Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Federal Immigration Crackdown Threatens California’s Historic Housing Reforms

2 hours ago

US House Clears Procedural Hurdle on Cryptocurrency Legislation

3 hours ago

Fresno County Lifts Evacuation Order for Max Fire Near Pine Flat Lake

4 hours ago

Newsom Calls Trump a ‘Son of a B***h’ Over ICE Raids and Guard Deployment

4 hours ago

Trump Indicated to Republican Lawmakers He Will Fire Fed’s Powell, CBS Reports

5 hours ago

Wall Street Steadies as Investors Assess Inflation Data, Earnings

6 hours ago

Trump Administration Sued by US States for Cutting Disaster Prevention Grants

6 hours ago

Open Mic Contest Offers Fans a Chance to Perform at Outside Lands 2025

7 hours ago

PBS and NPR Mount Last-Ditch Fight to Save Federal Funding

1 day ago
Bettors Banking on Eagles Resurgence, Cowboys Regression as NFL Season Begins
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 11 months ago on
August 31, 2024

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Robert Quinn during the second half of the NFC Championship, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP File)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

LAS VEGAS — The Eagles looked as if they were ready to return to the Super Bowl last season after beating the Bills 37-34 in overtime to move to 10-1.

Then Philadelphia fell apart, losing six of its final seven games, including a 32-9 stinker in the playoffs to the Buccaneers.

But now the Eagles are back to form — or at least many bettors are banking on it.

Eagles Favored to Win NFC East

Joey Feazel, head football trader for Caesars Sportsbook, said those placing bets believe not playing a first-place NFC East schedule should help the Eagles. He also pointed to the arrivals of coordinators Kellen Moore on offense and Vic Fangio on defense as reasons to believe both sides of the ball will improve.

Division rival Dallas is playing a first-place schedule, and Feazel said that coupled with the Cowboys being noticeably quiet during the offseason has bettors going the other way on Big D and toward the Eagles.

“If the Cowboys regress significantly, which is what the sharps (professional bettors) are perceiving, the division’s not going to be a problem,” Feazel said. “It’s going to put them in that prime spot to win that division and go for that one or two seed (in the NFC).”

The Eagles are -150 favorites at Caesars to win the division, meaning a $150 bet would pay $100. Dallas is next at +185, which means a $100 wager would pay $185.

NFC North Up for Grabs

The NFC North figures to be one of the more competitive divisions. Detroit is the +130 favorite at DraftKings, followed by Green Bay at +230 and Chicago at +280.

There are arguments for each team.

The Lions made the NFC championship game last season, the Packers came on strong late behind quarterback Jordan Love, and the Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams No. 1 overall this year to go with some quality weapons.

“People think that (the Lions are) going to have one of those spectacular years again, and they might,” DraftKings race and sports operations director Johnny Avello said. “There are three teams right there that are all in the hunt to win that division.”

The Packers are known as a public team, meaning they draw heavy wagering almost no matter what the circumstances.

Avello said the Bears have a similar core audience.

“There are Bears fans all over the country, so they take money when people have low expectations for them,” Avello said. “People are looking for a new Bear team that maybe doesn’t win it this year, but on the rise to better things to happen in the future.”

New Kickoff Rule’s Impact on Scoring

Feazel said some bettors expect an increase in scoring because of the new rule that encourages more kickoff returns, but Caesars is taking more of a wait-and-see approach.

He said that while the expectation is teams will receive about a four-yard drive advantage, there could be more punts that pin opposing offenses deep when those series stall.

“So we’re not overreacting,” Feazel said. “I think it might increase the (point) totals, but we saw such low totals overall last year. It will be interesting to see if that really does make an impact this year because we saw so many unders last year.”

Chiefs’ Three-Peat Bid Not Drawing Much Action

Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City will try to make history by becoming the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls, but the Chiefs aren’t getting a lot of betting action.

“You get some fans that say Mahomes can do it again, but that’s usually coming from Chiefs fans,” said Jay Kornegay, Westgate Las Vegas vice president of race and sports operations. “You get regular football fans out there that are betting other teams.”

Award Favorites

The favorites for the major awards at BetMGM Sportsbook are:

1. MVP: Mahomes, +500

2. Offensive Player of the Year: San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey and Miami’s Tyreek Hill each at +750

3. Defensive Player of the Year: Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt at +550

4. Offensive Rookie of the Year: Chicago’s Williams at +130

5. Defensive Rookie of the Year: Indianapolis’s Laiatu Latu and Minnesota’s Dallas Turner each at +400

6. Coach of the Year: Los Angeles Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh and the Bears’ Matt Eberflus each at +900

7. Comeback Player of the Year: New York Jets’ Aaron Rodgers at +175

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Open Mic Contest Offers Fans a Chance to Perform at Outside Lands 2025

DON'T MISS

So Your Doctor Is a DO. Does That Matter?

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Found Dead After Hike Near Courtright Reservoir

DON'T MISS

Former US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Phone Company Hacking, Extortion Case

DON'T MISS

Fresno City Attorney Briefly Ineligible to Practice Law, Cites State Bar Error

DON'T MISS

Grass Fire East of Sanger Contained at 21 Acres, CalFire Says

DON'T MISS

Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon

DON'T MISS

What to Know About the Epstein Files, a Perfect Recipe for Conspiracy Theories

DON'T MISS

US Military to Remove 2,000 National Guard Troops From Los Angeles

DON'T MISS

Mexico Pledges Action Should US Talks Fail by August Tariff Deadline

UP NEXT

So Your Doctor Is a DO. Does That Matter?

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Found Dead After Hike Near Courtright Reservoir

UP NEXT

Former US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Phone Company Hacking, Extortion Case

UP NEXT

Fresno City Attorney Briefly Ineligible to Practice Law, Cites State Bar Error

UP NEXT

Grass Fire East of Sanger Contained at 21 Acres, CalFire Says

UP NEXT

Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon

UP NEXT

What to Know About the Epstein Files, a Perfect Recipe for Conspiracy Theories

UP NEXT

US Military to Remove 2,000 National Guard Troops From Los Angeles

UP NEXT

Mexico Pledges Action Should US Talks Fail by August Tariff Deadline

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Arrest Armed Man Found Asleep in Car

Federal Immigration Crackdown Threatens California’s Historic Housing Reforms

2 hours ago

Fresno Fire Destroys Vacant Building on Blackstone Avenue

2 hours ago

US House Clears Procedural Hurdle on Cryptocurrency Legislation

3 hours ago

Madera County Launches New Team to Tackle Homelessness, Mental Health Crises

3 hours ago

US Senate Pushes Toward Aid, Public Broadcasting Cuts Sought by Trump

3 hours ago

Authorities Seek Answers After Man Found Dead Near Rural Fresno County Road

3 hours ago

Fresno County Lifts Evacuation Order for Max Fire Near Pine Flat Lake

4 hours ago

Newsom Calls Trump a ‘Son of a B***h’ Over ICE Raids and Guard Deployment

4 hours ago

Governors Should Be the Face of the Democratic Party

4 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Ryan Joseph Enos

4 hours ago

Bains Is Challenging Valadao. An Early Look at Fundraising.

Jasmeet Bains made it official Wednesday morning, challenging Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, for Congress. And you can well expect Medi-Cal ...

1 hour ago

1 hour ago

Bains Is Challenging Valadao. An Early Look at Fundraising.

U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein appears in a photograph taken for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services' sex offender registry March 28, 2017 and obtained by Reuters July 10, 2019. New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
1 hour ago

Trump, White House Race to Stem Epstein Conspiracy Fallout

2 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Judge Gives Green Light to 4-Story NW Fresno Apt. Complex

Elk Grove California Housing Construction 2022
2 hours ago

Federal Immigration Crackdown Threatens California’s Historic Housing Reforms

A vacant building on North Blackstone Avenue in Fresno was destroyed by fire Tuesday, July 15, 2025, night, though firefighters prevented it from spreading to nearby structures. (Fresno FD)
2 hours ago

Fresno Fire Destroys Vacant Building on Blackstone Avenue

A general view of the U.S. Capitol dome in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 8, 2025. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
3 hours ago

US House Clears Procedural Hurdle on Cryptocurrency Legislation

Madera County has launched H.E.A.R.T Madera, a multi-agency team focused on compassionate outreach and crisis intervention for people experiencing homelessness and behavioral health challenges. (Shutterstock)
3 hours ago

Madera County Launches New Team to Tackle Homelessness, Mental Health Crises

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) walks to the Senate floor as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 1, 2025. (Reuters File)
3 hours ago

US Senate Pushes Toward Aid, Public Broadcasting Cuts Sought by Trump

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend