Favre carries Jets, sports books to comfortable wins

A sore left ankle had Brett Favre hobbling most of the week and, with his team not looking sharp in back-to-back losses, many bettors were doubting the New York Jets.

After opening as 21/2- to 3-point favorites over the Arizona Cardinals, the line on the Jets closed at 1.

It was the wrong move, as Favre's right arm produced a career-high six touchdown passes Sunday and the Jets blasted the Cardinals, 56-35.

"There was a pretty good move on the Cardinals," Wynn Las Vegas sports book director John Avello said. "We needed the Jets, and I'd say that was one of the bigger decisions for us, and that kind of carried us through the day."

The fourth week of the NFL season produced two major upsets, and the Cardinals, 8-35 straight up on the road the past six seasons, turned in another pitiful road performance to help the sports books emerge in good shape.

Favorites went 8-4 straight up and 7-5 against the spread.

The Washington Redskins upended the Dallas Cowboys, 26-24. The Wynn opened the Redskins as 12-point road underdogs and the line dropped to 10.

"That really wasn't that big of a surprise," Avello said. "With those two teams, it's usually a pretty good football game. When you look at the Redskins' last few games, they played pretty well, and they give the Cowboys problems."

Another surprise came from the Kansas City Chiefs, who were 81/2-point home underdogs in a 33-19 victory over the Denver Broncos.

"There was a little bit of money on the Chiefs," said Avello, who opened Denver as a 91/2-point favorite. "There was some underdog movement on the lines, and the underdogs seemed to do fairly well. But not everybody bets the same side."

The Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns also won as underdogs.

Kyle Orton passed for three touchdowns in the first half and the Bears used a late goal-line stand to hold off Philadelphia, 24-20. The Eagles were 3-point road favorites.

Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer was scratched because of an elbow injury, and the Browns took advantage in a 20-12 win. The Bengals, laying 31/2 points before Palmer was declared out, closed as 1-point favorites.

The other underdog to cover was Houston, which lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 30-27 in overtime. The Texans were 7-point road underdogs.

Luck is often a factor when wagering on the NFL, and those who backed the Oakland Raiders were kicked in the gut.

LaDainian Tomlinson delivered the closest cover of the day for the San Diego Chargers by breaking loose for a 41-yard touchdown run with 1:04 remaining.

The Chargers closed as 81/2-point road favorites and won 28-18 on the strength of a 25-point outburst in the fourth quarter.

"The place absolutely exploded on that one," Avello said of the reaction in the book after Tomlinson's run. "It was absolutely crazy.

"The Raiders are up 15-0 at halftime and getting more than a touchdown, and you have to feel pretty good about that. But it's the NFL. I guess you're just never safe."

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 5-point home favorites over the Baltimore Ravens tonight. The total is 34.

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2907.