Sportsbooks Lose Third Straight NFL Sunday

“The house always wins” is a pretty common phrase in the betting world. It’s also likely something your friends will say after an unsuccessful trip to the craps table. But, while the house certainly has advantages at times, that’s not always the case. When it comes to NFL betting, the major sportsbooks have had a rough few weeks. Considering the sheer popularity of NFL betting, these types of losses can be huge for the big books. After all, according to a preseason report, 37% of NFL fans said they planned on betting on the league this season. After another rough Sunday for sportsbooks, let’s take a look at what happened with the NFL action.

Betting Public Gets the Hat Trick

For three weeks in a row, the sports betting public has beaten the books on NFL Sunday. While last week was quite a bit more costly for the books, this was another win for bettors in the U.S. According to ESPN, even bookmakers that have been around for decades don’t remember such a rough stretch. In fact, the last time Nevada sportsbooks had a losing month was November of 2011. Interestingly, according to the Nevada Gaming Control records, it’s only happened a total of 11 times overall.

But why are the books so used to winning when it comes to the NFL? It’s all thanks to parlays. According to one sportsbook executive director, it’s the large number of parlays that end up being profitable for the house. In fact, he also believes that books win on roughly 80% of Sunday NFL slates. Another sportsbook director admitted that the only real profitable game from this last Sunday was the New York Giants upset win over the Carolina Panthers.

Most Home Teams Covered the Spread

One big reason for the domination by the betting public this week was the success of home teams. Week 7 home teams didn’t just beat teams, they dominated them. Overall, home teams were 8-4 against the spread on this latest NFL Sunday. Possibly the most surprising game of the week was the Tennessee Titans hosting the Kansas City Chiefs, where the Titans held the AFC Champions to one score in a 27-3 steamrolling.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scored at will against the visiting Chicago Bears, winning the game handily with a 38-3 final score. And, in the aforementioned New York Giants game, the team had a 25-3 defining win over the favored Carolina Panthers at home. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, with the Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Las Vegas Raiders all covering the spread at home on Sunday.

What About Tonight?

Tonight’s Monday Night Football matchup with the Seattle Seahawks hosting the New Orleans Saints could be another big game for the books. The Seahawks are currently four-point underdogs at home, mostly due to the absence of quarterback Russell Wilson. Additionally, the point total is 41.5. The Saints are 3-2 against the spread this season, while the Seahawks are 3-3 ATS.