bit.ly
The college football world was wishing for a March Madness kind of feel for the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, with upsets galore. Instead, the four first-round matchups underwhelmed, supplying a lot of time for vacation shopping. Favorites went a perfect 4-0 versus the spread, including 3 fairly non-competitive by underdogs Indiana, SMU and Tennessee. Sportsbooks and the general public don't appear to believe so. At least in two cases.
Both Penn State-Boise State and Texas-Arizona State feature double-digit spreads favoring the lower-seeded Nittany Lions and Longhorns. And the latter has actually been a specifically popular choice with the public. The Longhorns -12.5 is the most-bet side at BetMGM nationally in terms of total dollars since Monday afternoon.
bet9ja.com
"All the money is can be found in on Texas," Seamus Magee, a BetMGM trader, wrote in a text to The Athletic. "We require Arizona State to cover +13.5."
The enthusiasm for the Longhorns reaches the futures market as well. Remember that huge $1.5 million wager on Texas to win it all at +390 chances? The ticket is still out there at Caesars Sportsbook.
Interestingly, the Longhorns' opponent, Arizona State - the greatest underdog among the College Football quarterfinal matches - is getting the most like from sharp wagerers. The Athletic talked with several bookmakers who had taken sharp action on No. 4 Arizona State - which had gotten as high as a 14-point underdog at some books versus No. 5 Texas - to press the line to -12.5 or -12.
bet9ja.com
John Murray, the executive director at The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, told us he received a wager on Arizona State +13.5 from a "very highly regarded gamer."
Despite the fact that respected cash has actually can be found in on Arizona State to cover, sportsbooks will likely require the Sun Devils to do just that, as public gamblers are overdoing Texas.
bet9ja.com
"We would like to see ASU cover, and after that Texas win the video game, so we get our Arizona State liability off the futures book," Magee included.
While the Texas game will be huge for the books, it isn't the only video game in town. We talked with numerous bookies to break down where the sports betting action is on the other 3 College Football quarterfinal matchups. 6 Penn State (-11, 53) at No. 3 Boise State
This video game opened Penn State -10.5 at many sportsbooks and has approached slightly to a consensus of -11. sports betting on the spread is fairly divided at most sportsbooks. The overall dollars wagered varies by book, as 52% of bets and 79% of the cash at BetMGM nationally are on Boise State -11, while 56% of bets however only 42% of the cash at DraftKings is on Boise State -11.5. Penn State to cover is presently the 2nd most popular CFP wager in regards to total tickets at BetMGM books.
"We opened Penn State -10.5 and are resting on Penn State -11," Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata in Atlantic City, told The Athletic. "I would not be shocked if this line sneaks up a bit more before kickoff, however I currently welcome any Boise State cash."
Ohio State got the Oregon second possibility it desired. Are the Buckeyes ready for vengeance?
No. 8 Ohio State (-2.5, 55.5) vs. No. 1 Oregon
Perhaps most surprising to the general public is that No. 1 seed Oregon is an underdog versus No. 8 Ohio State. These teams satisfied back on Oct. 7 in Eugene, and Oregon won 32-31 as a 3.5-point home dog.
bit.ly
So why is OSU favored?
Several oddsmakers The Athletic consulted with before the CFP preliminary had Ohio State atop their power ratings, and the lookahead lines for this theoretical match were Ohio State -1 or -1.5. One oddsmaker mentioned that Ohio State playing up to its power score in its dominant first-round win over Tennessee also formed his opening line.
Ohio State opened as a 1- or 1.5-point preferred (depending on the sportsbook) in this video game before highly regarded cash pressed it to the existing line of -2.5. A a little higher bulk of wagers at numerous sportsbooks, roughly 60%, are on the Ducks to cover, while close to 60% of the cash has been available in on the Buckeyes. This will likely be the highest-handle video game of the four come kickoff.
"We did take some reputable money at -1.5, quickly went to -2.5 where it's stayed," Gable stated. "It's decent two-way action at that number right now. The overall has gone up three points from 52.5 to 55.5, which has actually been the greatest relocation of any of the overalls. Money has actually all been on the over so far.
Joe Brennan, the CEO of Prime sports betting, a sportsbook in Ohio and New Jersey that caters to sharp wagerers, informed The Athletic that "Ohio State opened as a 1-point preferred, and right away our Ohio gamblers thought we were too low. Our opening price of Ohio State -1 has actually been increased to -2.5 and the overall from 52 to 55."
He did note, however, that the book had seen significant buyback at the existing line of Ohio State -2.5 and that 52% of the overall dollars at his book were taking the points with the Ducks.
GO DEEPER
The most likely upsets for the College Football Playoff's 2nd round
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia (-1, 45)
The preferred flipped in this game, as Notre Dame opened a 1.5-point favorite and is currently a 1- or 1.5-point underdog at sportsbooks.
What triggered the line flip? Basically, the wagering action.
Even though Georgia's beginning QB Carson Beck is out for the season and has actually been changed by relative unknown Gunner Stockton, wagerers are gravitating towards the Bulldogs.
Georgia to cover is the most popular against the spread wager at BetMGM books nationally in terms of ticket count (second-most popular by overall dollars bet), and it has actually been "one-way traffic on Georgia," according to Magee. Nearly 70% of bets are on the Bulldogs at multiple sportsbooks.
1
College Football Playoff Betting Action Report: 'All the Cash is Coming in On Texas'
addiemontero27 edited this page 2 weeks ago