Coming off a stellar Week 7 for NFL bettors, with favorites winning and covering at a high clip, it’s no surprise that the public is ready to ride that familiar train again, as well as backing some hot teams.
Key Takeaways
- Favorites are again the rage, but the streaking Bears are getting attention as underdogs.
- Six teams are favored by more than a touchdown and have received the majority of wagers.
- Bettors are gearing up for National Tight Ends Day.
The Eagles, Patriots, Bills, Falcons, Colts, and Chiefs are all favored by more than a touchdown. All but Philadelphia are getting the majority of the bets at three different sportsbooks. The Eagles are getting the most wagers at two.
The Broncos, three-point favorites against the Cowboys, are getting a significant majority of the wagers at BetMGM, but not at the other two operators.
“The Broncos have won four straight, and the Chiefs look like Super Bowl contenders once again,” BetMGM senior trading manager Christian Cipollini said. “The recent success has bettors supporting both favorites to cover.”
Popularity contest
The most popular Week 8 favorite at BetMGM, in terms of tickets, is Tampa Bay (-4). The Buccaneers are getting 88% of the bets and 78% of the money against the Saints. The Eagles (-7.5) at home against the Giants are fifth in bets. The Broncos are third in handle, followed by the Chiefs (-12.5 vs. Washington) and the Bucs.
Other popular teams at the online operator include the Bengals (+6.5 vs. Jets), Colts (-14.5 vs. Titans), and Bills (-7.5 vs. Panthers).
The Bills, Bengals, Patriots, Bucs, and Eagles are the top five most-bet moneyline teams at ESPN BET. The most-bet total at BetMGM and ESPN BET in Week 8 is over 44 in Giants-Eagles. Packers-Steelers over 45.5, Jets-Bengals under 44.5, and Cowboys-Broncos over 51 are also popular wagers.
The other trend
Just because favorites have been hot doesn’t mean bettors are avoiding teams on winning streaks. At both BetMGM and ESPN BET, the most-bet team in Week 8 is actually an underdog that’s won four consecutive games.
The Bears (+6.5) lead in tickets and handle at BetMGM and spread handle at ESPN BET. Chicago has seen 70% of the wagers and 60% of the money at ESPN BET. DraftKings reported that the Ravens have the majority of tickets, but the Bears are dominating the handle. Bettors do not trust the 1-5 Ravens, even if quarterback Lamar Jackson returns from a two-game absence because of a hamstring injury.
“The Bears facing Lamar Jackson in his return from injury and the Steelers at home are the two most popular underdogs in Week 8,” Cipollini said.
The Steelers, who have won three of their last four, are second in handle at BetMGM, and they’re getting 59% of the money as a three-point underdog against the Packers. Pittsburgh is also getting at least 56% of the bets and 59% of the money at both DraftKings and ESPN BET.
The 49ers (+2.5 at Houston) are the second most-bet team by handle at ESPN BET, and the NFC West underdogs are getting 86% of the tickets and 75% of the money.
| Week 8 Games | DraftKings Splits | BetMGM Splits | ESPN BET Splits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bills-Panthers | BUF 79% bets BUF 82% handle |
BUF 58% bets BUF 62% handle |
BUF 74% bets BUF 65% handle |
| Jets-Bengals | CIN 79% bets CIN 66% handle |
CIN 72% bets CIN 68% handle |
CIN 80% bets CIN 69% handle |
| Browns-Patriots | NE 66% bets NE 81% handle |
NE 57% bets CLE 57% handle |
NE 68% bets NE 61% handle |
| Giants-Eagles | NYG 61% bets PHI 55% handle |
PHI 62% bets PHI 62% handle |
PHI 53% bets PHI 61% handle |
| Dolphins-Falcons | ATL 80% bets MIA 56% handle |
ATL 75% bets MIA 53% handle |
ATL 83% bets ATL 69% handle |
| Bears-Ravens | CHI 65% bets BAL 57% handle |
CHI 66% bets CHI 55% handle |
CHI 70% bets CHI 60% handle |
| 49ers-Texans | SF 78% bets HOU 72% handle |
SF 77% bets SF 54% handle |
SF 86% bets SF 75% handle |
| Bucs-Saints | TB 80% bets NO 67% handle |
TB 88% bets TB 78% handle |
TB 87% bets TB 86% handle |
| Titans-Colts | IND 76% bets IND 73% handle |
IND 77% bets IND 79% handle |
IND 83% bets IND 93% handle |
| Cowboys-Broncos | DAL 71% bets DAL 76% handle |
DEN 61% bets DEN 68% handle |
DAL 63% bets DAL 60% handle |
| Packers-Steelers | PIT 56% bets PIT 65% handle |
PIT 64% bets PIT 59% handle |
PIT 59% bets PIT 54% handle |
| Commanders-Chiefs | KC 65% bets KC 70% handle |
KC 63% bets KC 80% handle |
KC 76% bets KC 68% handle |
Backing tight ends
With this week being the fourth Sunday in October, bettors are lining up to get in on National Tight Ends Day, especially after last year when the position produced a single-day record 177 catches and 14 touchdowns on the designated day.
This year, six of the top 10 most-bet anytime touchdown scorers at ESPN BET are tight ends. Four more are in the top 20. 49ers tight end George Kittle is the most-bet player in that TD market at BetMGM with odds of +200.
Philadelphia’s Dallas Goedert (+200) and Buffalo’s Dalton Kincaid are second and third, respectively. Colts rookie Tyler Warren, the Cowboys’ Jake Ferguson, and Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft are on ESPN BET’s most popular anytime TD scorers.
