Bettor wagers $540K on Cowboys-Bucs ‘MNF’ playoff game
Tom Brady is a home underdog in the playoffs for the first time in his 23-year NFL career.
But sharp bettors are backing Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers as 3-point underdogs to the Dallas Cowboys in their wild-card playoff game on “Monday Night Football.”
So is a Caesars Sportsbook bettor in Nevada who wagered $540,000 to win $450,000 on the Bucs +3 (-120).
Caesars also took a $200,000 bet to win $250,000 on Tampa Bay on the money line (+125).
The Westgate SuperBook took sharp money on the Bucs at +3½ and +3 last week before the line dropped to 2½. But the Cowboys crept back up to consensus 3-point favorites Monday.
“This has been a constant theme all year,” SuperBook vice president of risk Ed Salmons said. “The sharps have been taking Tampa all year.”
South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said he’s taken sharp money both ways, on the Cowboys -2½ and the Bucs +3.
At Caesars, Dallas accounts for 56.8 percent of the tickets and 68.9 percent of the handle, or amount of money wagered, against the spread.
A Caesars bettor placed a $100,000 wager to win $8,305.65 on the Cowboys to cover the alternate spread of +13½ (-1,204).
The total is 45½, and 64.4 percent of the tickets and 60.6 percent of the handle at Caesars is on the over despite a $110,000 wager on under 45½.
All five wild-card playoff games have gone over, and underdogs are 4-1 ATS.
Tampa Bay finished 8-9 and went an NFL-worst 4-12-1 ATS. Dallas is 12-5 straight up and 10-7 ATS.
The Cowboys haven’t won a road playoff game in 30 years, and professional sports bettor Jeff Whitelaw is banking on that winless streak to reach 31 years.
“I played Tampa +3. I just think that game should be a dead pick’em,” he said. “I don’t mind going with Brady vs. Dak Prescott. I like to go with the better quarterback in those spots.
“Dallas just seems to (screw) up all the time. They have more talent, but you’re getting a home ’dog.”
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.
