Coming off a strong week against the sportsbooks, NFL bettors see no reason to hop off the favorite train heading into Week 9.
Key Takeaways
- Lions, Colts, Patriots, and Cowboys are popular teams in Week 9.
- Tickets and handles are one-sided at both DraftKings and BetMGM.
- Denver is getting a lot of love as an underdog at Houston.
“Favorites are often popular and after going 11-2 ATS last week, bettors are backing the chalk once again in Week 9,” BetMGM trading manager Christian Cipollini said. “The sportsbook will be looking for a few underdogs to win outright on Sunday.”
It’s looking like a busy week for parlay and teaser bettors. There are currently five spreads of more than a field goal, including four over a touchdown, but every game is one-sided on the ticket-money splits at DraftKings and BetMGM.
Seven favorites at DraftKings are getting more than 80% of the money, including the Detroit Lions, New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, and Dallas Cowboys, getting over 90% of the handle in their respective markets.
Popularity contest
At BetMGM, four of the most-bet teams by spread are favorites, and there are no underdogs in the top five in handle. The Lions are the most-bet team by both tickets and money heading into their home game against the Minnesota Vikings. The surprisingly 7-1 Colts are coming in second in both categories as a road favorite at Pittsburgh.
The Patriots have become another popular public team over the last few weeks and, hosting a struggling Atlanta Falcons squad, it’s no surprise that New England is the third most-bet team at BetMGM, where the home favorite is getting 77% of the tickets and 79% of the money.
The Los Angeles Chargers are predictably one of the most popular teams by handle when they take on the terrible Tennessee Titans as a 9.5-point favorite. Per usual, the Cowboys are among the top five most-bet teams this week, but against an 2-5 Arizona squad on Monday night, Dallas is definitely getting hammered.
| Header 1 | DraftKings | BetMGM | ESPN BET |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings-Lions | DET 88% bets DET 94% handle |
DET 90% bets DET 94% handle |
DET 92% bets DET 95% handle |
| Chargers-Titans | LAC 87% bets LAC 87% handle |
LAC 81% bets LAC 70% handle |
LAC 82% bets LAC 60% handle |
| Colts-Steelers | IND 82% bets IND 91% handle |
IND 89% bets IND 94% handle |
IND 82% bets IND 71% handle |
| Falcons-Patriots | NE 81% bets NE 86% handle |
NE 77% bets NE 79% handle |
NE 80% bets NE 58% handle |
| Broncos-Texans | DEN 74% bets DEN 52% handle |
DEN 72% bets DEN 60% handle |
DEN 85% bets DEN 59% handle |
| Panthers-Packers | GB 62% bets GB 79% handle |
GB 57% bets GB 64% handle |
GB 77% bets GB 96% handle |
| 49ers-Giants | SF 81% bets SF 90% handle |
SF 80% bets SF 81% handle |
SF 84% bets SF 94% handle |
| Bears-Bengals | CHI 54% bets CHI 78% handle |
CHI 67% bets CHI 84% handle |
CIN 50% bets CHI 58% handle |
| Saints-Rams | LAR 79% bets LAR 80% handle |
LAR 80% bets LAR 88% handle |
LAR 89% bets LAR 96% handle |
| Jaguars-Raiders | JAX 83% bets JAX 76% handle |
JAX 75% bets JAX 65% handle |
JAX 81% bets JAX 58% handle |
| Chiefs-Bills | KC 52% bets KC 58% handle |
KC 53% bets KC 61% handle |
BUF 52% bets KC 85% handle |
| Seahawks-Commanders | SEA 74% bets SEA 85% handle |
SEA 71% bets SEA 59% handle |
SEA 86% bets SEA 78% handle |
| Cardinals-Cowboys | DAL 87% bets DAL 90% handle |
DAL 86% bets DAL 88% handle |
DAL 87% bets DAL 95% handle |
Taking the underdog
The Denver Broncos are the only underdog getting treated like one of those Week 9 favorites. At +1.5, Denver is among the five most-bet teams by tickets, getting 72%, and the most popular moneyline underdog at BetMGM with odds of +105.
The Bills are rarely not favored at home, but the Kansas City Chiefs are on a roll and have moved past Buffalo to be the Super Bowl favorite. Even though Kansas City is getting a slight majority of the bets and handle at three online sportsbooks, the Bills (+115) are the second most-bet moneyline underdog at BetMGM.
The Carolina Panthers face long odds (+700) at Green Bay, which is getting nearly 80% of the spread handle at DraftKings, but bettors are willing to take a shot on a massive upset. The Vikings (+360) and Cincinnati Bengals (+125), who are a slight home underdog to the Chicago Bears, are also worth a look from the public this week.
Totals and props
At BetMGM, the public’s top-five totals for Week 9 include Bears-Bengals over 51, Broncos-Texans over 40, Vikings-Lions over 48.5, Cardinals-Cowboys 53.5, and Colts-Steelers over 50.5.
Colts tight end Tyler Warren’s over 55.5 receiving yards is the most-bet player prop at BetMGM. Jahmyr Gibbs’ over 71.5 rushing yards is second, and the Lions running back is also second in the anytime touchdown market with odds of -200 in Lions vs. Vikings predictions.
Bettors also like Colts quarterback Daniel Jones to go over 251.5 passing yards, and for Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson to find the end zone with odds of +175.
