The writers and editors at Covers.com strive to bring you all the latest news, opinions and picks on every aspect of sports betting. Our staff speaks to some of the best oddsmakers in the business every day, and our Covers Experts are the sharpest minds out there when it comes to handicapping sports.
But your fellow bettors, the people who read about, watch and bet on sports on a daily basis, can also be a great resource when it comes down to decision time.
Well, we’ve got you covered on that front, too. Wagerline.com, our sister site, allows users to make picks against the spread and tracks the bets placed on every game and brings you a consensus (the percentage of bets on each team) on which way the betting is going.
We’ve taken the consensus information for Sunday’s NFL football action to bring you five games that are showing the most one-sided betting on Wagerline.com.
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints (65.99% of bets on New Orleans): -3, 44
The Saints are 0-3 and have allowed a league-high 34.3 points per game. However, the majority of bettors are still confident the Saints can beat the spread Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.
New Orleans is on the verge of its first 0-4 start since 1996 when it finished 3-13. The Saints have also struggled badly on the offensive side this season, scoring an average of only 12.7 points per contest. That’s half of last season’s average tally per game.
To figure out why a strong majority of bettors are backing the Saints, one must look at Carolina’s injury list. The Panthers are likely to be without quarterback Jake Delhomme. Backup David Carr did not look good in Delhomme’s place last week, completing just 19-of-41 passes in a 20-7 loss to Tampa Bay.
New York Jets and New York Giants (73.96%): - 3 ½, 40 ½
The Giants dropped their first two games of the season before a massive turnaround in their defense led them to victories in their next two. The Giants take on their cross-town rivals Sunday and most bettors are confident they can produce another solid display.
Last week, the Giants’ defense sacked quarterback Donovan McNabb a franchise-record 12 times during a 16-3 victory over Philadelphia. They lead the NFL in sacks this season and will be hoping to do similar damage to Chad Pennington on Sunday.
The Jets, meanwhile, can’t seem to get their defense going this season. They have allowed 371.0 yards per game, including 253.0 through the air, to rank near the bottom of the league in both categories. They have lost their last three meetings with the Giants.
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers (70.15%): -3, 40 ½
Based on the consensus figures for this game, a majority of bettors have lost faith in the Bears. They have failed to impress on either side of the ball, while the Packers have enjoyed their best start since 1998 behind a rejuvenated Brett Favre.
Chicago finally dropped the struggling Rex Grossman last week and handed the ball to Brian Griese. But he picked up where Grossman left off, throwing for three interceptions in a 37-27 loss at Detroit. The Bears’ defense has also failed to live up to last season’s high standards, giving up 321.2 yards and 23.8 points per game.
That will be music to the ears of Brett Favre and a Green Bay offense that is rolling right now. The Packers are second in the NFL in passing yards (288.8 per game) and have averaged 26.2 points. Favre has thrown for 1,205 yards and 8 TDs this season.
Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans (67.13%): -5, 43 ½
The Dolphins are 0-4 for just the third time in franchise history and are on a seven-game losing streak that stretches back to last season. Their terrible start, combined with some solid displays from Houston, has led to the majority of bettors putting their money on the Texans to cover the spread.
Miami is yielding a league-worst 199 rushing yards per game and ranks 28th in points allowed per contest (29.8). The Dolphins allowed Oakland to rush for 299 yards during last week’s 35-17 setback. It was the most rushing yards Miami had yielded in 20 years.
Miami’s visit gives Houston a great opportunity to get its running game going. The Texans rank 23rd in the NFL in rushing yards this season (88.8 per game), gaining just 129 yards in back-to-back losses to Indianapolis and Atlanta.
The Texans have been much better passing, throwing for 239.5 yards per game.
Arizona Cardinals (64.10%) at St. Louis Rams: 3 ½, 40 ½
Arizona is in the strange situation of having two starting quarterbacks who split time. The Rams have lost starter Marc Bulger to injury and will turn to backup Gus Frerotte. Bettors seem to think that two starters are better than one backup, so over 64 percent of them expect the Cards to cover.
The Cardinals’ offense has performed well this season, averaging 339.2 yards and 21 points per game. QB Matt Leinart has started all four games, but former Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner has come off the bench to lead the team in the second half of the last two contests.
The Rams’ 0-4 start has more to with injuries than any major weaknesses. They will be without Bulger, running back Stephen Jackson and guard Adam Goldberg to name a few. That will make life difficult for them against a strong Arizona team.