BetMGM sportsbook customers should be extra excited about the start of NFL betting season.
Sure, MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are taking the field tonight against the Houston Texans.
But there is a better reason. How does two free $10 bets sound?
And all you need to do is log in to your BetMGM sportsbook account or create one.
Dear friends,
The NFL is BACK and we're handing out $20 completely free! $10 today and $10 on Saturday.
All you have to do is…. log in 😃 pic.twitter.com/YelMXu037L
— BetMGM (@BetMGM) September 9, 2020
So if you want to wager $10 on the Chiefs -9.5 points, it’s on the house.
NJ sportsbooks apps rolling out free bets and strong odds boosts at the start of the 2020-21 NFL season is routine.
And it makes perfect sense, as this is the bigger season for sports betting in New Jersey.
With that in mind, here is a closer look at the early betting breakdown from BetMGM.
Eagles + Cowboys = NFC East bragging rights
Let the debate over which team will win the NFC East begin.
Based on the odds and betting data, the Dallas Cowboys are the slight early favorite. Of course, the Garden State is Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants country.
Here are the BetMGM odds as of 1 p.m. today:
- Cowboys -110
- Eagles +135
- Giants +1000
- Washington Football Team +1400
And out of those four teams, BetMGM said nearly 98% of the handle is on the Cowboys. The Giants are an extremely distant second, getting a tad under 1%.
Dallas is getting the bulk of the tickets, too, at 51%.
Believe it or not, the Eagles bet count percentage is the lowest of the four franchises, coming in at 8.28%.
BetMGM + NFC championship betting breakdown
Now, trying to figure out which team will win the NFC Championship gets a little trickier.
Besides the fact that there are 16 teams in the race, the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the entire preseason schedule.
So some of the Week 1 games may resemble preseason games; teams will be working out the kinks. The bottom line is all 16 of these teams want that championship crown and a chance to play in Super Bowl 55.
Tom Brady is a newcomer to this conversation, as he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the off-season. Guess where the Super Bowl is being played Feb. 7, 2021?
The change of scenery is reflected in the bet and handle percentages. According to BetMGM Sports, the Brady Bunch is attracting 16.54% of the handle. Dallas at 18.78% is the only team with a larger amount wagered.
Here is a closer look at the betting breakdown, including NFC championship odds.
| Team | Total bet count percentage | Handle percentage | Actual odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 7.01 | 5.40 | +450 |
| Saints | 8.54 | 5.71 | +550 |
| Seahawks | 14.18 | 10.93 | +650 |
| Buccaneers | 8.46 | 16.54 | +650 |
| Cowboys | 14.26 | 18.78 | +750 |
| Eagles | 3.14 | 4.42 | +1200 |
| Vikings | 6.45 | 5.24 | +1200 |
| Packers | 7.17 | 6.68 | +1600 |
| Cardinals | 6.04 | 2.26 | +1600 |
| Rams | 4.59 | 1.45 | +2500 |
| Bears | 4.83 | 1.78 | +2500 |
| Falcons | 2.18 | 2.20 | +2500 |
| Lions | 6.20 | 18.78 | +4000 |
| Panthers | 1.05 | 0.30 | +5000 |
| Giants | 2.82 | 1.27 | +5000 |
| Football Team | 3.06 | 1.94 | +7000 |
Chiefs still Super Bowl favorites at BetMGM
Getting back to the Chiefs, Super Bowl betting remains a hot topic.
As long as Mahomes is the starting quarterback, KC is considered a favorite. As of this morning, the AFC West squad and the Baltimore Ravens were leading the field at +600.
The San Francisco 49ers, who lost to Kansas City in Super Bowl 54, were next at +1000.
In terms of total bets and handle percentage, here is the breakdown provided by BetMGM, along with current Super Bowl odds for the top 10 teams and the locals. The Chiefs to repeat is at the top, but Dallas is second with 9% of the total handle.
| Team | Percentage of bets | Percentage of handle | Super Bowl odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 8.68 | 18.00 | +600 |
| Buccaneers | 7.17 | 8.50 | +1400 |
| Cowboys | 6.85 | 9.31 | +1600 |
| Seahawks | 6.49 | 5.70 | +1400 |
| Saints | 5.55 | 6.54 | +1200 |
| Ravens | 5.49 | 6.69 | +600 |
| 49ers | 5.15 | 5.42 | +1000 |
| Raiders | 4.67 | 2.83 | +8000 |
| Packers | 4.10 | 3.27 | +3500 |
| Steelers | 3.80 | 5.10 | +3000 |
| Eagles | 2.55 | 2.12 | +2500 |
| Giants | 2.07 | 0.86 | +10000 |
| Jets | 1.32 | 0.49 | +8000 |
So place those bets (including the freebies from BetMGM), sit back and wait to see if your bet slip is a winner.
Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
