The college football world was expecting a March Madness type of feel for the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, with upsets galore. Instead, the four first-round matches underwhelmed, supplying plenty of time for vacation shopping. Favorites went an ideal 4-0 versus the spread, consisting of three fairly non-competitive by underdogs Indiana, SMU and Tennessee. Sportsbooks and the public don't seem to think so. A minimum of in 2 cases.
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Both Penn State-Boise State and Texas-Arizona State feature double-digit spreads preferring the lower-seeded Nittany Lions and Longhorns. And the latter has been a particularly popular pick with the general public. The Longhorns -12.5 is the most-bet side at BetMGM nationally in regards to total dollars as of Monday afternoon.
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"All the cash is can be found in on Texas," Seamus Magee, a BetMGM trader, composed in a text to The Athletic. "We require Arizona State to cover +13.5."
The interest for the Longhorns encompasses the futures market too. Bear in mind 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 most significant underdog amongst the College Football quarterfinal matchups - is getting the most love from sharp wagerers. The Athletic spoke to a number of bookies 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.
John Murray, the executive director at The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, told us he got a wager on Arizona State +13.5 from a "very respected player."
Even though highly regarded money has actually come in on Arizona State to cover, sportsbooks will likely require the Sun Devils to do just that, as public bettors are stacking on Texas.
"We would enjoy 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 video game will be huge for the books, it isn't the only game in the area. We talked with several bookmakers to break down where the wagering action is on the other three College Football quarterfinal matchups. 6 Penn State (-11, 53) at No. 3 Boise State
This video game opened Penn State -10.5 at a lot of sportsbooks and has actually approached somewhat to a consensus of -11. sports betting on the spread is fairly 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 just 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 terms of 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 amazed if this line approaches a little bit more before kickoff, but I currently welcome any Boise State cash."
Ohio State got the Oregon 2nd opportunity it desired. Are the Buckeyes ready for revenge?
No. 8 Ohio State (-2.5, 55.5) vs. No. 1 Oregon
Perhaps most unexpected to the public is that No. 1 seed Oregon is an underdog versus No. 8 Ohio State. These teams met 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 spoke to 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 pointed out that Ohio State playing up to its power ranking in its dominant first-round win over Tennessee also shaped his opening line.
Ohio State opened as a 1- or 1.5-point preferred (depending on the sportsbook) in this game before reputable money pressed it to the present line of -2.5. A a little greater majority of wagers at a number of sportsbooks, roughly 60%, are on the Ducks to cover, while close to 60% of the cash has come in on the Buckeyes. This will likely be the highest-handle video game of the 4 come kickoff.
"We did take some highly regarded money at -1.5, quickly went to -2.5 where it's stayed," Gable said. "It's good two-way action at that number today. The total has increased three points from 52.5 to 55.5, which has been the biggest move of any of the overalls. 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 accommodates sharp wagerers, told The Athletic that "Ohio State opened as a 1-point preferred, and instantly our Ohio wagerers thought we were too low. Our opening cost of Ohio State -1 has been increased to -2.5 and the overall from 52 to 55."
He did note, though, that the book had actually seen considerable buyback at the existing line of Ohio State -2.5 and that 52% of the total dollars at his book were taking the points with the Ducks.
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No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia (-1, 45)
The favorite flipped in this video 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? Simply put, the wagering action.
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Although Georgia's starting QB Carson Beck is out for the season and has been replaced by relative unidentified 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 bet), and it has actually been "one-way traffic on Georgia," according to Magee. Nearly 70% of bets are on the Bulldogs at numerous sportsbooks.
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College Football Playoff Betting Action Report: 'All the Money is Being Available In On Texas'
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