Legal sports betting sites got the better of the betting public again in Week 7 of the NFL season.
Many heavy betting favorites either failed to cover the spread or lost outright on Sunday. The Buffalo Bills lost as 7.5-point-favorites against the division rival New England Patriots on a last-minute touchdown, and the Detroit Lions — the darlings of the NFL — entered the day with a 5-1 record and got blown out 38-6 by the Baltimore Ravens.
It made for another banner day in online sports betting for the books.
"Yesterday was a good day for the sportsbook with many popular picks losing outright," BetMGM trading manager Christian Cipollini said to Covers. "The Bills and Lions losing were two of our best results."
Heavy favorites fall
The Lions-Ravens and Bills-Patriots were the two most bet games at BetMGM, in terms of tickets, and the Lions +3 and Bills -7.5 were the two most bet teams against the spread. Despite being road underdogs, the Lions carried 90% of the moneyline bets and 74% of the handle at BetMGM.
The Bills were expected to easily dispose of a Patriots team that entered Sunday with one win. Buffalo was drawing 80% of the spread bets at BetMGM, 82% of the handle, and 81% of the handle on the moneyline. The Bills struggled mightily for the third straight week and lost outright.
When it comes to the spread, the public was also on the losing side of backing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (84% of bets), Las Vegas Raiders (83%), Green Bay Packers (78%), Los Angeles Rams (76%), and Washington Commanders (56%). It comes after the public was pounded in Week 6.
"Overall, it has been a great NFL season for BetMGM," Cipollini said.
One saving grace
It wasn't all bad for the betting public on Sunday.
The public sided with the Philadelphia Eagles in their marquee matchup with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday Night Football. The Eagles didn't disappoint, as they soared off with a 31-17 victory, easily covering the -3 spread.
70% of the money was on the Eagles -3 ✅
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) October 23, 2023
The public cashed in on the Kelly Green 🤑 pic.twitter.com/xeR7sLH9nl
