NFL Week 17 hits Vegas with worst loss of season
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NFL Week 17 hits Vegas with worst loss of season
Parlays involving Joe Public's favorite teams do serious damage Sunday
LAS VEGAS -- Good things supposedly come to those who wait, but after 16 NFL Sundays this season, bettors were about to stick a fork in that theory. However, in their last attempt to put together one more run at the riches with a full slate of Week 17 games to bet, their patience was rewarded as they struck gold in what turned out to be the most entertaining and profitable Sunday of the season for Joe Public.
"It was our worst week of the year," Station Casinos sports book director Jason McCormick said. "We ended up winning only two games, Atlanta (+6 vs. Carolina) and the Jets (+7 at Miami), and then lost all seven of the afternoon games."
The South Point sports book's Jimmy Vaccaro was in the same boat, also calling Sunday the "worst day of the year."
"We had plenty of (large) sharp money on the sides that lost," Vaccaro said, "but that money could do nothing to balance out the parlays that hit. We had a $100 10-team parlay hit for $80,000 and another payout at $60,000, with all kinds of smaller parlays cashing in, and several waiting to cash with the Eagles as well."
All season long bettors have been waiting for the stars to align so their favorite teams to bet might all cover on the same day, but it hadn't happened and the books came away with wins almost every week. That is until Week 17, the week that the books treat with special precautions because of so many variables tied to several games.
On this particular Sunday, the Steelers and Bengals started the snowball rolling during the eight early games. The Steelers needed all kinds of help to make the playoffs (they didn't get it), and the small and large money was behind them as they pushed the number from an opener of -6 up to -9 by kickoff and ended up getting the 20-7 win and covering against the visiting Browns.
The Bengals had covered all seven of their previous home games, and laying six at home to Baltimore seemed simple enough. The number was pushed to -7, and they came away with a 34-17 win despite four interceptions by Andy Dalton. It was also the only early game to go OVER the total.
But the real damage was done in the afternoon when the most popular betting teams for the past two seasons all came flying in and covering the number. The Packers, Broncos, Patriots, 49ers, Seahawks and Saints did the final damage and helped give bettors a little Christmas bonus by linking many of them up in parlays.
Bettors were skeptical of a rusty Aaron Rodgers returning to action at Chicago, but couldn't resist laying -3 with the Packers, who have owned Jay Cutler and the Bears in recent years. Sharp money was on the Raiders at home against the Broncos, pushing the number from +13 to +10, but parlay bettors couldn't get enough of the Broncos, and they never had to sweat as the Broncos took a 31-0 lead to the half and won 34-14 even with Peyton Manning sitting out the second half.
The Bills got some sharp support at New England, which dropped the Patriots from -8.5 to -7. But an estimated 75 percent of all tickets written on the game were on the favorite, New England, which won 34-20. The 49ers opened as a 3-point favorite at Arizona, but sharps bet the Cardinals to -3 by kickoff, while the public stuck with their Niners, who won 23-20. Seattle rolled to a 27-9 win as an 11.5-point home favorite against the Rams.
But the side that truly embodies the spirit of the public sticking to its guns was the Saints' 42-17 home win against the Buccaneers. Although New Orleans had failed to cover four of its last five games -- mostly on the road -- and had stayed UNDER the total in the last six, the public came strong with Saints (-10.5) to the OVER (47) parlay combination. The Saints were one of the most one-sided bets in parlays on the day, along with Denver.
"(The public) got us on just about everything today," LVH Super Book VP Jay Kornegay said. "Teasers, parlays off the board, parlay cards, you name it, they did very well, but I'm not going to complain because it was an outstanding season overall, maybe one of the best."
"No tears here," said Vaccaro.
Station Casinos may have been hit the hardest of all because they do more parlay action than any chain of books in Nevada, but they also know that they live and die by the sword that is the bulk of their action.
"We know that weeks like this are going to happen occasionally, because it always does," said McCormick. "But overall, it's been a great season, and we aren't complaining. It's just part of the business."
And for bettors who have been getting sand kicked in their face all season, consistently missing that one game in their parlays, congratulations for sticking with it. Sometimes patience does pay off.
NFL Week 17 hits Vegas with worst loss of season
Parlays involving Joe Public's favorite teams do serious damage Sunday
LAS VEGAS -- Good things supposedly come to those who wait, but after 16 NFL Sundays this season, bettors were about to stick a fork in that theory. However, in their last attempt to put together one more run at the riches with a full slate of Week 17 games to bet, their patience was rewarded as they struck gold in what turned out to be the most entertaining and profitable Sunday of the season for Joe Public.
"It was our worst week of the year," Station Casinos sports book director Jason McCormick said. "We ended up winning only two games, Atlanta (+6 vs. Carolina) and the Jets (+7 at Miami), and then lost all seven of the afternoon games."
The South Point sports book's Jimmy Vaccaro was in the same boat, also calling Sunday the "worst day of the year."
"We had plenty of (large) sharp money on the sides that lost," Vaccaro said, "but that money could do nothing to balance out the parlays that hit. We had a $100 10-team parlay hit for $80,000 and another payout at $60,000, with all kinds of smaller parlays cashing in, and several waiting to cash with the Eagles as well."
All season long bettors have been waiting for the stars to align so their favorite teams to bet might all cover on the same day, but it hadn't happened and the books came away with wins almost every week. That is until Week 17, the week that the books treat with special precautions because of so many variables tied to several games.
On this particular Sunday, the Steelers and Bengals started the snowball rolling during the eight early games. The Steelers needed all kinds of help to make the playoffs (they didn't get it), and the small and large money was behind them as they pushed the number from an opener of -6 up to -9 by kickoff and ended up getting the 20-7 win and covering against the visiting Browns.
The Bengals had covered all seven of their previous home games, and laying six at home to Baltimore seemed simple enough. The number was pushed to -7, and they came away with a 34-17 win despite four interceptions by Andy Dalton. It was also the only early game to go OVER the total.
But the real damage was done in the afternoon when the most popular betting teams for the past two seasons all came flying in and covering the number. The Packers, Broncos, Patriots, 49ers, Seahawks and Saints did the final damage and helped give bettors a little Christmas bonus by linking many of them up in parlays.
Bettors were skeptical of a rusty Aaron Rodgers returning to action at Chicago, but couldn't resist laying -3 with the Packers, who have owned Jay Cutler and the Bears in recent years. Sharp money was on the Raiders at home against the Broncos, pushing the number from +13 to +10, but parlay bettors couldn't get enough of the Broncos, and they never had to sweat as the Broncos took a 31-0 lead to the half and won 34-14 even with Peyton Manning sitting out the second half.
The Bills got some sharp support at New England, which dropped the Patriots from -8.5 to -7. But an estimated 75 percent of all tickets written on the game were on the favorite, New England, which won 34-20. The 49ers opened as a 3-point favorite at Arizona, but sharps bet the Cardinals to -3 by kickoff, while the public stuck with their Niners, who won 23-20. Seattle rolled to a 27-9 win as an 11.5-point home favorite against the Rams.
But the side that truly embodies the spirit of the public sticking to its guns was the Saints' 42-17 home win against the Buccaneers. Although New Orleans had failed to cover four of its last five games -- mostly on the road -- and had stayed UNDER the total in the last six, the public came strong with Saints (-10.5) to the OVER (47) parlay combination. The Saints were one of the most one-sided bets in parlays on the day, along with Denver.
"(The public) got us on just about everything today," LVH Super Book VP Jay Kornegay said. "Teasers, parlays off the board, parlay cards, you name it, they did very well, but I'm not going to complain because it was an outstanding season overall, maybe one of the best."
"No tears here," said Vaccaro.
Station Casinos may have been hit the hardest of all because they do more parlay action than any chain of books in Nevada, but they also know that they live and die by the sword that is the bulk of their action.
"We know that weeks like this are going to happen occasionally, because it always does," said McCormick. "But overall, it's been a great season, and we aren't complaining. It's just part of the business."
And for bettors who have been getting sand kicked in their face all season, consistently missing that one game in their parlays, congratulations for sticking with it. Sometimes patience does pay off.