Books Pray for Sunday Miracle as Eagles, Patriots Getting Pounded

The New England Patriots continued to see 83% of the betting action as a -7 favorite in Oakland against the Raiders.  The Philadelphia Eagles continued to be the most wagered on side of the week with 87% of the public support on the -4.5 spread that favors the road team in Dallas.

“Yes we are nervous about taking a serious hit this weekend,” one bookie relayed to Gambling911.com Thursday.  “Obviously, we would like at least one of these games to come through for us, whether it be the Eagles or Pats. 

“Both winning, (now) that’s an early Christmas gift.  Both losing, we’re f***ed, at least as far as the weekend goes.  Then it’s all about bouncing back next weekend.”

Typically when the books move the line aggressively in favor of a team seeing heavy action, this tends to suggest a strong opinion that the other side should cover.

With the Eagles-Cowboys game, sharp books the likes of Pinnacle haven’t moved off the -3.5.  Other more recreational shops have moved to the -4 in an effort to get more action on the Cowboys.  Still, a handful of books have occasionally moved the line to -3, but for only brief periods of time.  888 Sports out of Europe have even moved the line to Philadelphia -2.5.

“If the books were that scared of a Philadelphia cover they’d be moving the line well beyond the 4,” remarked Don Shapiro of Gambling911.com. 

The Patriots-Raiders game is a dead giveaway as to the mindset of the books.

“Pinnacle and other immediately pushed the line from -5.5 New England to -7,” Shapiro observed.  “We’re not likely to see the number cross above 7.  The New England action has the books reacting and running scared.”

- Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com