18; MOVE: +18.5
Defending Super Bowl champion New England didn’t miss a beat in Week 1, making perennial playoff contender Pittsburgh look like a JV unit. The Patriots (1-0 SU and ATS) built a 20-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 33-3 rout laying 5.5 points at home Sunday night.
On the flip side, Miami got hammered so badly in Week 1 that sportsbooks are already offering propositions on whether new coach Brian Flores’ squad will go 0-16. The Dolphins (0-1 SU and ATS) got boatraced by Baltimore 59-10 as 7-point home pups Sunday.
"The public just can't get enough of the Patriots," Wilkinson said of bettors' appetites for this 1 p.m. ET kickoff. "People are still betting the Patriots at -18.5. We can't go too much higher. If the Patriots cover, we just lose. The sharps like the Dolphins to cover, and we need the Dolphins to cover very heavily."
SAINTS AT RAMS – OPEN: -3; MOVE: -2.5; MOVE: -2; MOVE: -2.5; MOVE: -2
Defending NFC champion Los Angeles saw a 13-point lead dwindle to 3 points in the fourth quarter of its Week 1 tilt, but got the job done on the road. The Rams (1-0 SU and ATS) were up 23-10 late in the third quarter at Carolina and held on for a 30-27 win as 1.5-point favorites Sunday.
New Orleans got all it could handle in a wild Week 1 finish, also managing to start the 2019-20 campaign with a win. In the final 50 seconds against Houston, the Saints (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) sandwiched two field goals around a Texans touchdown to post a 30-28 victory as 6.5-point faves on Monday night.
These two met for the NFC title in January, where the Rams benefited greatly from a now infamous noncall of pass interference and went on to a 26-23 overtime victory as 3-point road underdogs.
"Right now, straight bets are fairly even, but we've got a lot of parlay money on the Saints. So the public is on the Saints," Wilkinson said, noting the total is also getting attention for this 4:25 p.m. ET meeting. "We opened 53.5, and we're down to 52. Looks like the sharps like the Under in this one."
SEAHAWKS AT STEELERS – OPEN: -4.5; MOVE: -5; MOVE: -3.5; MOVE: -4; MOVE: -3.5
Pittsburgh aims to bounce back from the aforementioned spanking in the Week 1 Sunday nighter. The Steelers (0-1 SU and ATS) mustered only a field goal early in the third quarter as they got blown out by New England 33-3 catching 5.5 points on the road.
Perhaps working in Pittsburgh’s favor is that Seattle will travel cross-country for one of today’s early kicks, a 1 p.m. ET start. The Seahawks (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) went off as healthy 9.5-point home favorites against Cincinnati in Week 1, but had to battle for a 21-20 victory.
"A lot of money on the Steelers so far," Wilkinson said, noting the line move belies the liability, as it was mostly an adjustment to Pittsburgh's awful Week 1 effort. "We need the Seahawks by a pretty decent margin. All the public money has been on the Steelers."
EAGLES AT FALCONS – OPEN: PICK; MOVE: +1; Move: PICK; MOVE: +1; MOVE: +1.5; MOVE: +2.5; Move: +1.5
Philadelphia got off to a shaky start as hefty chalk in Week 1, but at least got to the finish line with a victory. The Eagles (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) trailed Washington 17-0 five minutes into the second quarter, but rallied for a 32-27 victory giving 10.5 points at home Sunday. Philly was actually covering the big number, but gave up a Redskins touchdown with six seconds remaining.
Atlanta also got out of the gate poorly and never really recovered on the road in Week 1. The Falcons went to Minnesota as modest 3.5-point ‘dogs, fell behind 21-0 late in the second quarter and lost 28-12. Atlanta’s only TD came with just 1:05 left in the fourth quarter.
"A lot of people on the Falcons, and some sharp money on Atlanta. We like the Falcons too," Wilkinson said of the Sunday nighter, an 8:20 p.m. ET kick. "The public is betting the Eagles on parlays. At the end of the day, I think we'll be rooting for the Eagles."
Patrick Everson
The second Sunday of the NFL season features a huge pointspread in an AFC East contest. We check in on the action and odds movement for that matchup and three others, with insights from Derek Wilkinson, manager of The SuperBook at Westgate.
PATRIOTS AT DOLPHINS – OPEN +14.5; Move: +16.5; MOVE: +17.5; MOVE: +18.5; MOVE: +19; MOVE: +18.5; MOVE: +18; MOVE: +18.5
Defending Super Bowl champion New England didn’t miss a beat in Week 1, making perennial playoff contender Pittsburgh look like a JV unit. The Patriots (1-0 SU and ATS) built a 20-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 33-3 rout laying 5.5 points at home Sunday night.
On the flip side, Miami got hammered so badly in Week 1 that sportsbooks are already offering propositions on whether new coach Brian Flores’ squad will go 0-16. The Dolphins (0-1 SU and ATS) got boatraced by Baltimore 59-10 as 7-point home pups Sunday.
"The public just can't get enough of the Patriots," Wilkinson said of bettors' appetites for this 1 p.m. ET kickoff. "People are still betting the Patriots at -18.5. We can't go too much higher. If the Patriots cover, we just lose. The sharps like the Dolphins to cover, and we need the Dolphins to cover very heavily."
SAINTS AT RAMS – OPEN: -3; MOVE: -2.5; MOVE: -2; MOVE: -2.5; MOVE: -2
Defending NFC champion Los Angeles saw a 13-point lead dwindle to 3 points in the fourth quarter of its Week 1 tilt, but got the job done on the road. The Rams (1-0 SU and ATS) were up 23-10 late in the third quarter at Carolina and held on for a 30-27 win as 1.5-point favorites Sunday.
New Orleans got all it could handle in a wild Week 1 finish, also managing to start the 2019-20 campaign with a win. In the final 50 seconds against Houston, the Saints (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) sandwiched two field goals around a Texans touchdown to post a 30-28 victory as 6.5-point faves on Monday night.
These two met for the NFC title in January, where the Rams benefited greatly from a now infamous noncall of pass interference and went on to a 26-23 overtime victory as 3-point road underdogs.
"Right now, straight bets are fairly even, but we've got a lot of parlay money on the Saints. So the public is on the Saints," Wilkinson said, noting the total is also getting attention for this 4:25 p.m. ET meeting. "We opened 53.5, and we're down to 52. Looks like the sharps like the Under in this one."
SEAHAWKS AT STEELERS – OPEN: -4.5; MOVE: -5; MOVE: -3.5; MOVE: -4; MOVE: -3.5
Pittsburgh aims to bounce back from the aforementioned spanking in the Week 1 Sunday nighter. The Steelers (0-1 SU and ATS) mustered only a field goal early in the third quarter as they got blown out by New England 33-3 catching 5.5 points on the road.
Perhaps working in Pittsburgh’s favor is that Seattle will travel cross-country for one of today’s early kicks, a 1 p.m. ET start. The Seahawks (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) went off as healthy 9.5-point home favorites against Cincinnati in Week 1, but had to battle for a 21-20 victory.
"A lot of money on the Steelers so far," Wilkinson said, noting the line move belies the liability, as it was mostly an adjustment to Pittsburgh's awful Week 1 effort. "We need the Seahawks by a pretty decent margin. All the public money has been on the Steelers."
EAGLES AT FALCONS – OPEN: PICK; MOVE: +1; Move: PICK; MOVE: +1; MOVE: +1.5; MOVE: +2.5; Move: +1.5
Philadelphia got off to a shaky start as hefty chalk in Week 1, but at least got to the finish line with a victory. The Eagles (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) trailed Washington 17-0 five minutes into the second quarter, but rallied for a 32-27 victory giving 10.5 points at home Sunday. Philly was actually covering the big number, but gave up a Redskins touchdown with six seconds remaining.
Atlanta also got out of the gate poorly and never really recovered on the road in Week 1. The Falcons went to Minnesota as modest 3.5-point ‘dogs, fell behind 21-0 late in the second quarter and lost 28-12. Atlanta’s only TD came with just 1:05 left in the fourth quarter.
"A lot of people on the Falcons, and some sharp money on Atlanta. We like the Falcons too," Wilkinson said of the Sunday nighter, an 8:20 p.m. ET kick. "The public is betting the Eagles on parlays. At the end of the day, I think we'll be rooting for the Eagles."