Weekly Sports Betting Wrap: Brock Purdy Wins $125,000, Bettors Debate McCaffrey vs. Hill, and How Bad Are The Detroit Pistons?
Here’s a look at the week’s top stories, top bets paid, and what’s next in the world of sports betting.
The NFL Playoff Picture Is Still Uncertain: The NFL playoffs are still wide open for many teams as the season enters week 16 of the National Football League.
The 11-3 Baltimore Ravens are the only AFC team currently qualified for the playoffs.
Only the Dallas Cowboys (10-4), Philadelphia Eagles (10-4) and San Francisco 49ers (11-3) have qualified for the NFC. Only six of the 32 teams have been ruled out of the playoffs.
One of the clubs eliminated is the New York Jets, who have the longest active streak of not making the playoffs in North American sports, having missed the playoffs for 13 straight seasons.
After signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Jets were a popular Super Bowl LVIII pick at the outset of the season, with odds of +1,600. However, the team’s new star was injured in the first game of the season.
Week 16’s schedule includes a Christmas Day clash between the league’s top teams, the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens.
Benzinga recently revealed that a $2,000 wager was put on 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to win the league MVP before the start of the season.
Purdy’s betting odds have improved after facing long odds, as he has led the squad to a league-best 11-3 record. If Purdy is named MVP, the bet will pay out $200,000 to the winner.
The bettor published the ticket on the bet slip exchange site PropSwap, seeking $100,000, and rejected a $90,000 offer. According to Darren Rovell, the slip was re-listed and eventually sold for $125,000.
Dodgers Big Free Agency: Following the signing of valued free agency and MLB two-way pitching and hitting phenom Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers have made another significant signing Ohtani agreed to terms with the Dodgers on a seven-year, $700 million contract.
The organization also signed Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract this week.
Yamamoto has been strong in Japan, winning the pitching Triple Crown last season by topping Nippon Professional Baseball in wins, ERA, and strikeouts.
Over the last three seasons, Yamamoto has a 49-16 record, a 1.44 ERA, and 580 strikeouts. The Dodgers ended the 2023 season MLB season, finishing third with a record of 100-62.
The squad was set to be eliminated from the playoffs early by the hotly favored Arizona Diamondbacks. With Ohtani’s acquisition, the Dodgers were the betting favorite at +425 at DraftKings. The Dodgers have moved up to +400 with Yamamoto’s arrival, ahead of the Atlanta Braves at +700.
