The NFL Playoffs Are Set
By Mike Harrison/ SPORTSBETTING.COM
The 2008 NFL regular season is in the books and the playoffs start in a few days. It looks like bettors finished off the NFL regular season with a pretty profitable Sunday, as many results hit for the players.
The promise of drama and intense matchups heading into the weekend didn?t unfold the way many hoped, including the NFL and the networks. Thanks to the flex schedule, the afternoon matchups were stacked with significant playoff implications, as well as the Sunday nighter between the Chargers and Broncos.
The buildup to that Sunday night marquee matchup turned out to be much better than the actual show. With the AFC West title on the line and a trip to the playoffs for the winner, San Diego steamrolled Denver.
Besides the playoff spot, there was added incentive for QB Philip Rivers and the Chargers to win as Denver signal caller Jay Cutler was quoted earlier in the year saying that he disliked his San Diego counterpart.
?I'm just not that big of a fan of [Rivers],? Cutler said on ?The Best Damn Sports Show, Period? a few months back.
?I don't like how he carries himself.?
The Broncos? QB refused to retract his statements as this week?s game approached and Rivers and the Chargers, who were listed as 7.5-point home faves, gave Cutler and Denver more reason to hate in the 52-21 win.
Bettors cashed in nicely as SPORTSBETTING.com reported that 80% of the volume was on the home Chargers and they stated ?virtually everyone was on the ?Over? as well?. With a total set at 51.5, the Over hit easily, delivering a nice finish to Week 17 for the betting public.
- In the AFC East, it was a day full of potential and heartache for several clubs.
One year removed from a near perfect season, the New England Patriots had a solid season, finishing at 11-5 despite the fact that star QB Tom Brady went down in the first game of the year. The Pats punctuated the 2008 schedule with a 13-0 win over the Buffalo Bills as a 4.5-point road favorite, covering the number and staying well ?Under? the total?.again, both were good results for the betting public who liked the Patriots and the ?Under? in that matchup. Another payday for the bettor?but unfortunately not for New England, as 11-5 wasn?t enough for a playoff spot, as they missed the postseason altogether thanks to the Miami Dolphins.
Miami went into its final game of the season (in New York vs. the Jets) listed as 2.5-point road ?dogs and needed a win to take the AFC East title as well as the lone playoff berth in the division.
Brett Favre had a bad day, while ex-Jet Chad Pennington was consistent, leading his team to a 24-17 win and giving the Miami Dolphins a playoff spot and division title. This is a team that finished 15 games out of the division lead last year?incredible.
- Listed as a 10.5-point home favorite, the Baltimore Ravens had the same directive as others going into the final game of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars; win and we?re in!
And that is exactly what the Ravens did in a 27-7 victory over the Jags; the combined score of 34 was below the Total of 37.5.
Bettors lined their pockets in this one as well, as over 75% of all the betting volume on this matchup at several sportsbooks, including SPORTSBETTING.com (who reported 79%) was backing the Ravens?and they paid off for their backers, easily covering the big number.
- Another team that booked its ticket to the postseason on the final week of the regular season was Minnesota.
The Minnesota Vikings were playing a New York Giants team that already secured the top spot in the entire NFC and really didn?t have anything to play for.
Still, the game would come down to a last-minute 50-yard field goal by the Vikes? Ryan Longwell which enabled Minny to win 20-19 and clinch the NFC North title; bettors would be left out in the cold however, as the Vikings failed to cover at -7.
- And then we have the Dallas Cowboys??how ?bout them Cowboys??how about them indeed?it was an absolutely awful display by the team from Texas.
The Dallas Cowboys 2008 implosion was complete thanks to a big road loss in Philadelphia.
Dallas, who came into the game as a 2.5-point underdog will sit out this year?s playoffs after a 44-6 loss in the City of Brotherly Love.
The two teams went Over the Total which was set at 41.
- One final note, the Detroit Lions, much to the joy of Jim Rome, ran the table and finished the regular season 0-16, although they did grab an ATS win, covering as 11-point underdogs in a 31-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Detroit is the first team to finish a season 0-16 (the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 0-14). SPORTSBETTING.com has a prop play available that allowed bettors to wager on whether the Lions would go winless this season?congrats to all those who bet that they would end up 0-16 on the year, as you all cashed tickets.
In talking with the SPORTSBETTING.com crew, they said this was a popular prop betting option with their players, attracting quite a bit of attention?and yes, most were betting on a winless season.
Let?s get ready for the Wild-Card round this weekend and all the big bowl matchups get started this week.
Enjoy all the action.
By Mike Harrison/ SPORTSBETTING.COM
The 2008 NFL regular season is in the books and the playoffs start in a few days. It looks like bettors finished off the NFL regular season with a pretty profitable Sunday, as many results hit for the players.
The promise of drama and intense matchups heading into the weekend didn?t unfold the way many hoped, including the NFL and the networks. Thanks to the flex schedule, the afternoon matchups were stacked with significant playoff implications, as well as the Sunday nighter between the Chargers and Broncos.
The buildup to that Sunday night marquee matchup turned out to be much better than the actual show. With the AFC West title on the line and a trip to the playoffs for the winner, San Diego steamrolled Denver.
Besides the playoff spot, there was added incentive for QB Philip Rivers and the Chargers to win as Denver signal caller Jay Cutler was quoted earlier in the year saying that he disliked his San Diego counterpart.
?I'm just not that big of a fan of [Rivers],? Cutler said on ?The Best Damn Sports Show, Period? a few months back.
?I don't like how he carries himself.?
The Broncos? QB refused to retract his statements as this week?s game approached and Rivers and the Chargers, who were listed as 7.5-point home faves, gave Cutler and Denver more reason to hate in the 52-21 win.
Bettors cashed in nicely as SPORTSBETTING.com reported that 80% of the volume was on the home Chargers and they stated ?virtually everyone was on the ?Over? as well?. With a total set at 51.5, the Over hit easily, delivering a nice finish to Week 17 for the betting public.
- In the AFC East, it was a day full of potential and heartache for several clubs.
One year removed from a near perfect season, the New England Patriots had a solid season, finishing at 11-5 despite the fact that star QB Tom Brady went down in the first game of the year. The Pats punctuated the 2008 schedule with a 13-0 win over the Buffalo Bills as a 4.5-point road favorite, covering the number and staying well ?Under? the total?.again, both were good results for the betting public who liked the Patriots and the ?Under? in that matchup. Another payday for the bettor?but unfortunately not for New England, as 11-5 wasn?t enough for a playoff spot, as they missed the postseason altogether thanks to the Miami Dolphins.
Miami went into its final game of the season (in New York vs. the Jets) listed as 2.5-point road ?dogs and needed a win to take the AFC East title as well as the lone playoff berth in the division.
Brett Favre had a bad day, while ex-Jet Chad Pennington was consistent, leading his team to a 24-17 win and giving the Miami Dolphins a playoff spot and division title. This is a team that finished 15 games out of the division lead last year?incredible.
- Listed as a 10.5-point home favorite, the Baltimore Ravens had the same directive as others going into the final game of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars; win and we?re in!
And that is exactly what the Ravens did in a 27-7 victory over the Jags; the combined score of 34 was below the Total of 37.5.
Bettors lined their pockets in this one as well, as over 75% of all the betting volume on this matchup at several sportsbooks, including SPORTSBETTING.com (who reported 79%) was backing the Ravens?and they paid off for their backers, easily covering the big number.
- Another team that booked its ticket to the postseason on the final week of the regular season was Minnesota.
The Minnesota Vikings were playing a New York Giants team that already secured the top spot in the entire NFC and really didn?t have anything to play for.
Still, the game would come down to a last-minute 50-yard field goal by the Vikes? Ryan Longwell which enabled Minny to win 20-19 and clinch the NFC North title; bettors would be left out in the cold however, as the Vikings failed to cover at -7.
- And then we have the Dallas Cowboys??how ?bout them Cowboys??how about them indeed?it was an absolutely awful display by the team from Texas.
The Dallas Cowboys 2008 implosion was complete thanks to a big road loss in Philadelphia.
Dallas, who came into the game as a 2.5-point underdog will sit out this year?s playoffs after a 44-6 loss in the City of Brotherly Love.
The two teams went Over the Total which was set at 41.
- One final note, the Detroit Lions, much to the joy of Jim Rome, ran the table and finished the regular season 0-16, although they did grab an ATS win, covering as 11-point underdogs in a 31-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Detroit is the first team to finish a season 0-16 (the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 0-14). SPORTSBETTING.com has a prop play available that allowed bettors to wager on whether the Lions would go winless this season?congrats to all those who bet that they would end up 0-16 on the year, as you all cashed tickets.
In talking with the SPORTSBETTING.com crew, they said this was a popular prop betting option with their players, attracting quite a bit of attention?and yes, most were betting on a winless season.
Let?s get ready for the Wild-Card round this weekend and all the big bowl matchups get started this week.
Enjoy all the action.
