Incorrect Chicago Bears PR Tweet Brings In Big Bets

Social media has brought some big changes to the world of sports gambling. Many bettors peruse Twitter in particular for breaking news on injuries, transactions, and starters in order to try and get an advantage over the sportsbooks. For example, tweets about a major player being traded might bring in big futures bets on the team making the trade before the odds begin to shift.

Well, as we saw in NFL Week 12, you might need to take some of this social media news with a grain of salt, even if its from a trusted source. Let’s look at how an incorrect tweet brought in money on the Chicago Bears.

Bears PR Team Tweets Wrong Starting QB

Leading up to the Sunday matchup between the Chicago Bears and New York Jets, it appeared that QB Trevor Siemian would take over under center for Chicago due to an injury to Justin Fields. This led the point spread in the game to shift from the Jets -4.5 to -7, with New York starting a backup QB as well in Mike White.

However, a tweet from the official Chicago Bears PR team claimed that Nathan Peterman would instead be getting the start for the team. The tweet, which was posted less than an hour before kickoff, caused many sports betting operators to move the line to New York -7.5. However, when the Bears took the field on offense, it was instead Siemian under center for Chicago.

Jets Bettors Voice Their Displeasure

Needless to say, New York bettors were angered to see Siemian at QB after taking the inflated line. Many bettors on Twitter believed that their wagers should be fully refunded due to the incorrect information. According to ESPN, some Twitter users posted that the Chicago Bears should be investigated and even fined for posting the incorrect information.

This anger only worsened as Siemian hit wide receiver Byron Pringle for a touchdown in the second quarter of the game, putting the Bears up 10-7. However, thanks to a tremendous day from Mike White, who had taken over for Zach Wilson at QB for the Jets, New York ended up winning 31-10 and covering the spread. While this quelled the outrage towards the Chicago Bears PR team, it serves as a cautionary tale of following betting information on social media.

Jets Continue To Fight For A Playoff Spot

Thanks to the big win on Sunday, the New York Jets are now 7-4, putting them in third place of the competitive AFC East. DraftKings Sportsbook lists the team at -115 to make the postseason, and +1000 odds to win the division. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears have fallen to 3-9, with DraftKings not currently listing any odds for the team to make the playoffs.

For Week 13, the New York Jets will be on the road to face off against the 9-2 Minnesota Vikings while the Chicago Bears will take on the 4-8 Green Bay Packers at home. It will be interesting to see if any major shifts occur with the point spread again heading into the games.