The 2024 NFL season kicked off with a bang, delivering thrilling matchups and intense betting action. Week 1 saw plenty of excitement both on the field and at the sportsbooks, with the public heavily backing teams like the Ravens, Eagles, and Lions. As always, some bets cashed big for the masses, while others fell short. From near-upsets to dominant performances, let’s dive into the public betting trends and how they shaped the opening week’s results.
NFL Opener a Winning Result for Sportsbooks
The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs opened up the 2024 NFL Season last Thursday, and with it, the large handle of sports bets began. There is no doubt that an incredible amount of money was wagered on this game, and in the end, the sportsbooks got an overall favorable result.
The Chiefs opened -2.5 and got up to -3 at kickoff, while the total opened at 46.5 and was back at that number at kick. According to BetMGM’s John Ewing, 64 percent of bets and 58 percent of money was on the Ravens to win the game at +125 on the moneyline. Whenever most of the tickets and money is on a number with a + sign in front of it, the books will need the favorite badly.
They avoided their biggest liability in the game by a toe, as the Ravens were in position to score a touchdown to tie the game or potentially go for the win, but Isaiah Likely was out of bounds - by his big toe. Kansas City managed to hold on for a 27-20 win, ending the public’s hope of an upset.
The under was also a very popular bet, with 60 percent of tickets and 64 percent of the money on that side of the closing 46.5. The game ended at 47, thus sinking a lot of people.
Eagles Notch a Public Win for Bettors in Brazil
The first NFL game in Brazil garnered a ton of action at the sportsbooks as an island game, and the result was mostly a win for the betting public. The Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles matched up in South America, and the majority of people were betting on the birds to cover the number.
The Eagles opened at -1.5 in the game and closed as a -2 favorite. According to Ewing, 70 percent of bets and 64 percent of the money was on Philly to cover.
It was a back and forth affair for the majority of the game, with each team trading blows one after the other. In the end, however, the Eagles came away with a 34-29 win after QB Jordan Love was injured on a potential game-winning drive.
This allowed the birds to cover the number and ensured a public win.
Patriots Come Up HUGE for the Sportsbooks
Perhaps no team this week made a bigger impact at the betting counter than the New England Patriots, the biggest underdog of Week 1. They closed at +8 on the road in Cincinnati against Joe Burrow and the Bengals, who were practically in every parlay as either a moneyline pick or in a teaser bet.
A gigantic 76 percent of bets and 77 percent of the money was on the Bengals spread in this game, and that isn’t counting the huge amount of parlay and teaser liability that they presented for books.
Neither one of these teams looked that good in the game, especially the offenses, which did nearly nothing for four quarters. Burrow looked average at best and struggled to generate anything against the Pats defense, while the New England offense also underwhelmed for most of the game.
However, in the end, the Patriots pulled off the biggest upset of the week, and decimated the public in the process. New England was the biggest need for the books on Sunday.
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Jags Lose, But Cover for the Books
Another team that the public loved in Week 1 was the Miami Dolphins at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Miami opened at -3.5 and that is what they closed at as well. According to Ewing, 63 percent of bets and 50 percent of the handle was on the Dolphins to cover here.
Jacksonville was in control the entire game for the most part, up 17-7 and were driving for another touchdown to put the game away. However, RB Travis Etienne fumbled the ball at the goal line, which the Dolphins recovered in the end zone. They immediately scored a long touchdown to Tyreek Hill on the following drive to make it 17-14, and then managed to tie the game at 17.
In the closing seconds, Miami hit a game-winning field goal to win 20-17, but they failed to cover the number for public bettors. It was the fourth biggest need for BetMGM on Sunday.
Lions were Biggest Public Win of the Day
Sunday Night Football in Week 1 is always special, and we got a great game last night between the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions. The home team opened as a -3.5 favorite and closed at -5, and nearly the entire planet was on the Lions to cover.
According to Ewing, 75 percent of bets and 78 percent of the money was on Detroit spread. In addition to that, 58 percent of bets and 67 percent of the money was on the Lions moneyline. They were also a very popular play in parlays. The sportsbook clearly was rooting for Los Angeles in this game.
The Lions went up 17-3 at one point, but collapsed and allowed the Rams to take a 20-17 lead late in the game. It seemed like the public masses would lose yet again, but some really dumb play calling and poor defense late allowed the Lions to tie the game and send it to overtime 20-20. As any bettor knows, OT is where underdogs go to die.
Detroit sealed a 26-20 win, and with it, came up huge for square bettors in a primetime island spot.
Week 1 of the NFL season set the tone for what promises to be an action-packed betting year. While the public scored some significant wins, especially in primetime games, sportsbooks also managed to avoid major losses with key upsets. As the season progresses, both sharps and casual bettors will be looking for their edge. Stay tuned for more insights as we head into Week 2, where new opportunities and challenges await for NFL bettors.
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