If you checked in on this weekly article series ahead of Week 8, you would’ve caught that the Ravens and Packers were both popular NFL picks against the spread on DraftKings Sportsbook. At the same time, the betting splits for the individual games indicated neither was a sharp pick. (That said, Baltimore flat-out losing was still a shocker.)
Similar to last go-around, the same three teams rank among the most popular NFL picks against the spread in Week 9 — in terms of Most Popular by Total Handle and Most Popular by Number of Bets. And the question around these three NFL teams remains the same in Week 9: Does the popularity of these picks mean you should back them on DraftKings Sportsbook?
Let’s dig through these Week 9 NFL picks, which will be listed in order of Most Popular by Total Handle.
No 1: Detroit Lions
Total Bets Ranking: 3
Opponent: Green Bay Packers
Opening Line: -3
Current Line: +1
Detroit is the only team featured last week that’s repeating this week. The Lions were also the only team to cover among these popular plays.
After opening as an underdog, Detroit hasn’t firmly remained the favorite since. After peaking as a 5-point favorite, there has been regression to the key 3-point mark.
The fluctuations around the spread do make it harder to gauge the splits. Still, take note that the Lions have seen 77% of the spread bets but only 69% of the handle.
No 2: Buffalo Bills
Total Bets Ranking: 2
Opponent: Miami Dolphins
Opening Line: -5.5
Current Line: -6
This line hasn’t moved nearly as much as Detroit, only topping out at 6.5 while never going below the opening mark. That gives the splits more weight.
Bettors backing the Bills against the spread have accounted for 71% of this game’s spread handle. However, that handle is built on 77% of the bets. Not a massive lean toward the Dolphins covering in Week 9, but a lean nonetheless.
No 3: Washington Commanders
Total Bets Ranking: 3
Opponent: New York Giants
Opening Line: -3
Current Line: -4
Similar to Buffalo’s spread, this has not moved much or dipped below its opening mark. The current mark of 4-even is also the peak for this spread.
This game has the smallest gap in splits of any NFL Week 9 picks against the spread featured today. Eighty-five percent of the spread bets from Washington-New York have been on the Commanders. Those bets have accounted for 84% of the handle.
Definitely worth tracking this game’s splits all the way up until kickoff.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment.
