Super Bowl LIII betting report: Rams money starts trickling in
Last time we checked, the Super Bowl LIII handle was pretty lopsided in favor of the New England Patriots. As some shops move to -3 and the week goes on, Los Angeles Rams tickets are starting to pop up more frequently. Here's what bettors need to know about the money count two days prior to the big game.
Opening odds: PK / 59
Current odds: NE -2.5 / 56
Some respected shops earlier in the week were starting to see some Rams money come in, but it's clear the vast majority of sportsbooks will be needing L.A. by the time Sunday rolls around.
Days into releasing odds, 94 percent of the spread money and 99 percent of the moneyline dollars at William Hill were on the Patriots. As of Wednesday, those numbers dipped all the way down to 51 and 73 percent, respectively.
The MGM, which took 14 five-figure wagers on the Patriots against zero on the Rams as of this week, took the first seven-figure bet of the Super Bowl on Thursday, though the specifics were not disclosed.
European shops such as Paddy Power and Ladbrokes will unsurprisingly be cheering for the Rams, but the latter also has a liability on the over, as noted by Patrick Everson of Covers.
One interesting nugget around some shops is that the move to -3 has yet to put a lid on Patriots money. After the Golden Nugget moved New England from -2.5 to -3 on Tuesday, the first bet was a "large" one on the Pats; Hollywood Casino in West Virginia is still seeing a flurry of action on the favorite at -3, and the largest five-wager on the Pats came when the line moved.
As some books shade to -3, The Wynn in Las Vegas went back the opposite way to -2 on Thursday morning.
CG Technology announced Wednesday that 70 percent of the bets and 79 percent of the money was on New England. While 61 percent of the bets were on the over, 67 percent of the money was on the under. CG Technology's Will Bernanke told Covers on Thursday that respected money came in on New England during the opener and that he didn't expect the Patriots to close above -2.5. The shop also took some wiseguy money on the under before it hit 56.5.
The prop market is surely saturated, with more than 400 options readily available for bettors on Sunday. There have been some lopsided ticket counts at SuperBook, including Rob Gronkowski to score a touchdown, yes on a successful two-point conversion, and a special teams or defensive touchdown to be scored. There have also been some big moves on the MVP winner, including L.A.'s Aaron Donald going from 70-1 to 15-1.
Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.