The last game of Sunday’s NFL Week 6 proved to be the most entertaining, and also the most profitable for savvy bettors. Kansas City lost to New England in a thriller, 43-40, but covered the spread for the sixth consecutive week.
The Chiefs were 3.5-point underdogs to the Patriots on the road. The half-point victory against the spread was the second time Kansas City has covered by a half-point. The first time was two weeks ago when they traveled to Denver and were 3.5-point favorites. They won the game, 27-23.
The big winner were those who bet the over. The line was 59, the largest over/under total since a 2004 Christmas Day contest between the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs. The line was 60, and Kansas City won, 31-30.
Sunday night’s match up was the first time an NFL game was decided by a 43-40 score. The over was easily reached, even when it was adjusted at half-time. In-game betting had it bump up to 63.5.
Week 6 saw four teams reach 40 or more points. In those three games, the over hit in all three.
That doesn’t mean bettors should start favoring the over, however. In Sunday’s 13 games, there wasn’t a line under 40 points, and the over/under was 6-6-1.
Two Defenses, Two Glaring Deficiencies
Both Denver and Oakland are having their issues with defense, and teams are exploiting their weakness. For Denver it’s the run, while Oakland can’t formulate a competent pass rush.
For the second consecutive week, the Denver Broncos defense gave up more than 200 yards rushing to one individual. Two games ago it was running back Isaiah Crowell, who had 219 yards on 15 carries. Against the Rams, Todd Gurley rushed for 209 yards on 28 carries.
Denver Coach Vance Joseph, who has been rumored to be on his way out, said the run defense, which ranks dead last, said it is an area that has to improve.
“As far as run defense, that’s a mindset deal,” Joseph said. “That’s not nice to look at. We didn’t tackle well, we didn’t fit well, that goes back to, obviously, having the mindset to stop the run. That’s two weeks in a row — unacceptable.”
The Broncos face Arizona next week and get a break. Starting running back David Johnson has just 297 yards total rushing in six games.
The Raiders problem is with the pass rush, and teams know it. Seattle’s quarterback Russell Wilson was 17 of 23 for 222 yards and three touchdowns in the team’s 27-3 victory.
Oakland is 19th in passing defense, mostly on their secondary, who did have an interception against Wilson.
Bad Beat of the Week
Rams backers were feeling pretty good about their chances of covering the seven points they were giving to the Denver Broncos. Los Angeles had covered or pushed for most of the game. That is until the three minute mark.
After the Rams kicked a field goal to make the score 23-13, Denver began at the own 23 with 3:09 remaining.
Denver’s quarterback Case Keenum marched them 76 yards to the 1-yard-line, and with 1:22 remaining, scored on a pass from Keenum to Demaryius Thomas, to cut the lead to 23-20 and ruin those holding Rams tickets.
