Nobody’s perfect as Packers, bettors lose
Just when it seemed there would be no stopping Aaron Rodgers from leading the Green Bay Packers to perfection, the many bettors who banked on it took a surprise beating.
After Week 5, the Las Vegas Hilton posted the proposition: Will the Packers finish the regular season 16-0? The "No" side of the answer opened at minus-1,000 and the "Yes" was plus-700.
Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay said there was "lopsided action" from the betting public on the "Yes" side, which was adjusted to minus-225 before Week 15.
The Packers' pursuit of 16-0 was stopped cold at 13-0 when they were upset 19-14 by the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Despite all the public support for Green Bay, Kornegay said the prop was not a major decision because of sharp action on the other side.
"There were a lot more tickets on the 'Yes,' but the bigger bets were on the 'No,' " Kornegay said.
It was another Sunday full of surprises in the NFL, with the Packers finally losing and the Indianapolis Colts winning for the first time this season, 27-13 over Tennessee.
"That's the parlay no one thought would hit," MGM Resorts sports book director Jay Rood said.
The New England-Denver game, Rood said, was "one of the top two or three games of the season" in terms of wagering handle.
Tom Brady led the Patriots, who closed as 7-point favorites, to a 41-23 victory over Tim Tebow and the Broncos.
"It was good action both ways," Rood said. "From a public standpoint, it was all Patriots money."
Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.
