Bookmaker roundtable: Week’s biggest line moves, sharp bets
Jay Kornegay, head oddsmaker at Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook: In college, TCU opened at minus-9 vs. Texas Tech and now sits at minus-6.5. As far as the NFL, the Eagles opened as the favorite at minus-2.5 vs. the Jets. New York is now favored at minus-2.
Jason Simbal, vice president of race and sports, CG Technology: In college, Auburn opened minus-3.5 vs. Mississippi State and the line has moved two points toward the Bulldogs. In the NFL we kept the Saints vs. Panthers game available for wagering all week despite the injury questions about Drew Brees. That game opened at Panthers minus-3 and then moved to minus-10 after the Brees news. The adjustment proved to be too high and the line moved all the way down to minus-6 at one point.
Jay Rood, vice president of operations at MGM race and sports book: Rutgers is getting all the early action from the sharps so far and the outlook is too bleak to get much offsetting action on Kansas.
Kornegay: The biggest public action in college has been Texas A&M vs. Arkansas, where the Aggies are being bet on at a 3:1 ratio. TCU vs. Texas Tech is also seeing three times the money on the Horned Frogs. The following NFL games have seen the most public action: Steelers vs. Rams, Falcons vs. Cowboys, Bears vs. Seahawks and Chiefs vs. Packers.
Simbal: The public is on the Falcons. With no Dez Bryant or Tony Romo, they are fading the Cowboys. The public is also backing the Broncos, coming off a nationally televised win, vs. an 0-2 Lions team with a banged-up quarterback.
Rood: The Steelers are drawing the most public action at this point, and we have had the sharps on the Rams, so it looks to be a game in which we need to handle carefully to not get in a spot to get middle or sided.
Kornegay: Arizona plus-3.5 vs. UCLA has seen the most sharp action for Saturday. In the NFL it has been Bills plus-3 vs. Dolphins and Chiefs plus-7 vs. Packers.
Simbal: In college, Washington getting 3 points at home vs. Cal. Based on the action from the last two weeks, these customers see the Huskies as undervalued. On the professional side, it’s been Buffalo taking 3 points against the Dolphins.
Rood: The two sides the sharps are playing this week are Rutgers and the Rams. Virginia Tech looks to be a strong steam play by the sharps as well.
Simbal: Based on their performances through two weeks, the Eagles went from 12-1 to 25-1, the Colts went from 8-1 and 15-1, and the Ravens went from 25-1 to 50-1. The Falcons improved from 50-1 to 25-1. The Cowboys went from 10-1 to 18-1 based on the Romo injury. In college, Alabama went from 6.5-1 to 20-1 and Ole Miss went from 25-1 to 8-1.
Rood: Saints up to 75-1.