The NFL determines strength of schedule by opponents’ winning percentage from last season. For a better barometer, we combined opponents’ 2021 season win totals at Las Vegas sportsbooks.
Todd Dewey
Todd Dewey covers sports betting for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
tdewey@reviewjournal.com … @tdewey33 on Twitter. 702-383-0354
Pro bettors account for most of the exhibition action, which explains why the preseason limits at sportsbooks are one-tenth of what they are during the regular season.
San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is 125-1 at BetMGM to win MVP and 100-1 at Circa, where the 49ers have a win total of 10½ and are 14-1 to win the Super Bowl.
BetMGM has posted regular-season win totals on 115 FBS schools, and Alabama and Clemson top the list with 11½ wins each, followed by Ohio State and Oklahoma at 11 apiece.
Circa sportsbook made each team’s alternate high total one win higher than its standard season win total and each team’s alternate low one win lower.
A 100-1 long shot at BetMGM sportsbook in April to win the World Series, the San Francisco Giants entered Thursday’s games with baseball’s best record at 50-29.
Jon Gruden is one of 34 coaches to win a Super Bowl, but he has never won the NFL Coach of the Year award. The odds are against him winning it this season with the Raiders.
Four of the Power Five conferences have clear favorites. The Pac-12 is tight at the top, with USC and Oregon +275 co-favorites, Washington +325 and Arizona State +450.
The NFL will expand to a 17-game schedule next season, but the Raiders’ win total is 7½ again at the Westgate and Station Casinos sportsbooks and seven at Circa and BetMGM.
BetMGM took a $10,000 bet to win $1.5 million on the Hawks, who were as high as 500-1 to win the NBA title. Atlanta is a slight favorite over the Knicks in the first round.
Lem Banker’s 94th birthday was Tuesday, when his family hosted a celebration of his colorful life as a renowned pro sports bettor. There was talk of a movie being made about him.
Amid reports that Aaron Rodgers would prefer to play for the Raiders, Broncos or 49ers, Circa sportsbook slashed their Super Bowl odds, moving Las Vegas from 50-1 to 20-1.
Bettors have loaded up on Ohio State QB Justin Fields to go over 3½, which has soared to -270 after the under opened at -200. He is one of 11 quarterbacks listed.
The first round of the NFL draft hasn’t seen six quarterbacks selected since the famed quarterback class of 1983, which produced John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly.
Only one of the previous 23 outright leaders after the first round of the Masters has gone on to win the green jacket since 1985. Justin Rose has a four-shot lead.
1
2
3
4
5
Altercation breaks out in court after hearing in North Las Vegas slaying
‘Beautiful soul’: Family IDs woman shot, killed by boyfriend in North Las Vegas
Las Vegas in 2025: Here are 25 things to look forward to
Brightline West high-speed rail construction could start soon
COMMENTARY: The upside-down mentality of the left