Looking to bounce back from their worst week of the season, Bookies Battle 2022 competitors have jumped on a line that’s clearly off, as 82.5% of the pool is on Broncos +2.5 (vs. Cardinals), the top consensus pick for NFL Week 15.
With Arizona QB Kyler Murray done of the season due to a torn ACL, Denver is a 3-point favorite on most NFL oddsboards Friday, marking 5.5 points of value for the selection.
At risk of stating the obvious, this is the type of pick that should not be followed blindly. Laying a field goal with the Broncos when our contestants are taking 2.5 points is not necessarily advisable.
A pair of home favorites are tied as the second most popular picks among our expert bookmakers this week. Panthers -2.5 (vs. Steelers) and Vikings -4 (vs. Colts) both garner 77.5% of participants’ sentiment, the former seeing an important half-point (or so) of current line value, the latter on the wrong side of the odds movement.
Two more favorites – Chargers -2.5 (vs. Titans) and Bengals -3.5 (at Bucs) — round out the top five.
Here’s how our players have weighed in on the entire 16-game slate:
NFL Week 15 Consensus Expert Picks, Bookies Battle 2022
| Pick | Contest line | Friday line | Opp. | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | +2.5 | -3 | vs Cardinals | 82.5% |
| Panthers | -2.5 | -3 even | vs Steelers | 77.5% |
| Vikings | -4 | -3.5 (-120) | vs Colts | 77.5% |
| Chargers | -2.5 | -3 (-105) | vs Titans | 72.5% |
| Bengals | -3.5 | -3.5 | at Bucs | 70.0% |
| Texans | +14 | +14 | vs Chiefs | 65.0% |
| Rams | +7 | +7 | at Packers | 65.0% |
| Ravens | +3 | +3 (-115) | at Browns | 62.5% |
| Lions | +1 | +1.5 | at Jets | 62.5% |
| Giants | +4.5 | +4.5 | at Commanders | 62.5% |
| Eagles | -8.5 | -9 | at Bears | 62.5% |
| 49ers | -3.5 | -3.5 | at Seahawks | 60.0% |
| Falcons | +4.5 | +4 | at Saints | 57.5% |
| Jaguars | +5 | +4 | vs Cowboys | 55.0% |
| Raiders | -1 | -1 | vs Patriots | 55.0% |
| Dolphins | +7.5 | +7 | at Bills | 55.0% |
Season Snapshot
Craig Steppach from Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Mississippi, continues to make his presence felt in this season’s Bookies Battle. Among three contestants who separated themselves from an unsightly 3-10 record last week, Craig had nine correct calls in Week 14 to take a two-game lead in the season standings. He’s 120-79-5 on the year, picking winners at a 60% clip.
The Cardinals vs. Broncos line jumped the fence after the season-ending injury to quarterback Kyler Murray (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Second-quarter mini-contest winner Kyle Wainscott (Rivers Casino – Des Plaines) is in second two games back, and first-quarter winner Casey Degnon (Westgate Las Vegas) and Robert Kowalski (Baldini’s Casino) are three games behind him.
You can check the full Bookies Battle standings here.
In the Bookmaker Spotlight
In his recent trip to Las Vegas, Gaming Today’s Kris Johnson sat down with Jeff Benson, Operations Manager at Circa Sports. Benson, never one to shy away from letting people know what’s on his mind, offers some real talk about the state of the sports betting industry.
“From an ethical standpoint, it’s really disgusting,” Benson says about the practice of limiting players many sportsbooks employ.
He also dishes on the long days and weeks he puts in at what’s become the premier betting shop in Vegas, the large wagers his team writes regularly on NFL action, and how the book is positioned as the centerpiece of the downtown property.
Check out the must-read Q&A right here.
In next week’s Bookmaker Spotlight, Gaming Today’s Travis Pulver catches up with the fantastically-named Socrates Cherry III, Manager of Race & Sports at Aliante Casino in Las Vegas and winner of our third-quarter mini-contest.
More Bookmaker Spotlight Q&As: Westgate’s Jeff Sherman | South Point’s Chris Andrews | BetMGM’s Jason Scott | Bally Bet’s Jay Rood | Station’s Jason McCormick | Golden Nugget’s Tony Miller | Baldini’s Robert Kowalski | Westgate’s Casey Degnon | Rivers’ Kyle Wainscott
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