Betting buzz: Chiefs deliver for live bettors with blocked field goal

Everything that happens in sports has some additional context when viewed from a sports betting perspective. From season-changing injuries to record-setting moments and so much more, the sports news cycle will constantly and significantly affect the sports betting industry.

Our betting buzz file, with contributions from David Purdum, Doug Greenberg and others, aims to provide fans a look at the sports betting stories that are driving the conversation.

Key links: Sports betting home | NFL odds page | College football odds page | ESPN BET

Chiefs deliver for live bettors with blocked field goal

Doug Greenberg and David Purdum: Lining up for a potential 35-yard winning field goal with one second left, the Denver Broncos were commanding favorites to finally beat the Kansas City Chiefs, who were big underdogs at sportsbooks at that point.

A spokesperson for DraftKings sportsbook said live bets came in ahead of the kick on both teams, the Broncos at -2,500, and the Chiefs at 12-1. The sportsbook did not disclose the amount of the bets, but screenshots of $100 and $50 on the Chiefs at 12-1 circulated on social media.

— br_betting (@br_betting) November 10, 2024

Caesars Sportsbook vice president Craig Mucklow told ESPN that his shop “wrote a lot of business” on both teams ahead of the kick.

Kansas City plowed through the middle of the Broncos’ line and blocked Will Lutz’s field to secure another close win and remain unbeaten at 9-0. The Chiefs are the first team to block a potential game-winning field goal of 35 yards or shorter on the last play of the fourth quarter since 1999, according to ESPN Research.

It was their 12th straight win in a one-score game, tied for the second-longest such streak in NFL history, behind only the 2003-04 New England Patriots, who won 13 consecutive one-score games. And it dinged sportsbooks.

While the Chiefs did not cover the 7-point spread, the outright win kept money-line parlays that included popular favorites alive. The Chiefs money-line was the second-most popular parlay leg at ESPN BET.

Joe Brennan, the head of Prime Sportsbook, said his shop took more action on the Broncos to cover the spread, but also had money on teasers bets on the Chiefs -1.

“It was a memorable swing,” Brennan told ESPN on Sunday night. “We actually had more guys holding Denver tickets (anywhere from +7 to +8.5, which we would have happily paid in order to knock down the litany of Kansas City teasers. Instead of doing that we got stuck paying them both. That hurt.”

Daniels, Williams end rookie QB cover streak

Entering Week 10, rookie quarterbacks were 11-0 against the spread as favorites. Jayden Daniels’ Washington Commanders and Caleb Williams’ Chicago Bears had the opportunity to extend that streak, but neither escaped with even a straight up win.

ESPN BET saw heavy action on the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout the week, who ultimately saw their underdog spread pushed down from their opener at +2.5 to +1.5 by kickoff against the Commanders. Ultimately, Pittsburgh pulled out the outright win 28-27, ending Washington’s eight-game cover streak, their longest in a single season of the Super Bowl era, per ESPN Research.

It was the Steelers’ fifth straight SU win as an underdog and the 50th of head coach Mike Tomlin’s career. Tomlin is now 58-32-3 ATS and 50-43 (.538) outright as an underdog, the second-best winning percentage of the Super Bowl era in that scenario behind only Matt LaFleur (18-13, .581).

Meanwhile, the Bears entered their home matchup with the New England Patriots as 6.5-point favorites, their largest ever favorite role under head coach Matt Eberflus. They promptly failed to score a touchdown en route to a 19-3 defeat.

The rookie quarterback on the other side, Drake Maye, notched his third straight cover and second outright win in that span, though the Patriots are still waiting to be favorites this season.

Odds & Ends

Best ATS Records This Season

Detroit Lions (7-1) (play Sunday night)
Washington Commanders (8-2)
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2)
Los Angeles Chargers (7-2)

Worst ATS Records This Season

Tennessee Titans (1-8)
Dallas Cowboys (2-7)
Seattle Seahawks (2-7)
Miami Dolphins (2-6) (play Monday)

Other notes

• Underdogs were 9-3 against the spread this week, ahead of the Lions-Texas game, which was setting up to be a big decision for sportsbooks. Unders were 8-4 heading into “Sunday Night Football.”

• Caesars Sportsbook said Lions-Texans had attracted the second-most money of any NFL games this week, behind Bengals-Ravens on Thursday. “[We’re] certainly Texans fans tonight,” Mucklow said.

• The Titans are an NFL-worst 1-8 against the spread after failing to cover as 8-point underdogs in a 27-17 loss to the Chargers.

• The Vikings became the second team to go over their season-win total (6.5) with their 12-7 victory over the Jaguars.

• Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson was the most popular bet to score a touchdown at multiple sportsbooks. Jefferson finished with 48 yards on five receptions without a touchdown. Jefferson was a -140 favorite to score.

• 49ers running back Christian McCaffery attracted plenty of support from bettors in his return to the field. McCaffery, who was -250 favorite to find the end zone, finished with 119 total yards, but no touchdowns.

• The most-heavily bet player prop at DraftKings was Saints running back Alvin Kamara to have over 5.5 receptions. Kamara finished with five catches for 54 yards in the Saints’ 20-17 upset of the Falcons.

• The total in the Titans-Chargers game closed at 40.5. A Tennessee touchdown with 49 seconds remaining pushed the final score to 27-17 and gave an over to Los Angeles, who entered Week 10 at 7-1 to the under, the highest under percentage in the league.

• Aaron Jones’ rushing attempts prop opened at 16.5 and fluctuated throughout the week before settling at 17.5 on FanDuel. Jones exited the game with an injury after 13 carries but returned in the fourth quarter, notching his 17th carry on the final play of the Vikings’ 12-7 win over the Jaguars.

• Following reports of Dak Prescott potentially ending his season with hamstring surgery, DraftKings dropped the Cowboys’ odds of winning the NFC East from +900 to +3000 and to win the Super Bowl from +8000 to 300-1; following Dallas’ big loss to Philadelphia, that number is down to 500-1.

• Twenty-three teams in the Super Bowl era have started 9-0. The 2024 Chiefs, 1990 49ers and 1969 Rams are the only three of those teams to have a losing record against the spread. The previous two did not reach the Super Bowl.