Tag: New England Patriots

Super Bowl Betting: Odds Drift Out on New England Patriots

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest betting events in the calendar and huge sums are already being wagered on it, with forecasts expecting it to be worth more than $5 billion to bookmakers. As the money flies in, the odds are shifting constantly as online betting sites like Sun Bets, Sky Bet, Bet365 and more react to the trends and cover their backs. With the big game rapidly approaching, it is worth examining which way the betting is going before placing your wager.

The majority of NFL fans seem to have decided that the value is on the Atlanta Falcons as the odds on the underdogs have drifted in. A week ago the Falcons were best priced at 7/5 with William Hill but those odds have now shortened to 13/10 as the money has gone on Atlanta. That means you can now typically find better odds on the favourites, the New England Patriots. A week ago they were 20/31 at Bet365 and Ladbrokes but they have now gone out to 4/6. It might not sound a huge difference, as it is going from 1.65 to 1.67 when we render it in a digital odds format, but that 0.02 increase can count for a lot when you consider some of the sums being wagered on this game. The Patriots have been dominant this season and over the past decade with the Bill Bellichick-Tom Brady axis leading them to glory time and time again, and that 4/6 offers fantastic value. But the Falcons are the hottest team in the league right now thanks to an offence that is firing on all cylinders, so it is easy to see why people are backing them and causing the odds to fall.

There is a lot more value to be had on the Patriots when you move into the spread betting market and fans have responded in their droves. Las Vegas has set the spread at Patriots -3 and NFL enthusiasts are lumping on the Pats to cover it. The odds on the Patriots with the spread have plummeted at most bookmakers, but Paddy Power is still offering a generous 21/20, so that looks a great option if you think they can do it. It promises to be a tight game and the Pats should shade it thanks to their superb defence, but New England -3 looks a bit risky. If you’re feeling more cautious, Bet365 has 5/7 on New England -2. Or if you’re feeling supremely confident in New England you can get huge odds of 7/4 on the Patriots -5.5 at Paddy Power. If, on the other hand, you think the Falcons might sneak a win but you are worried they could also fall to a narrow defeat, you can get 10/11 with Sky Bet on Atlanta +3 or 5/8 on Atlanta +5.5 at Bet365.

The other main markets and the wonderful, dizzying array of prop bets are pretty much stagnant at present and are unlikely to shift much if at all in the run-up to the Super Bowl as the serious money goes on the spread and the outrights, while these are more fun novelty options.

Top picks

New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl at 4/6 with Bet365 and Ladbrokes

Atlanta Falcons +5.5 with Bet365

Under 58.5 points in total at 10/11 with Sky Bet, Ladbrokes and various others

Julio Jones to score first touchdown at 8/1 with William Hill, Ladbrokes and various others

Tom Brady to be named Super Bowl MVP at 10/11 with Paddy Power

LeGarette Blount to gain the most rushing yards at 5/4 with Boylesports

No missed extra point at 2/7 with Betfred

No defensive touchdown scored at 4/6 with Bet365

New England Patriots can cover largest point spread in history

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

With just two games to go, it is still all to play for in the AFC as just two of the six playoff places are currently filled, so there is plenty to look forward to in week 16. The Steelers and the Ravens are fighting it out in the AFC North, while the Texans and the Titans are neck and neck in the AFC South. The Patriots have run away with the AFC East, but the Dolphins are in with a great shout of earning a wildcard. The Oakland Raiders have qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2002 after beating the Chargers last weekend, but they are still not guaranteed to win their division as the Chiefs are still breathing down their necks. It promises to be another spectacular weekend, full of twists and turns as these teams go for broke.

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills

Miami is 9-5 and hoping for a wildcard spot, but face a tough challenge when they travel to Buffalo, who are 7-7 and have only the slimmest chance of making the playoffs. Still, the Bills are better at rushing, point scoring and red zone performance than the Dolphins and are likely to derail their wildcard bid this weekend. They are odds-on favourites to win this but you can get evens with Sky Bet on them covering a -3.5 spread.

New York Jets at New England Patriots

The Pats are on a five-game winning streak, have the best record in the league and have been installed as 11/5 favourites to win the Super Bowl with 888 Sport. They host a Jets team that is down and out, with a 4-10 record leaving them bottom of the division. It should prove a complete mismatch, and as such, the best price you can get on the Patriots is 1/14 with Ladbrokes. Bookmakers are offering the largest point spread in history on the Pats, -16.5, and you can get 10/11 on that with Bet365, William Hill and various others. They have been outscoring the Jets by nine points on average this season, so there is a gap to make up, but their offence and defence are on fire at the moment, and the Jets are expected to roll over, so that actually looks a good bet.

Indianapolis Colts at Oakland Raiders

The Raiders are going to the playoffs, but they still need to keep winning to ensure a favourable schedule. The Colts are 7-7 and have a tiny chance of making it, but the Raiders should crush those hopes in front of their jubilant home fans. Back the Raiders to cover a -3.5 spread at 10/11 with William Hill, Bet Victor and Bet365.

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs

This is a huge game for both teams. The Chiefs have a chance of beating Oakland as division winners so will be going all out while reigning Super Bowl champions the Broncos will be out of the playoff picture if they lose. The Chiefs have been the better team this season, however, and should cover a -3.5 spread at evens with Bet365.

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers can clinch the NFC North by beating Baltimore in the big Christmas Day game. The Steelers have been better at passing and rushing than the Ravens over the course of the season and come into this match on a five-game winning streak that has seen them emerge as dark horses for the conference. They should make it six in a row here, and the 10/11 Boylesports has on them covering a -4.5 spread looks good.

Superbowl XLIX Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots clash in Superbowl XLIX in Phoenix on Sunday with most pundits forecasting a very tight match.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks closed out the regular season with four straight victories but had to produce a remarkable late rally to overcome Green Bay Packers. The Seahawks’ passing game was exposed for almost an hour by the Packers and that will not have gone unnoticed by New England. Their late fight-back to stun Green Bay was sealed with Jermaine Kearse scoring a thrilling overtime touchdown strike.

Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson rescued Seattle. The Patriots will focus on stopping Wilson from making the big plays and stop the marauding runs of Lynch. No quarterback has a higher percentage under pressure than Wilson and how New England deal with him is likely to be the key to the match.

Seahawks’ Pete Carroll will become only the seventh coach in history to lead his side to back-to-back Superbowl victories if they are successful on Sunday. His rival Belichick already has three Superbowl wins as head coach and two as an assistant, his most recent being in 2004. His tactical genius is certain to come into play in such a tight match as this.

New England Patriots

New England quarterback Tom Brady will be making his sixth appearance in a Super Bowl and is seeking record-equalling fourth victory. That would put him alongside Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.

The Patriots have one of the most efficient offenses in the league with Tom Brady running the show. They are always prepared to adapt to whatever the opposition throws at them. The stats for the past three years reveal that only the 49ers have allowed fewer yards after initial contact on a per-carry basis.

The total points market was trading at 48 earlier in the week and it is very tempting to go short with two such evenly-matched teams. The touchdown market could hold some value in supporting James Develin at 12/1. He is as short as 5-1 elsewhere so that 12-1 may not last long.

New England were the last team to successfully defend the Superbowl in 2005 and are aiming to prevent the Seahawks from replicating that achievement. They could just have the experience to withstand another late surge from the Seahawks and cling on for a nail-biting victory.

Tips

Patriots to win by 1-6 @7-2 Bet365

James Develin touchdown at any time @12-1 BetVictor

Total points under 47.5 @10-11 William Hill