THE BEST, THE WORST AND THE HOOKS: CHAPTER 3, THE BIG GAME EDITION

The big game has come and gone along with the NFL season. We are without football for six whole months. That said, it does not mean the clash between the Pats and Seahawks did not produce some great bets, hooks and horrid wagers. These are some that stuck out after it was all said and done.

In a game that promised some stiff defensive play, it was no surprise bettors were intrigued by quarterback feet. A few good defensive line pressures coupled with strong coverage downfield, and one or two runs by Darnold and Maye felt like enough to cash their rush yards. The Seattle signal caller had a line of 5.5 while the New England phenom was between 35.5 and 37.5 on most books. As it turned out, these numbers were incredibly sharp for their props. Despite having two runs, Darnold ended with five yards on the dot. His backers knew it was over when the second run came up short.

Maye, on the other hand, ran five times. His longest run of 16 had to be poetry to (most) rush yard bettors, leading him to end the game with 37 yards total. That number was right at the dividing line of parlay glory or a terribly bad beat. A grim reminder for some to shop the best lines and prices (shout out our sponsor, Pikkit Sports).

The worst bet comes from an unsuspecting source, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. To be fair, some of it was not his fault. After a hard collision, he was evaluated for a concussion and taken to the locker room for further evaluation. Had he played fully, who knows what he could’ve accomplished? In the end, the most electric receiver in the league ended with four receptions, 27 yards and no touchdowns. Whether it was yards, catches, or fantasy, no prop turned green. One would assume loyal JSN backers found it hard to be too upset after his monster season.

Two prop bets stood out that were sweat-free. The over total punts at a line of 7.5/8.5 and Kenneth Walker III for MVP. For the former bet, the 7.5 line was cleared by Patriot punter Bryce Baringer alone with eight total, a result of Seattle’s suffocating defense. Adding to the number was Michael Dickson with seven, including three punts inside the 20-yard line that one Real App watcher found scintillating.

For Kenneth Walker, he entered the game at anywhere from +700 to +850 odds to win the MVP. Unless it was a small, fun wager, that was a hard button to click pre-game because we know QBs dominate that category. Those that did, though, were richly rewarded as Darnold and Maye struggled to move the ball downfield and no touchdowns produced the entire first half. Meanwhile, Walker was gashing the gaps with two, 30-yard sprints in the early 2^nd quarter.

His MVP odds were down to +140 on some books by halftime. For the first time since his teammate, Cooper Kupp, won MVP, a non-QB received the award. Darnold did not seem to mind, content to ride the Disney teacups the next day.

This week’s segment would be incomplete without the squeak of the week. That honor goes to TreVeyon Henderson receiving and rush plus receiving yard bettors. The New England back, who saw minimal action most of the playoffs, ripped a 24-yard catch and run to clear both lines as time expired. He ended the game with 45 all purpose yards. And you just know someone out there must have had that play and were watching that last, substantively meaningless drive very intently (his name is Richay).

That completes this week’s segment as we bid farewell to the NFL and say hello to spring training. 

-Richay