Underdog bettors at PlaySugarHouse.com and BetRivers.com were treated to three thrilling comeback victories in Sunday’s early games as Chicago, Washington and Jacksonville all defied the odds.
The first Sunday of the 2020 NFL season provided football fans and sports bettors with a level of excitement and action not seen in months, led by three thrilling comeback victories for betting underdogs in the early games. The Chicago Bears (+116 ML), Jacksonville Jaguars (+285 ML) and Washington Football Team (+205 ML) all rallied from behind in the second half to reward bettors at BetRivers and SugarHouse.
While the victories for Washington and Jacksonville were more unexpected in terms of spread (WFT +5.5, JAX +7.5), Chicago’s 27-23 win over the Detroit Lions provided the best finish of Week 1, and the largest portion of total NFL betting handle.
Mitchell Trubisky’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Miller with 41 seconds remaining wasn’t just Trubisky’s best throw of the game, but ensured that Bears moneyline – the strongest public ML lean across all BetRivers.com and PlaySugarHouse.com regions – was a winner.
The Bears covered (+2.5 points), which was the ninth most popular Sunday NFL bet by total betting volume. The Chicago win ensured wins for bettors wagering on Bears moneyline, Bears +2.5 points (-110), Bears vs. Lions Over 42.5 points (-112), Mitchell Trubisky Over 2.5 TDs (+250), and Anthony Miller TD Catch (+210).
In the state of Illinois, Bears moneyline was the most popular NFL wager, with 45 percent of all NFL bets. Bears vs. Lions was the most wagered Sunday event in the state, responsible for 22 percent of the total Sunday handle in the state.
While both the Eagles and Colts were on the wrong end of comeback victories, Philadelphia vs. Washington was the most popular weekend betting event in the state of Pennsylvania, responsible for 31 percent of the total weekend handle in the state. Colts vs. Jaguars was the most wagered-on weekend betting event in the state of Indiana, responsible for 37 percent of the total weekend handle in the state.
But no game was a more popular NFL game to bet on across all BetRivers.com and PlaySugarHouse.com markets than Buccaneers vs. Saints, responsible for 27 percent of all Sunday NFL bets. Led by first-ballot Hall of Fame QBs in Tom Brady and Drew Brees, the Saints’ 34-23 win over the Buccaneers trailed only the Bears vs. Lions in terms of total Sunday NFL handle. The public was heavy on Over 47.5 points, leading to a win for 90% of Saints vs. Buccaneer Over/Under bettors.
Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season will wrap up with a Monday night doubleheader featuring Steelers (-265) at Giants(+205) and Titans (-108) at Broncos (+145).
