Bears bail out books from potential big Super Bowl loss
Besides Eagles fans and money-line bettors, count Las Vegas sports books among the happiest Sunday to see the Bears eliminated from the NFL playoffs.
Chicago was the biggest liability in Super Bowl futures bets at the Westgate, which the day after Super Bowl LII opened the Bears as 100-1 long shots to win the NFL title.
Chicago was at 8-1 to win Super Bowl LIII before Sunday’s 16-15 loss to Philadelphia after it opened the week at 10-1.
“People were betting the Bears like they changed their name to the Cubs,” Westgate sports book manager Ed Salmons said. “They just wouldn’t stop.”
Two weeks after the Westgate was in position to win $100,000 if Chicago won the Super Bowl, it stood to lose $200,000 on the Bears winning it all before Cody Parkey missed a 43-yard field goal try that hit the upright and crossbar with 10 seconds left.
Chicago also was one of the biggest liabilities at several other books, but William Hill sports book director Nick Bogdanovich said the Eagles are bigger.
Super Bowl futures bets
Philadelphia’s odds to repeat as Super Bowl champion were as high as 200-1 on Dec. 16 and a William Hill bettor placed a $2,000 wager to win $120,000 on the Eagles on Dec. 22 at 60-1 odds.
William Hill has taken eight other Super Bowl futures bets that will potentially win at least $100,000. The largest is a $20,000 wager to make $440,000 that was placed on the Chargers on Dec. 1 at 22-1. There also was a $2,300 bet to make $172,500 placed on the Cowboys on Nov. 14 at 75-1.
There are three notable wagers each on the Saints and Colts. On New Orleans: $9,000 to win $162,000 (18-1), $10,000 to win $140,000 (14-1) and $6,000 to win $102,000 (17-1). On Indianapolis: $800 to win $120,000 (150-1), $1,000 to win $100,000 (100-1) and $500 to win $100,000 (200-1).
UNR undefeated prop
Caesars Entertainmentsports book won on a prop it had posted on whether the UNR basketball team would go undefeated this season when the Wolf Pack (14-1) lost their first game Saturday in an 85-58 blowout at New Mexico.
The yes opened as a plus 650 underdog and money on the yes moved the price to plus 500 before UNR’s loss.
“We actually had a guy at Harrah’s Reno who was pretty much at the window when we put it out. He grabbed a bunch at plus 650,” Caesars risk manager Jeff Davis said. “We kept taking money because nobody bets no on those things. We took one small no bet. We did more action than I expected it to.”
2020 CFP title odds
Before Clemson and Alabama met in Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game, Caesars posted a three-way prop on the 2020 CFP national champion.
Alabama was plus 180, Clemson was 5-1 and the field (every other team) was a minus 120 favorite.
“It’s hard to see somebody else,” Davis said. “You’ve got to figure at least one of them will be there in the end.”
Ultimate Football Challenge
Rich Velez, using the alias Monsterloc, finished 81-36-2 ATS (69.2 percent) to top a field of 308 entries and win the first-place prize of $119,200 in the Golden Nugget’s inaugural Ultimate Football Challenge.
Contestants paid $1,000 per entry and picked seven weekly college and/or NFL sides during the 17-week NFL season, with college plays extending through the New Year’s Day bowl games.
Schematic Advantage took second place and $59,600 with a 78-36-5 mark. Paul Stone, a longtime contributor to the Review-Journal, placed third and won $29,800 with a 77-36-6 record.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.
NFL rules Parkey's miss a block
PHILADELPHIA — Cody Parkey's missed 43-yard field goal in the final seconds that gave the Philadelphia Eagles a 16-15 upset win over the Chicago Bears in Sunday's wild-card playoff game was officially ruled a block by the NFL.
Video showed Philadelphia's Treyvon Hester tipped the ball, which bounced off the upright and hit the crossbar.
Eagles coach Doug Pederson on Monday praised Hester, who began the season on the practice squad, for having "a big hand in the game" and the team posted on Twitter it was the first blocked field goal in the franchise's postseason history.
The Eagles took a one-point lead when Nick Foles threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate with 56 seconds remaining. Mitchell Trubisky drove the Bears into position to win it, but Parkey's kick didn't go through. Philadelphia plays at New Orleans next Sunday.
The Associated Press
