Gambler wagers $23K on Thursday NFL game only bettors could love
Two of the NFL’s worst teams face off on “Thursday Night Football” when the Chicago Bears host the Carolina Panthers.
The Bears are consensus 3½-point home favorites at Las Vegas sportsbooks, and the consensus total is 38, down from 38½ on Wednesday.
Not surprisingly, the betting action has been light on this matchup, though a Caesars Sportsbook bettor wagered $23,000 to win $20,000 on the Panthers +3½ (-115).
“The matchup is what makes people want to bet, and this is not one of them so far,” MGM Resorts director of trading Lamarr Mitchell said Thursday afternoon. “It’s not driving anybody to the windows.”
The game might help determine which team gets the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft as Chicago owns Carolina’s first-round pick.
“The Bears are somewhat incentivized to win,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “A loss by Carolina here would put them back in the No. 1 spot.”
Chicago (2-7, 3-5-1 against the spread, 6-3 over/under) covered last week as an 8½-point road underdog in a 24-17 loss to New Orleans. Tyson Bagent remains the starting quarterback for the Bears in place of the injured Justin Fields.
The Panthers (1-7, 1-6-1 ATS, 3-5 over/under) lost 27-13 to Indianapolis last week as 1½-point home underdogs. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns.
At BetMGM, the Bears lead the ticket count by a 2-1 margin, while the money is pretty even. The total is being bet under by a 2-1 margin, and the money line is about even.
Chicago is a -185 favorite on the money line at BetMGM, and Carolina is +150.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.