The NFL’s Thursday night kickoff meant big wins for faces in new places, while Swifties that banked on a big night walked away empty-handed.
In a back-and-forth tilt between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, a last-second non-touchdown call spelled victory for the Chiefs, helping them begin their pursuit of a Super Bowl three-peat.
Ahead of the game, lines largely swayed back and forth according to most major books, in line with the game's 27-20 final and blow-for-blow action. Fans did walk away largely happy in the end, with a reported 56% of all tickets picking Kansas City at minimum, save for DraftKings where closer to two-thirds of tickets called for a Lamar Jackson revenge game for Baltimore.
The 46.5-point total, which saw 67% of the handle and 57% of tickets correctly take the over, was narrowly edged out, while the Chiefs also successfully covered at -2.5 and -3 spreads for the evening, though Isaiah Likely’s controversially called-back touchdown with zeroes on the clock nearly flipped the game’s entire script on its head.
The Ravens were THIS CLOSE to scoring the game-tying touchdown 👀#Kickoff2024 pic.twitter.com/08KjTVFHQZ
— NFL (@NFL) September 6, 2024
"The ref looked at me, I look at the ref, and when he signaled touchdown, I thought it was what it was," Likely said. "Then, obviously we were going [for two] to win the game."
Predictable props mean wins, losses for fans
"Good outcome for the book last night as we had action both ways on the spread and total,” BetMGM’s John Ewing told Covers. “(Chiefs tight end Travis) Kelce not having a big game was the best result for the sportsbook and (Ravens running back) Derrick Henry scoring the first touchdown was the best outcome for our customers."
That Henry touchdown, coming on the very first drive of the game, marks something of a new era for a Ravens backfield that has seen a rotating cast of characters in recent years. It wasn’t all clear skies for Henry bettors, however, as a meagre 46 yards on 13 attempts came well below the 63.5 line that saw enormous swaths of the public incorrectly call.
“It didn’t happen at the end, but [I’m] proud of the way the guys fought,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters after the game. “We’re only going to get better from here on out, and I’m looking forward to that.”
Fans of the NFL’s most popular power couple, Kelce and Taylor Swift, may have been swooning with the pop star in her usual friends-and-family spot, but things didn't go quite so smoothly on the field for the 34-year-old podcasting star.
A quiet night from Kelce to the tune of just three receptions for 34 yards, as well as being held out of the end zone, left bettors with a Blank Space on their parlay tickets.
The NFL season’s second game gets underway in an unorthodox Friday Night showdown from South America, as the Philadelphia Eagles play host on a technicality from Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil against the Green Bay Packers in an NFC showdown. The Eagles are favored at -2.5 against the spread, while the over/under line is set at 49 points.
