Sharps on right side with Cowboys

Many times I’ve written about the hangover that usually comes with a wager opposite the New England Patriots. I hate to do it, but the temptation was irresistible this time.

Word spread all week the Dallas Cowboys, as 7-point underdogs, were the sharp side at New England. The spot and the play made sense. The risk was high, obviously, because the Patriots are so tough when it comes to protecting their home turf.

“The sharpest plays were on the Cowboys during the course of the week,” Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay said. “The sharps really have been struggling lately, but that was one of the few winners they have had the past few weeks.”

The Cowboys lost 20-16, but they did cover, and the Sunday scoreboard in the NFL is judged against the spread.

The Patriots’ win cashed money-line and teaser wagers, so the result was not a major decision for the books. It also was no major surprise to anyone that Brady completed the comeback.

Dallas’ defense bothered Brady, who was sacked three times and intercepted twice. But Tony Romo came up short again, leading the Cowboys to only two second-half field goals, the latter after a feeble attempt to get in the end zone late in the fourth quarter.

“You can’t give the ball back to Brady,” said Jimmy Vaccaro, director of operations for Lucky’s sports books.

You knew what was coming next. Brady completed 8 of 9 passes for 78 yards and led the Pats to the winning TD, an 8-yard pass to Aaron Hernandez with 22 seconds left.

Before the wiseguys were rewarded by the Cowboys, the betting public cashed tickets in bunches on the Philadelphia Eagles.

Michael Vick and the Eagles raced to a 20-0 lead and held on to beat error-prone Rex Grossman and the Redskins, 20-13. The Eagles closed as 3-point road favorites, after Washington was favored by one point early last week.

Grossman tossed four interceptions against a Philadelphia defense that had been picked apart during a four-game losing streak.

“The biggest decision was the Eagles. We lost that one,” Vaccaro said. “It was a do-or-die situation for the Eagles, and they got there.”

The books “lost big” on Philadelphia and Green Bay, Kornegay said. The Packers closed as 14-point favorites in a 24-3 victory over winless St. Louis. Aaron Rodgers passed for three touchdowns in a game that was scoreless in the second half and stayed way under the total of 47.

Favorites finished the day 6-5-1 ATS, counting Oakland’s 24-17 victory over Cleveland as a push. The Raiders closed as 7-point favorites in most spots, up from 6½.

Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Chicago covered as home favorites, but only the Bears did so convincingly, putting a 39-10 beating on Donovan McNabb and the Minnesota Vikings.

The Bengals picked up a fluke cover in a 27-17 victory over Indianapolis, but my biggest regret is backing the hopeless Colts. Bad teams find ways to blow games.

After pulling within 20-17, Indianapolis had a late field-goal try blocked. On the Colts’ next drive, Pierre Garcon coughed up a fumble that Carlos Dunlap returned 35 yards for a touchdown. So I’m now done trying to guess when the Colts might cover.

Unlike the Rams, the Jacksonville Jaguars did not make for sacrificial lambs as double-digit underdogs. The Jaguars covered 12½ in a 17-13 loss at Pittsburgh.

“We were lucky we got Jacksonville,” Kornegay said. “It was nice to see the Jaguars come back. If not, we would have lost all our major decisions in the morning.”

The books won a major decision in Tampa Bay’s 26-20 upset of New Orleans, which closed as a 6½-point road favorite. Drew Brees was intercepted in the end zone to kill the Saints’ comeback.

“Every parlay that was still alive was going to the Saints,” Kornegay said.

Most bettors on the New York Giants, who were favored by 3½ at most books, got hooked as the Giants slipped by Buffalo, 27-24.

San Francisco, a 5-point ‘dog, upset Detroit 25-19 in maybe the most interesting decision of the day. How often do you see two coaches shake hands and start a near-brawl?

Jim Harbaugh is becoming one of the most intimidating coaches in the league.

Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts the “Las Vegas Sportsline” weeknights at midnight on KDWN-AM (720) and thelasvegassportsline.com.