Chalk gets the betting talk.
The favored Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, and San Francisco 49ers have obtained substantial early wagering love from DraftKings bettors for NFL Week 5.
The Dallas Cowboys are the darlings of the underdog bettors, while the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints carry the banner of Over wagering sentiment. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons headline the Under betting.
Here’s a closer look at who the DraftKings gamblers back.
The Dolphins, slated to start Teddy Bridgewater in place of the injured Tua Tagovailoa, nonetheless obtained 93% of the handle at -3 against the host New York Jets as of early Wednesday morning.
The Vikings, back from England where they survived a double-doink, would-be game-tying field goal on the final play against the New Orleans Saints, have 89% of the handle at -7 against the Chicago Bears.
The Niners, who squashed the Los Angeles Rams 24-9 Monday night, garnered 89% of the early handle at -6.5 against the host Carolina Panthers.
Bet NFL at DraftKings: Claim $1,250 in Bonuses
Lions vs. Patriots Betting Action
Just below that group, the New England Patriots have 78% of the handle at -3 against the visiting Detroit Lions in a perceived contrast of styles.
Whether the Patriots start Bailey Zappe or Brian Hoyer, they’ll likely look to pound the rock as they did in averaging more than five yards per rushing play last week.
It kept them in a game they eventually lost to the Green Bay Packers, 27-24 in overtime. Patriots spread bettors romped, however, at +9 by game time and +10.5 earlier in the week.
Over bettors also love the Lions-Patriots, via 75% handle at 46.5 points. And they expect fireworks from the Lions’ freewheeling offense.
Detroit has been an Over bettor’s dream.
The Lions lead the NFL in points scored, 140. They also lead the league in most points allowed, 141. An explosive offense and a porous defense? Jackpot.
Also read: NFL Week 5 Betting Tips
NFL Week 5 Totals
The top Over selection this week is the 94% handle for the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints to go above 46 points. They come out of games that produced a combined 146 points (73 average).
Tampa Bay and Atlanta, who both have the capacity to light it up, were nonetheless the lone prominent Under. They came in at 65% at Under 48 on Wednesday.
Rush to the Betting Window?
The Cowboys are selected by 82% of the bettors to cover 4.5 points against the host Los Angeles Rams. They also hold the answer to a trivia question few might know outside of Texas.
Who are the only two undefeated starting quarterbacks this year?
One is Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles, 4-0.
The other is Cooper Rush, 3-0 as a Cowboy backup to Dak Prescott, who was injured in Week 1.
4-0 and Counting: Odds Eagles go Undefeated
Individual Wagering Highlights
DraftKings bettors used leverage, on all wagering levels, in Week 4.
The High Rollers
Most bettors were not interested in the -435 moneyline on the Green Bay Packers against the Patriots last week.
But big bettors found a way to get down on Green Bay, with odds in the neighborhood of -300 during the game. They were not afraid to throw six-figure leverage on in-game bets after the Packers fell behind 10-7 at halftime.
Johnny Avello, the director of race and sportsbook operations for DraftKings, told Gaming Today that several big in-game wagers were placed on the Packers, at odds most people would reject.
- One wager was $300,000 to win $100,000
- Another was $380,000 to win $120,000.
This is a strategy used in the extreme high-end of the betting market. And these had high risks as the Patriots nearly delivered an upset.
The Packers won with a field goal on the final play of overtime.
Also check: NFL Week 5 Odds
Smaller Investments
A few other bettors cashed in big at DraftKings, without a major outlay.
One gambler turned a $10 bet into a $15,552.65 payout by hitting on a 14-team parlay with the following legs:
- MIN Vikings Moneyline
- PHI Eagles -6.5
- SEA Seahawks +3.5
- ATL Falcons +1
- NY Giants -2.5
- DAL Cowboys -3
- TEN Titans +3.5
- NY Jets +3.5
- BAL Ravens +3 (Push)
- ARI Cardinals +1
- LV Raiders -3
- GB Packers Moneyline
- KC Chiefs +1
- LA Chargers -5.5
Considering the size of this wager, it was relatively stress free.
Key moments:
- The Eagles recovering from a 14-0 deficit, which really meant a 20.5-point hole on this wager.
- The Packers surviving against the Patriots
A $25 Same Game Parlay paid 0ut $32,535 at +100000 odds with a 30% profit boost for the Chiefs vs. Bucs game.
- Travis Kelce – Anytime Touchdown Scorer
- Jody Fortson – Anytime Touchdown Scorer
- Noah Gray – Anytime Touchdown Scorer
- Leonard Fournette – Anytime Touchdown Scorer
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire – Anytime Touchdown Scorer
Key Moment:
- The genius element. Noah Gray had one carry, just one. And he got in. What a call. Even with that stab, the bettor needed Fournette to score the last touchdown of the game, which he did.
Another bettor was happy with all the points in the Lions vs. Seahawks game, as it turned a $5.56 bet into a $5,565.56 payout. Here are the winning legs
- Rashaad Penny Anytime TD
- T.J. Hockenson Anytime TD
- Jamaal Williams Anytime TD
- Will Dissly Anytime TD
- T.J. Hockenson Over 64.5 Receiving Yards
- Josh Reynolds Over 79.5 Receiving Yards
- Rashaad Penny Over 64.5 Rushing Yards
- SEA Seahawks Moneyline
New York State of Mind
This bettor certainly thinks New York quarterbacks are back with this $2 parlay that became a $744 payout:
- Zach Wilson First Touchdown Scorer (+3000)
- Daniel Jones First Touchdown Scorer (+1100)
You Don’t Even Need a Dollar
One bettor was able to turn a $0.50 parlay on Anytime TD Scorers into a $1,779.17 payout. Here were the players who scored to win this parlay:
- Justin Jefferson
- Jalen Hurt
- Robert Woods
- Isaiah McKenzie
- CeeDee Lamb
- Kyler Murray
- Jerry Jeudy
Play a SGP of your own: Best Apps to Bet NFL Parlays
Biggest MVP Movers
Jalen Hurts. Hurts’ odds were as high as +4500 during the preseason, but have improved to +550 after the Eagles’ stellar start.
Tom Brady. Brady was +850 to start the season, but his odds have worsened to +4000 after the Bucs have been scuffling.
Look down the list: NFL MVP odds
PointsBet Gamblers Cash in On Bucs-Chiefs.
Although it reported no monster bets, PointsBet said its big prop-bet players went to the bank on Sunday night.
- Travis Kelce, at +100, obtained 26.3% of the handle.
- Fournette, at -125, gained 24.2 of the handle.
- Mike Evans, +145, took 17.6% of the money.
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire, at +17 5, was good for 8.2% of the handle.
All of them scored.
Compelling Storylines for Week 5
Betting Line: Packers -8.5 vs Giants, in London (10:30 a.m. ET)
Behind the Line: History
It’s only natural for the NFL to export its brand by showcasing two classic franchises.
This rivalry is prominent on two levels, with each team reaching some of its highest achievements at the expense of the other.
More recent: The Giants knocked two highly-favored Packers teams out of the playoffs at frigid Lambeau Field in 2008 and 2012. The G-Men even beat the Packers in one of the coldest games in NFL playoff history, as the 2008 game temperature was -1 at kickoff.
The playoff wins came against Packer legends Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, one as Rodgers was winning the first of his four MVP awards. The Giants parlayed both triumphs into Super Bowl championship victories over the New England Patriots.
From the past: Brooklyn, N.Y. native Vince Lombardi was a Giants assistant coach passed over for the head job in the late 1950’s. The Giants didn’t object to the downtrodden Packers making him their head coach, but they tried to get him back after Lombardi enjoyed early success. The Packers wouldn’t let them.
These days, that would result in a lawsuit. Back then, it was a gentlemen’s disagreement between the owners.
Lombardi’s first two championship victories for the Packers came against the Giants. He added a third league title, the first two Super Bowl triumphs, and had his name inscribed on the Super Bowl trophy. Five championships in one decade, the 1960’s.
New Yorkers bemoaned the one that got away.
Although the Packers and Giants rarely meet, the two classic franchises are intertwined.
Betting Line: Baltimore Ravens-3 vs Cincinnati Bengals
Behind the Lines: Unrest for AFC North co-leaders.
These 2-2 teams have a lot riding on this contest, which could go a long way in determining the division championship.
Both have under-achieved for different reasons. Which team can reverse the pattern?
Ravens:
— They squandered a 21-point fourth-quarter lead to the Miami Dolphins and 17-point second-quarter advantage to the Buffalo Bills, and lost both games. They are 0-2 at home.
— Two decisions to decide against field-goal attempts have loomed large in the defeats. The Ravens were stuffed on 4th and goal from inside the 1 against the Dolphins. Last week, they drove from their own 5 to the Buffalo 1 and had 2nd-and-goal from the 1 in a 20-20 tie late in the game. They were stopped on second and third down.
— Coach John Harbaugh eschewed the field goal and opted for a fourth-down pass. The Bills picked Lamar Jackson in the end zone. Then they drove to the game-winning field goal. The Ravens players were visibly upset by that decision.
— Joe Burrow lit them up for a career-high 525 yards in their last meeting. The Bengals pummeled the Ravens 41-21 and 41-17 last season.
— The Ravens lost their last six games last year, including two to the Pittsburgh Steelers, one in overtime in the final week.
The Ravens could be 4-0 this year, but are 2-2. Are they angry now?
Bengals:
— They have slogged to a 2-2 mark. A team with explosive weapons has yet to crack 30 points. Ja’Marr Chase has not been extraordinary like last year. Burrow has been, well, alright.
— The Bengals should have at least one more victory. The loss of a long snapper cost them a missed extra point, a missed short overtime field goal, and the win in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. A bungled coaching decision on an overtime punt that gave Pittsburgh 15 extra seconds to work with cost Cincinnati an imminent tie.
— Right now, that tie would put them atop the division, rather than deadlocked.
— This team embodies the Super Bowl Bridesmaid Hangover tag. But are they about to jump start?
— Subtle Transformation. The Bengals suffered 13 sacks in their first two games of the season, both losses. They yielded only three in the past two outings, both victories.
— If this team protects Burrow better, the Bengals may get untracked.
Which team will get its house in order?
That’s what we will find out.
NFL Week 5 Betting Lines
Here are current odds from US sportsbooks for Week 5 of the NFL season:
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