bet9ja.com
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 4 first-round matchups underwhelmed, supplying a lot of time for vacation shopping. Favorites went an ideal 4-0 versus the spread, consisting of three relatively non-competitive performances by underdogs Indiana, SMU and Tennessee. Sportsbooks and the general public don't appear to think so. A minimum of in 2 cases.
Both Penn State-Boise State and Texas-Arizona State function double-digit spreads preferring the lower-seeded Nittany Lions and Longhorns. And the latter has been a specifically popular pick with the general 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 cash is can be found in on Texas," Seamus Magee, a BetMGM trader, composed in a text message to The Athletic. "We require Arizona State to cover +13.5."
The interest for the Longhorns reaches the futures market too. Remember that massive $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' challenger, Arizona State - the greatest underdog amongst the College Football quarterfinal matches - is getting the most love from sharp bettors. The Athletic talked to several bookmakers who had taken sharp action on No. 4 Arizona State - which had actually gotten as high as a 14-point underdog at some books versus No. 5 Texas - to push the line down to -12.5 or -12.
John Murray, the executive director at The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, informed us he got a wager on Arizona State +13.5 from a "very respected player."
Even though cash has can be found in on Arizona State to cover, sportsbooks will likely need the Sun Devils to do just that, as public bettors are overdoing Texas.
"We would love to see ASU cover, and after that Texas win the game, so we get our Arizona State liability off the futures book," Magee added.
While the Texas game will be substantial for the books, it isn't the only game in town. We talked with multiple bookies to break down where the wagering action is on the other three College Football quarterfinal matches. 6 Penn State (-11, 53) at No. 3 Boise State
This game opened Penn State -10.5 at a lot of sportsbooks and has crept up slightly to a consensus of -11. sports betting on the spread is relatively split at a lot of sportsbooks. The total dollars wagered differs by book, as 52% of bets and 79% of the cash at BetMGM nationally are on Boise State -11, while 56% of bets but only 42% of the cash at DraftKings is on Boise State -11.5. Penn State to cover is presently the second most popular CFP wager in regards to overall 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 wouldn't be surprised if this line creeps up a little bit more before kickoff, but I currently invite any Boise State cash."
Ohio State got the Oregon second possibility it wanted. Are the Buckeyes ready for revenge?
No. 8 Ohio State (-2.5, 55.5) vs. No. 1 Oregon
Perhaps most unexpected to the general public is that No. 1 seed Oregon is an underdog versus No. 8 Ohio State. These groups satisfied back on Oct. 7 in Eugene, and Oregon won 32-31 as a 3.5-point home pet.
So why is OSU preferred?
Several oddsmakers The Athletic talked with before the CFP preliminary had Ohio State atop their power scores, and the lookahead lines for this hypothetical matchup were Ohio State -1 or -1.5. One oddsmaker pointed out that Ohio State playing up to its power score in its dominant first-round win over Tennessee likewise formed his opening line.
Ohio State opened as a 1- or 1.5-point favorite (depending upon the sportsbook) in this game before respected money pressed it to the current line of -2.5. A somewhat greater majority of wagers at numerous sportsbooks, approximately 60%, are on the Ducks to cover, while close to 60% of the money 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 respected cash at -1.5, quickly went to -2.5 where it's remained," Gable said. "It's good two-way action at that number today. The total has gone up three points from 52.5 to 55.5, which has been the greatest relocation of any of the totals. Money has actually all been on the over up until now.
Joe Brennan, the CEO of Prime sports betting, a sportsbook in Ohio and New Jersey that deals with sharp bettors, informed The Athletic that "Ohio State opened as a 1-point preferred, and right away our Ohio gamblers believed we were too low. Our opening rate of Ohio State -1 has been increased to -2.5 and the total from 52 to 55."
He did note, though, that the book had actually seen significant buyback at the current line of Ohio State -2.5 which 52% of the total dollars at his book were taking the points with the Ducks.
GO DEEPER
The most likely upsets for the College Football Playoff's second round
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia (-1, 45)
The favorite flipped in this game, as Notre Dame opened a 1.5-point preferred and is currently a 1- or 1.5-point underdog at sportsbooks.
What caused the line flip? Put simply, the wagering action.
Although Georgia's starting QB Carson Beck is out for the season and has been replaced by relative unknown Gunner Stockton, wagerers are gravitating toward the Bulldogs.
Georgia to cover is the most popular versus the spread wager at BetMGM books nationally in terms of ticket count (second-most popular by overall dollars wagered), and it has been "one-way traffic on Georgia," according to Magee. Nearly 70% of bets are on the Bulldogs at numerous sportsbooks.
bet9ja.com
1
College Football Playoff Betting Action Report: 'All the Money is Can Be Found In On Texas'
Jeffrey Bounds edited this page 2025-01-17 07:46:37 +08:00