CFB, NFL Weekend Betting Recap: ‘It Was A Great Day For Underdog Backers’

The NFL undoubtedly drives the American sports betting bus, but after an outlandish weekend on campus, people are still buzzing about college football Week 7 odds. No. 1 Georgia lost at home as a huge favorite. No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 7 Texas were also laying double digits and tumbled. And No. 6 Alabama was an upset victim, as well. “A lot of parlays died with Auburn, Tennessee, Florida and BYU all winning outright,” BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. Oddsmakers from Las Vegas and across the country chimed in to recap the weekend that was in NFL and college football betting. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Saturday’s carnage started in Austin, where Texas was a 13.5-point favorite vs. Florida, which was coming off two blowout losses. And the Longhorns put the Gators into a 17-3 hole just a few minutes into the second quarter. But Florida scored the next 24 points and held off Texas 27-24. That was followed by No. 14 Tennessee — a 7.5-point home underdog — never trailing while pushing Alabama around in a 26-10 upset. Georgia was a 19.5-point home favorite vs. Auburn and darted to a 14-0 lead barely seven minutes into the game. But the Tigers ran off the next 24 points and won 27-24 on a final-second field goal. Minutes later across the country, 10.5-point home underdog BYU — ranked No. 8 — held off Notre Dame 28-24, albeit not without controversy. It appeared pass interference could’ve been called on the Irish’s final play, a first-and-goal pass. And even if not, it looked as if there should’ve been one second left, time for another play. The last two upsets proved the biggest for BetMGM. “It was a good day for the book, and, interestingly, a great day for our live betting,” Magee said. “Auburn and BYU specifically were huge on the in-play side. It was one-way traffic on the Irish and Georgia, especially when both got behind.” Tom Gable, sportsbook director at Borgata Sports in Atlantic City, echoed Magee’s sentiments. “It was a great day if you were an underdog backer,” Gable said. “The best result of the day for us was BYU. Georgia going down was good, but not quite as good as the Irish.” Magee and Joey Feazel, head of football trading for Caesars Sports, both noted that the public betting masses did well with Ohio State beating Indiana 19-15 to cover as a 2.5-point road favorite, in the FOX Big Noon Kickoff. But the public took a bath from there. “Tennessee, Auburn and BYU were big decisions, with BYU surprisingly the biggest decision of the day for the book,” Feazel said. Also worth noting: No. 4 Miami was a hefty 20.5-point home favorite vs. Florida State and barely escaped with a 43-35 double-overtime victory. Unfortunately, Sunday wasn’t much better for the public masses. Big upsets tend to put a dent in the public’s bankroll, and NFL Week 7 odds featured the biggest underdog winner of the season. The Cardinals were 12.5-point road ‘dogs vs. the Rams and somehow made six field goals stand up to pull the upset. Chad Ryland made the last of his six kicks as time expired, giving Arizona an improbable 18-16 victory. “Unfortunately, it was a tough day for bettors,” BetMGM trading manager Adair Horne said. “There were some big upsets, led by the Cardinals, and the Titans beating the Colts.” Tennessee was a 6.5-point underdog at Indianapolis and got its first victory of the season, 26-20. But Horne said the bigger result came Sunday night, with the public backing the 1-point road favorite Cowboys vs. the Packers. Green Bay notched a 23-13 victory. Another key result: The Browns (+3) beating the shorthanded Ravens 13-10 on a final-second field goal. “The Browns’ upset was the book’s bright spot,” Caesars’ Feazel said. “The book is the Browns’ No. 1 supporter every week, and they barked at exactly the right time. Without that result, bettors would have enjoyed a big [early slate] on moneyline parlays and Overs.” Indeed, between the Texans-Jags early game in London and the 1 p.m. ET kickoffs, the Over went 6-2. Along with modest success betting the Over in the early games, the masses also found their way to the pay window on a big comeback. The Steelers erased a 16-3 fourth-quarter deficit to tie the Bucs at 19 and force overtime. Pittsburgh then won 26-19 as a 2.5-point road favorite. “The Steelers’ comeback in OT, covering the spread, was the biggest win for the bettors in the [early] slate of games, turning what looked like a stone-cold Under for the book into another Over in favor of the bettors,” Feazel said, alluding to a total that closed at a tidy 37.5. Added Horne: “The best result for bettors was the Steelers, who were lucky to cover. And that was pretty much it.”