Pro bettors, public on opposite sides of Rams-Vikings game Thursday
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The betting public is all over the Vikings to bounce back from their first loss when they play the Rams on “Thursday Night Football.” But professional sports bettors are backing Los Angeles as a home underdog.
Sharp money on the Rams +3 (-115) at the Westgate SuperBook on Thursday caused the line to drop to Vikings -2½ (-115).
“Tickets almost 2-1 ratio on Vikings from public,” SuperBook vice president of risk Jeff Sherman said in a text message.
At Station Sports, 86 percent of the tickets are on Minnesota, which won and covered its first five games before Sunday’s 31-29 loss to the Lions.
“But we’ve seen some of the larger bets, some sharp bets, come in on the Rams,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “This is kind of your typical Joes versus pros, where the public is clearly on the Vikings but we’ve seen some sharp action on the Rams.”
Esposito said the sharp angle is partly due to reports that Rams star wide receiver Cooper Kupp is expected to return from an ankle injury Thursday. There’s reportedly a chance star wideout Puka Nacua might return from a knee injury as well.
“That’s probably a big part of it, plus the Vikings are coming off their first loss and traveling across the country,” Esposito said. “I still think when they kick off, we’ll ultimately need the Rams in this game because the public will outshine everything else.
"But the larger bets have come in on the Rams, and we’ll need that side, too.”
The Vikings are -140 on the money line, while the Rams are +120.
At BetMGM, 80 percent of the tickets and 78 percent of the money is on the Vikings.
BetMGM analyst John Ewing posted that NFL teams getting more than 50 percent of the bets are 20-7-1 ATS the last two weeks.
The total is 48 after opening at 46. At BetMGM, 57 percent of the tickets and 56 percent of the money is on the over.
The Rams (2-4, 1-5 ATS) beat the Raiders 20-15 on Sunday but failed to cover.
