The public had cleaned up in the NFL in recent weeks after a dismal start.
They were 48-69-2 over the first five weeks of the season but went 20-7-1 over the past two. The most popular picks were especially profitable in Weeks 6 and 7, as those with 66% or more of all tickets were 17-0-1.
Well, that success came to a screeching halt Thursday night.
Week 8 kicked off in horrific fashion for the public, who absolutely hammered the Minnesota Vikings laying between 2.5 to 3 points against the Los Angeles Rams. According to DraftKings, 90% of all bets and 86% of the money was on Minny covering the spread. Instead, the Vikings lost straight up 28-20 and in a matter of four days have gone from a perfect 5-0 to 5-2.
However, although Thursday night’s result was a bloodbath for the public, it was a goldmine for the sharps. The experts as well as the big money were heavy on the Rams covering. It was a classic case of Pros vs. Joes, and in this case, it was the Pros who cleaned up.
Meanwhile, the Rams team we saw on Thursday Night Football looked awfully different than the one we watched most of the season. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp each returned after missing the majority of the season. Nacua was carted off the field in the first-half of Week 1’s loss to the Detroit Lions while Kupp went down in Week 2.
The duo showed why they’re among the best wideouts in the league, which is a major reason why Los Angeles pulled off the upset. Nacua caught seven passes for 106 yards while Kupp hauled in five for 51 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford authored his best game with the two of them back in the fold. He’d thrown just three touchdowns over the Rams’ first six games but had four against the Vikings.
