Bookies Rebrands As It Expands

Indianapolis and New England are two teams with loads of NFL playoff experience, both play at home this weekend, both are big favorites and both are getting little respect from bettors at Sportsbook.

The Colts are a 6.5 point favorite against the Kansas City Chiefs at the RCA Dome, but fans aren't convinced that Peyton Manning and company will pull through. Current betting trends show a nation divided with Kansas City garnering 51 per cent of the wagers. The patriots, one of the most accomplished teams of the past five seasons, with three Super Bowl wins behind them, are a 9 point bet against the surprising New York Jets, but only 21 per cent of bettors are backing them to cover the spread.

In the NFC games, the addition of Terrell Owens has not yet paid dividends for the Dallas Cowboys. Bill Parcels will lead his team onto the field in Seattle as the 2.5 point underdogs. Fans are securely behind the Seahawks in the match up with 78 per cent of wagers going their way. Even with the loss of QB Donovan McNabb, the Philadelphia Eagles didn't lose flight at the end of the regular season. Five straight wins and home field advantage make Philadelphia the 6.5 point favorite going into Sunday's game against the New York Giants.

The unstoppable LaDainian Tomlinson has catapulted the San Diego Chargers to the top of their game, and at 5-2 odds, the Bolts retain their stronghold as the favorite to capture the Super Bowl. The Baltimore Ravens are close behind at 4-1, followed by Chicago at 9-2 and New Orleans at 6-1. The Saints were a whopping 80-1 bet to win the Super Bowl when the lines opened for the 2006 - 2007 season, so should they march away with the trophy, a bettor who took the long shot could profit $8000 off a $100 bet. However, of all the teams to qualify for the playoffs, the New York Jets had the worst odds of winning when the season began - 90-1. Their odds are now 50-1.