Sharp bettors cause line to flip for ‘TNF’ game
Sharp bettors are backing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as home favorites against the Baltimore Ravens on “Thursday Night Football.”
The Buccaneers are a 2-point favorite at most Las Vegas sportsbooks. Boyd Gaming has Tampa Bay at -1½, while the Westgate SuperBook is at Buccaneers -2½.
“It opened Tampa Bay as a small favorite, went to Baltimore -1½ and (Wednesday) a big push from sharps on Tampa Bay,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said via text message. “At this point we’re clearly Ravens fans.”
SuperBook director John Murray reported that sharp money on the Buccaneers drove Tampa Bay from a 1½-point underdog to a 2½-point favorite.
Tampa Bay is 3-4 and has lost two straight as huge favorites. The Buccaneers fell to Pittsburgh as 9.5-point favorites and to the Panthers last week as 13-point chalk in the biggest upset of the season.
The Ravens are 4-3 and coming off a 23-20 win over Cleveland.
“Lots of money on the Bucs but it’s not too bad,” South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said via text message. “Decent two-way action.”
The consensus total for the game is 46.
“Some money showing on the under with the struggles of these two offenses,” Esposito said.
The Ravens have attracted 71 percent of the spread bets and 64 percent of the spread handle at BetMGM. Baltimore is seeing 53 percent of the money-line bets, but the Buccaneers are seeing 54 percent of the handle.
The most-bet props at BetMGM are Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette to score the first touchdown (8-1), Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans to score anytime touchdown (+105) and Evans over 68½ receiving yards (-120).
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.