Not much going on with the lines early in the NFL betting week at BookMaker.eu. A number of games have moved from between ½- to 1-point, which is normal. Two games have been wagered more than a point and only one has gone beyond a 2-point shift at the mid-week point. That one was a big move, though, with the Giants going from a pick ‘em to -3.5 for their Sunday NFC East tilt with the Skins.
Oddsmakers anticipate closer games in Week 14 of the regular season with only one line currently in double digits. Four games closed with a spread of at least 10 points in each of the past two weeks and the lone contest this week is the AFC clash between Pittsburgh and Oakland with the Steelers currently -10. If the line holds it will be the third straight game and fourth in the last five that the Silver and Black are getting at least 10 points. They covered the spread last week and are 1-2 ATS and 0-3 SU in those previous three games.
Let’s take a more in depth look at a few Week 14 games that have seen some shifting in the line since the numbers hit the board.
Week 14 Major Line Moves
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
Opening Line: Patriots -9
Current Line: Patriots -7
Not many teams can say they have the Pats number, but the Dolphins are one of them when these AFC East rivals meet in South Beach. There are worse places to play than in Miami in December and maybe that has something to do with New England’s struggles. It certainly isn’t because the Fins are a better team. It’s odd to say, but the Pats have dropped four of their last five trips to Miami.
New England opened as a 9-point favorite and apparently a large number of NFL fans know the history because the line was quickly wagered down to -7 with the Dolphins getting plenty of early support. The Dolphins won at home last season, stopping the Pats, 27-20, with Xavien Howard picking off a pair of Tom Brady passes. Howard leads the NFL this season with seven picks, but he could be unavailable for Sunday’s game due to a knee injury sustained last week, which is good news for Brady.
New York Giants at Washington Redskins
Opening Line: Pick ‘em
Current Line: Giants -3
If you saw Mark Sanchez play last week, you know why the line jumped as quickly as it did. You have to feel bad for Jay Gruden and the Skins as the injuries continue to pile up. Last season was wrecked due to bad health, but at least the Skins had their quarterback for the entire season. Maybe Kirk Cousins knew what was coming and that’s why he decided to get out of town. Three weeks ago the Skins lost Alex Smith to a broken leg and Colt McCoy experienced the same fate last week, leaving Sanchez as the starter moving forward.
That explains how a 4-8 last-place team is a field goal favorite on the road against a club that sits at 6-6. The Giants were pounded early forcing the opening line of a pick ‘em into the G-Men -4. There has been some buyback since, but it’s clear what the public thinks about the Skins’ chances with Sanchez at the helm.
Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals
Opening Line: Lions -1.5
Current Line: Lions -3
The only other game that’s seen more than a 1-point shift in the line through the middle of the week is this one, and it’s not really an appealing matchup with both clubs set to be officially eliminated from playoff contention, though they’ve both been out of the picture for a few weeks. Their win over the Packers last week didn’t inspire much confidence from the public in the Cards, who opened as a 1.5-point home dog.
Both teams have struggled to move and score the football, so the total is worth watching. There’s been movement there, too. That number has dropped a point to its current 40.5. The Lions held their own in first half of last week’s game against the Rams, but it was clear they didn’t have the talent to keep up. They get a team more along their level this week and the early action is favoring the visitors with 62 percent of the play on the Lions.
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