Are the Cleveland Browns poised to make a Super Bowl run? Bettors think so.
The 2019 NFL season is set to kickoff, and the Cleveland Browns have become the most popular bet to win the 2020 Super Bowl. That's right, the Browns, who just two years ago were on a historic 1-31 losing run with Cleveland's clueless coach, quarterback, personnel and management decisions drawing the wrath and comedy of comments from fans and media across the NFL. That included from bettors, who were in disbelief watching the Browns invent new ways to lose.
Following the Browns 7-8-1 finish to last season, hope has been restored in Cleveland. And the oddsmakers have made a Browns team that missed the playoffs one of the top choices to win the 2020 Super Bowl.
According to information from leading online sportsbooks SportsBetting.ag and industry leader BetOnline.ag, the Super Bowl favorites are getting plenty of action, but some aren't the teams books will be rooting against the most this season. It is interesting to compare the differences between the two sportsbooks.
Here are current Super Bowl, AFC, NFC, division and win total odds.
Teams that have received most bets to win Super Bowl:
(Report from SportsBetting.ag)
1. Cleveland Browns (8.5 percent of all wagers)
2. New England Patriots (7.4)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (6.7)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (6.3)
5. Chicago Bears (5.1)
(Report from BetOnline.ag)
1. Kansas City Chiefs (9.0 percent of all wagers)
2. New Orleans Saints (7.0)
3. New England Patriots (6.3)
4. Cleveland Browns (5.8)
5. Chicago Bears (5.6)
Teams that will incur largest loss for the sportsbook if they win Super Bowl:
(Report from SportsBetting.ag)
1. Browns
2. Eagles
3. Colts
(Report from BetOnline.ag)
1. Browns
2. Bears
3. Packers
The Browns to win the Super Bowl are the biggest liability for both sportsbooks. Cleveland will look to get off to a winning start in Week 1 when the Browns host the Tennessee Titans as a 5.5-point favorite. The Browns are currently taking 69% of the spread bets from a consensus of seven leading online sportsbooks tracked by Sports Insights.
Teams that have received fewest bets to win Super Bowl:
(Remainder of data from SportsBetting.ag)
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0.8 percent of all wagers)
2. Tennessee Titans (1.2)
3. Cincinnati Bengals (1.3)
4. Miami Dolphins (1.3)
5. Arizona Cardinals (1.4)
Teams that have received most bets to win conference:
AFC
1. Chiefs
2. Browns
3. Patriots
NFC
1. Eagles
2. Bears
3. Cowboys
The teams getting the most over/under bets for their regular season win totals hints at who the professional bettors think will outperform and underperform this year. Also, a few of the bet counts for the division odds are a bit surprising.
Top two teams in each division that have received most bets to win division (odds)
AFC East - Bills (+800), Patriots (-400)
AFC North - Browns (+165), Steelers (+125)
AFC South - Colts (+400), Jaguars (+210)
AFC West - Raiders (+1600), Chargers (+175)
NFC East - Eagles (-150), Cowboys (+200)
NFC North - Bears (+190), Packers (+190)
NFC South - Falcons (+350), Panthers (+450)
NFC West - 49ers (+450), Cardinals (+1600)
Teams that have received most bets to go OVER their regular season win total:
1. Bills (7.5)
2. Colts (7.5)
3. Panthers (8)
Teams that have received most bets to go UNDER their regular season win total:
1. Raiders (6)
2. Redskins (6.5)
3. Dolphins (4.5)
The three players with the most action to win MVP are 24 years old or younger, and while the guy with the most bets is a bit of shocker, the fact that all three are quarterbacks is not.
1. Deshaun Watson
2. Baker Mayfield
3. Patrick Mahomes
4. Aaron Rodgers
5. Carson Wentz
Annually we see nearly half the playoff field turnover. Last season, the Ravens, Texans, Chargers and Colts made the playoffs in the AFC after none of them made the playoffs the previous year. Both Houston and Indianapolis won 4-games the previous season and then made the playoffs last season. In the NFC, the Bears and Cowboys won their divisions last season after missing the playoffs the previous year, and the Seahawks returned to the playoffs as well. So seven new teams made the playoffs last year after missing out the previous season. The Bears, like the Texans, were a worst-to-first team in their division after Chicago won just 5-games the previous season.
The Browns appear to be poised for a breakthrough in 2019, as not only is their season win total set at 9, but bettors have bought into the Browns driving Cleveland's Super Bowl odds down to 18-1 at BetOnline.
NFL Contests
BetOnline.ag has added sign-up bonuses and is providing bettors another chance to win with their annual NFL contests.
$100,000 worth of guaranteed cash is on-the-line in their NFL Survivor Contest. After you enter, come back weekly and pick a team that will win their upcoming game outright. If your team wins, you move on. If your team loses, you are out. Make it through 17 weeks without a loss and win the six-figure payout.
Get in on the action for just $25. The more times you enter, the better the odds of winning the cash and the bigger your entry fee discount.
BetOnline also has a $250,000 Mega Contest, which pays $100,000 to the 1st place winner. Pick your top five ATS winners each of the 17 weeks of the NFL season. Finish in the Top-40 and win a share of the guaranteed $250,000 cash prize pool.
If you're looking for winning NFL picks to add to your betting portfolio and weekly contests, follow Fairway's Football Forecast again this season as we shoot for another winning year after going 35-19 ATS (64.8%) selecting only underdogs including 21-7 ATS the second half of the 2018 season.
FairwayJay is a leading national sports handicapper and is recognized as one of the sports industry's most insightful analysts. Read more great insights from Jay here and follow him on Twitter: @FairwayJay