One second made a world of difference for the public betting masses on Saturday. A simple tick of the clock turned college football Week 1 odds on their head.
Huge favorite Michigan got a second shot at a Hail Mary, turning what was seemingly a 12-7 upset loss into a stunning 13-12 victory over Western Michigan.
It was equally stunning for bookmakers.
“That extra play and successful Hail Mary was a massive swing for the book,” BetMGM trading manager Adair Horne said. “We went from a big winner to a loser.”
That’s what moneyline parlays can do.
Oddsmakers from Las Vegas and across the country chimed in to recap the weekend that was in college football betting.
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Like Clockwork
Michigan was a 27.5-point home favorite vs. Western Michigan. The first drive went as expected, with the Wolverines rolling 75 yards to take a 7-0 lead.
But that would be the only Michigan score until the game’s final play, on which the Wolverines ostensibly got a do-over.
On second-and-10 from Western Michigan’s 47-yard line, the final seven seconds appeared to run off as Bryce Underwood’s Hail Mary fell incomplete outside the back of the end zone. But upon review, officials deemed a Broncos defender touched the ball while out of bounds with one second remaining, which ended the play … and put one second back on the clock.
The second time was a charm, as Underwood connected with a leaping JJ Buchanan to give Michigan the improbable 13-12 victory.
That TD helped the masses cash their moneyline parlays that included Michigan. And there were a lot of ‘em.
“We took six times the amount of bets on Michigan moneyline compared with Western Michigan,” Horne said, noting most of those moneyline plays were on parlay tickets.
Added Joey Feazel, Caesars Sports head of football trading: “Michigan was a popular selection on the moneyline for parlays. Bettors were certainly pleased to see that one second added on the clock for the second Hail Mary attempt.”
Additionally, a Fanatics Sportsbook customer made a huge in-game bet in the waning seconds, when a Michigan loss appeared imminent. The bettor put $10,000 on Michigan +2800 moneyline.
When the prayer was answered, that customer banked a $280,000 win (total payout $290,000).
High-Flying Favorites
Horne said BetMGM had a mixed-bag result in college football Week 1 odds. Big favorites delivered in big ways for the betting public over the past few days.
“Customers found the most success with LSU-Clemson, Wisconsin-Notre Dame, Texas State-Texas and pretty much every other big favorite easily covering,” Horne said.
Lane Kiffin’s LSU debut was a cakewalk, with the Tigers pounding Clemson 51-10 as 10.5-point home favorites. At BetMGM, LSU was the most-bet team of any on the full Saturday schedule, taking the most tickets and money on the spread.
Arch Manning and the Longhorns were 29.5-point home favorites vs. Texas State and rolled 59-7.
On Sunday night, Notre Dame whacked Wisconsin 41-13 as a 21-point favorite at Lambeau Field. At halftime, the Irish led just 13-10.
“Notre Dame covering hurt, after Wisconsin put up a huge fight in the first half,” Horne said.
Falling-Flat Favorites
Horne also noted a few key games that fell in the sportsbooks’ favor.
“Bettors had the most difficulties with Washington State vs. Washington, Colorado vs. Georgia Tech, Oregon vs. Boise State and Baylor vs. Auburn,” Horne said.
Indeed, all four favorites — Washington -23.5, Georgia Tech -6.5, Oregon -24.5, Auburn -6.5 — failed to cover the spread. And the Yellow Jackets lost outright against coach Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes.
Georgia Tech led 13-7 late, but allowed a touchdown with 37 seconds left. Then Colorado blocked the Jackets’ game-winning field-goal attempt as time expired.
The public was all over Georgia Tech at BetMGM, more so than any other team on an 11-game Thursday night slate.
