Sportsbooks say that the showdown between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick — which is to be played tomorrow morning Taiwan time — is shaping up to be the most heavily bet on NFL game of the regular season.
Brady, a six-time Super Bowl champion, returns to the Gillette Stadium for the first time as a member of the visiting team, leading defending champions the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the New England Patriots.
People are falling all over themselves to bet on the clash.
Photo: AP
“We expect this game to be the biggest game of the season,” said FanDuel spokesman Kevin Hennessy. “Tom Brady has always been popular with FanDuel customers. The Patriots were always a popular team for betting, and a lot of that has transferred to the Bucs.”
FanDuel, which is the official odds provider for The Associated Press, said that 95 percent of bets are on Tampa Bay to cover the seven-point spread.
Other sportsbooks report similarly lopsided betting action on Brady and the Bucs, and they expect a cascade of cash in the final hour before kick-off on Sunday night in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
“It’s safe to say the book will be pulling for the Patriots on Sunday,” said Wyatt Yearout, a spokesman for PointsBet. “It is on track to be the biggest regular-season NFL game ever at PointsBet, and it’s not even close. It is the most heavily bet game by far and we haven’t even entered the weekend yet, when a majority of the action normally comes.”
At BetMGM on Friday, 92 percent of the money was on Tampa Bay to cover; at Caesars Sportsbook, it was 97 percent.
Brady played quarterback for the Patriots for his first 20 seasons before leaving last year to lead Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl victory. Sunday night’s game is his first against his old team and coach.
The revenge angle — on both sides — is an appealing one to gamblers.
“Brady wants to show: ‘Is it you, coach Belichick, that made this team great for so many years, or was it me?’” said Johnny Avello, head of sportsbook for DraftKings. “There’s a lot of motivation for Brady, but there’s also motivation on the other side. [New England rookie quarterback] Mac Jones wants to show he belongs, and say: ‘Move over, Brady, it’s a new era.’”
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