In Week 8, public betting trends are heavily favoring the Lions, Broncos, and Packers in their respective matchups. We analyze the latest betting splits, including spread and handle percentages, to see where the majority of tickets are landing and which outcomes the sportsbooks would love to see come Sunday.
Lions (5-1) -11.5 vs. Titans (1-5)
Was there really any doubt as to which team would be the most popular this week among square bettors? The Detroit Lions are the epitome of what it means to be square at this point, the true public darlings of NFL betting. This weekend, they are taking on the 1-5 Tennessee Titans at home and are a massive -11.5 favorite over at BetMGM. It appears that they can’t make the spread large enough to stop the public betting masses from wagering on them, as they will bet Detroit at nearly any number.
Our friend John Ewing, who works in Data and PR at BetMGM, was kind enough to share the latest betting splits at his sportsbook, which will tell us where the tickets and money are going for each game right now. Taking a look immediately at the Lions, you will discover just how much people love them.
A whopping 86% of the spread tickets have all been written for Detroit, as well as a gigantic 89% of the total spread handle. Everyone under the sun is expecting a total blowout this weekend. What a huge win it would be for the house if the Titans managed to cover in this game, and an outright win might enact euphoria behind the counter.
Broncos (4-3) -10 vs. Panthers (1-6)
Here’s a team that usually isn’t such a public pick, but considering the opponent they will be facing this weekend, I am not shocked at all that everyone is hammering them. The Denver Broncos get a date at home with the Carolina Panthers, and are currently a huge -10 favorite in the market at BetMGM. This was a -7 spread at open, but then the news was announced that QB Andy Dalton would be out, and the Panthers would start former No. 1 pick Bryce Young again after he was benched for being awful earlier this season.
Of course, the public hates Young probably as much as they hated Deshaun Watson, and will fade him into Oblivion at every chance they get. Taking a look at the betting splits for this game, we have yet another lopsided affair. Know that 84% of tickets have been written on the Broncos spread, which have accounted for 89% of the total spread handle as well.
Much like the Titans, the sportsbooks would absolutely love it if Young and the Panthers were somehow able to keep the game within 10 points, and would jump for joy if they actually managed to win the game outright. Maybe that is keeping high hopes, but we have seen things just as crazy happen this season.
Packers (5-2) -4 at Jaguars (2-5)
The Green Bay bandwagon is starting to pick up speed now, as it does virtually every year since 1992. Have you ever seen a team that has been so blessed with starting QB play like the Packers have had for over 30 years? It’s just an insane amount of luck, and with that type of QB play, comes the natural bandwagon of public bettors each year. Perhaps this is what has kept Green Bay to just two championships in 30 years of Hall of Fame QB play.
Jordan Love is the next in line to receive all the, well, love from the public. They get a matchup with the 2-5 Jaguars on the road, who are coming off of an extended trip to London. That could have something to do with why people don’t like them here, but in reality, it’s the 5-2 Packers against the Jags. Taking a look at the betting splits, we actually see something very rare here. While a huge 81% of tickets are on Green Bay, 59% of the total handle is on Jacksonville.
This shows that a lot of big money bettors are on the Jags to cover this spread, as 59% of the money is on just 19% of tickets. However, despite that, I am sure Green Bay is in a lot of moneyline parlays. A Jacksonville win would knock those out, which would be very beneficial for the books.
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