Time flies when you’re having fun. It’s hard to believe but football bettors are already at the midway mark of the NFL schedule, rolling into November and Week 9. Now that we’re at the middle of the season, here’s a look back at the best and worst bets on the NFL gridiron so far from our top handicappers.
Best
Dallas Cowboys (6-1 SU, 6-1 ATS)
The roar coming out of AT&T Stadium this past Sunday night, when Jason Witten caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime versus Philadelphia, was only slightly louder than the cheer coming from Las Vegas, where Dallas bettors covered the -5 thanks to Jason Garrett not settling for a field goal in OT. The Cowboys, behind rookie standouts Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott, are rolling over quality opponents and taking care of their backers along the way. Dallas has eaten up clock with its dominating rushing attack, keeping opposing offenses off the field – which helps the defense limit its exposure. All that equals some big dollars in Big D.
Worst
San Francisco 49ers (1-6 SU, 1-6 ATS)
The Niners picked up their only win and cover in the opening week of the season, shutting out the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. Since then, San Francisco has been the laughing stock of the league and is struggling mightily to get going under new head coach Chip Kelly. The Niners sit last in total yards, with 290 per game, and are terribly one-dimensional with the passing game in shambles, no matter if it’s Blaine Gabbert or Colin Kaepernick under center. Bettors can expect the 49ers’ pointspreads to get even bigger, with five of their final nine games coming on the road.
Best
New England Patriots (7-1 SU, 7-1 ATS)
The NFL didn’t do the Patriots’ opponents any favors when they suspended Tom Brady for the first four games of the season. Not only did that piss Bill Belichick off, but it gave Brady plenty of motivation once he did return – and we’ve seen that in his four games under center. New England was an average favorite of nearly eight points in those games, and blew away its foes by an average score of 34-18 – easily covering those growing piles of chalk. Those spreads will continue to climb but there may not be a tipping point when it comes to the Pats, who are out to prove themselves in 2016. It’s going to be hilarious watching Roger Goodell hand Brady the MVP award at the end of the season.
