Packers, Rodgers rare lock to come through

In a complex game, the answer is sometimes simple. Four weeks in a row, Aaron Rodgers has rewarded bettors for backing the Green Bay Packers. An obvious play can pay off. Not every question is a trick.

Green Bay or San Francisco? Go with the superstar quarterback on the superior team. Lay the points and watch Rodgers go to work.

"Our biggest loser was the Packers," said Jimmy Vaccaro, oddsmaker at the South Point sports book. "That was definitely our worst game."

Unlike a week ago, when Las Vegas bookmakers were buried in red ink, there were more positive than negative results for the books. And that was more or less expected.

"It was a good day. It was a solid winner," William Hill sports book director Nick Bogdanovich said.

Booby traps and land mines were hidden all over the NFL betting board. Each Sunday, the keys to success are to avoid missteps and pick the right spots. Rodgers was again a right spot, leading the Packers to a 17-3 victory over the 49ers.

But only six of 13 favorites won and covered, Green Bay included, and bookmakers fare well when there are mixed results and surprises. The St. Louis Rams, 7-point road underdogs, pulled off a significant surprise by beating Arizona 24-22.

"The Arizona game was the whole thing," Bogdanovich said. "That was the biggest-bet game of the day."

Every ticket with the Cardinals on it — parlays, money lines and teasers — went into a trash can. The same was true for Buffalo, Oakland and Philadelphia tickets. That's how the bookmakers bounced back.

The Raiders as road favorites? Trick question. Jay Cutler threw a late interception — to the surprise of no one — but this time he made up for it. He passed for two touchdowns to lift the Bears, 3-point 'dogs, to their first win, 22-20. Robbie Gould was good on the decisive 49-yard field goal into a stiff wind in Chicago.

The Eagles are not back, and their problems extend beyond an idiot kicker. Caleb Sturgis missed an extra point and a 33-yard field-goal attempt to leave four important points off the board in Philadelphia's 23-20 loss at Washington, a 3-point 'dog. The Redskins led 13-0 at halftime, and Kirk Cousins surprisingly led the winning 90-yard drive.

The new and improved Bills laying less than a touchdown to the underachieving Giants? Far from obvious. Eli Manning's three touchdown passes powered New York, a 6-point 'dog, to a 24-10 win.

Carson Palmer, like Rodgers, has been a money quarterback all season, with one costly exception. Palmer and the Cardinals were upstaged by Nick Foles and the Rams, a team public bettors soured on after back-to-back losses. Foles passed for three touchdowns one week after he led St. Louis to only six points.

Cleveland and Minnesota cashed as underdogs in defeat. The Browns, bet from 7½ to 5-point 'dogs, gave the Chargers two tries to kick a winning field goal, and San Diego took advantage to escape 30-27.

The Broncos, 7-point favorites, squandered a 13-point lead while Peyton Manning threw two interceptions. Denver won 23-20 on a field goal as the score stayed under the total of 43½.

"The sharps were all over Minnesota," Bogdanovich said. "The public is not in love with the Broncos right now because they are not scoring 40 every game. Denver is 4-0, but it's an ugly 4-0."

In an ugly game in Indianapolis, quarterback Andrew Luck was scratched and the Colts were posted as 4-point favorites. Jacksonville found a way to fail, missing two field goals in a 16-13 overtime loss, but cover a line that was initially as high as 9.

Atlanta, Carolina and Cincinnati rolled as favorites. The Falcons humiliated Houston 48-21, leaving Texans coach Bill O'Brien to continue dropping F-bombs and switching quarterbacks. The Panthers intercepted Tampa Bay rookie Jameis Winston four times in a 37-23 laugher. The Bengals blew out Kansas City 36-21, sending the Chiefs to their third straight loss as coach Andy Reid continued to appear half asleep on the sideline.

Miami coach Joe Philbin, as hapless as they come, reportedly was allowed to board his team's flight home from London. He might be out of work soon. The Dolphins, 2½-point 'dogs, played dead in a 27-14 setback to the New York Jets. That was a win for the betting public and a loss for fans in England who seemed to be bored stiff.

When the London game kicked off at 6:30 a.m on the West Coast, Vaccaro said, "There were about 75 people sitting around the book."

At 8:40 p.m., a long day ended with fireworks and lots of furious Cowboys bettors. Drew Brees connected with C.J. Spiller for an 80-yard touchdown pass on the second play of overtime to end the Saints' 26-20 victory. Dallas was getting 3 to 3½ points. New Orleans appeared a lock to win by three before Zach Hocker choked on a 30-yard kick that ricocheted off the left upright in the final seconds of regulation.

The Cowboys' result was a brutal beat. The 49ers, 7½-point 'dogs, were simply the wrong side, and the so-called sharps were mistaken to bet on Colin Kaepernick, who was sacked six times and threw an interception, and against Rodgers.

"A lot of early money was on the 'dog, but still we needed the 'dog in the game," Vaccaro said. "Kaepernick is just absolutely lost."

Public bettors were smart to go to battle with the Packers again this week. On another complex, tricky Sunday, that much was obvious.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports betting columnist Matt Youmans can be reached at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts "The Las Vegas Sportsline" weekdays at 2 p.m. on ESPN Radio (1100 AM). Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.