Joe Mixon props popular among sharp Super Bowl bettors

There’s no shortage of star power at wide receiver in Super Bowl LVI with Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. of the Rams and Ja’Marr Chase of the Bengals.

But sharp bettors targeted running backs more than receivers when the Westgate SuperBook and Caesars Sportsbook posted their massive menus of Super Bowl props on Thursday.

“They’re really more focused on Joe Mixon and Cam Akers. They didn’t really touch the receivers, which is kind of surprising,” SuperBook director John Murray said. “There was some pro-Joe Mixon stuff. He was one guy we saw a bunch of handle on, which I thought was interesting. He got a lot of sharp support.”

The SuperBook took “well into six figures” of wagers Thursday night after it posted thousands of ways to wager on the Feb. 13 NFL title game.

Murray estimated that 90 percent of the bets were wagered on the differences between their numbers and other Las Vegas books.

“I don’t want to say every bet we took was a middler or arbitrage player,” he said. “There were some people here taking an opinion.”

Murray said sharp bets based on opinion included ones made on Mixon to score a touchdown before Kupp, which moved from +150 to +130; on Mixon to score a TD before Akers, which moved from -110 to -130; and on Mixon to go over 3½ receptions, which moved from +120 to -120.

“There are definitely expectations of Mixon being involved in the passing game,” Murray said.

Bengals running back Samaje Perine took a screen pass 41 yards for a touchdown in Cincinnati’s 27-24 overtime win over Kansas City in the AFC title game. But sharp gamblers are betting against Perine in the Super Bowl, causing his receiving yards prop to drop from 13½ to 11½.

“They’re betting as if we overreacted to the big catch Perine had in the AFC championship game,” Murray said.

At Caesars, Mixon’s rushing yards prop rose from 60½ to 63½, and his receiving yards prop dropped from 29½ to 26½. Akers rushing yards prop shot up from 58½ to 63½.

“With Akers, he’s been averaging 18 attempts in the playoffs,” Caesars assistant director of trading Adam Pullen said. “That’s a lot. He’s just been getting low yardage out of it.”

Van Jefferson’s receiving yards prop dipped from 35½ to 31½, and Tyler Boyd’s dropped from 44½ to 39½.

Kupp’s receiving yards prop at Caesars inched up from 102½ to 104½.

“If the sharps haven’t bet him under, then that’s a sign of respect,” Pullen said. “At 102½, that’s a high number for any receiver. Usually, they bet those high ones under. But no one has really stopped him yet.

“Kupp overs are definitely going to be a very popular selection with the public.”

The largest player prop bet placed at Caesars so far was a $10,000 wager to win $11,500 on Chase to go under six receptions (+115).

Sharps at the SuperBook are banking on Jefferson to go under 2½ catches.

“I don’t know if they’re thinking (tight end Tyler) Higbee will be cleared to play,” Murray said. “Or maybe they think all the balls will go to Cooper Kupp, and I can’t disagree.”

Murray said the biggest moves were caused by arbitrage and middle bettors who moved the price on under 5½ kickoff returns by both teams from +120 to -210.

Another big mover was the prop on most rushing yards between the teams. The Rams opened -25½ before multiple $2,000 limit bets on the Bengals moved the spread to -14½.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.