It's almost impossible to consume betting content without coming across the phrase "sharps." "Sharps" refers to professional bettors/betting syndicates that influence lines due to the amount of money they bet and their reputations of profiting long-term. While it's not uncommon for sharps to square off and take opposite sides, our goal here is to find games with seemingly unanimous sharp support.
Washington at Titans (-10, 37)
Not much to report here, as the Titans opened -10.5 but have since been bet down to -10 (56% of bets on Washington). Considering both teams are still fighting for the playoffs, and the Titans' offense is ranked 25th in yards per play (5.3), 10 points feels like a lot.
Ravens at Chargers (-4, 43.5)
Despite 60% of bets coming in on the Chargers, this line has fallen from -4.5 to -4. I found this a little surprising considering the Chargers will have had extra rest coming off TNF, but 66% of money wagered is currently on the Ravens. I'm excited to see how Lamar Jackson performs in his first true test against a good defense.
Bucs at Cowboys (-7 -120, 48)
I mentioned in last week's article that public bettors love to back teams that need to win against teams that are already eliminated, and that is what we're seeing here. The Cowboys are currently receiving 66% of bets, but bookmakers have been reluctant to move off the key number of -7, most likely due to the fact that 69% of money wagered is on the Bucs.
Bills at Patriots (-13.5, 44.5)
Public bettors are expecting a big bounce-back win for the Patriots after two straight losses, as 64% of bets are currently on the Patriots. This has caused the line to creep up a half-point from the opening number of -13, but with 53% of money coming in on the Bills, I wouldn't be shocked to see some reverse line movement at some point.
Falcons at Panthers (+3, 43.5)
I am not going to lie, I did not know much about Taylor Heinicke when the Panthers announced him as the starter this week. It turns out he is an undrafted 25-year-old quarterback from Old Dominion and is already playing for his fourth team. He is now tasked with facing off against Matt Ryan in his first start, and public bettors are obviously going to side with the QB who has played in a Super Bowl (63% of bets). Sharp bettors, however, see an overreaction to Cam Newton being out and are backing the home, divisional dog at +3.
Jags at Dolphins (-4, 38)
Sharp bettors have clearly picked the Jags and the under in this one. The Dolphins are currently receiving 78% of bets, but this line has fallen from -5 to -4 thanks to 66% of money wagered being on the Jags. Same story with the under as well. Despite 55% of money wagering being on the over, the total has fallen from 39.5 to 38.
Giants at Colts (-9, 47)
Here is another case where public bettors see a team that needs to win to stay alive for the playoffs against a team that is already eliminated. While this line hasn't actually moved much, the line freeze is telling. 61% of bets are currently on the Colts, but bookmakers are staying pat, as 68% of dollars wagered are on the G-Men.
Texans at Eagles (-1.5, 46)
This game opened as a pick'em but has since moved to Eagles -1.5. Only a small majority of bets (53%) are on the home team, indicating sharp action moved this line. I'm in agreement and think the Texans are very overrated due to their soft schedule. Their last eight wins are over the Bills, Jags, Dolphins, Broncos, Washington, Titans, Browns, & Jets, and I'd argue they should've lost more than one of those games (looking at you Vance Joseph).
Vikings at Lions (+6, 42.5)
This line opened Vikings -5 and has since moved to -6 due to 64% of bets coming in on the road favorites. This is another game where one team is still fighting for the playoffs, while the other is eliminated, and this creates an opportunity for sharp bettors to back the home, contrarian dog. Divisional rivals are very familiar with each other, and the Lions would love nothing more than to be the reason the Vikings miss the playoffs.
Packers at Jets (+3, 47)
Not much to report about the spread, but it looks like the over has seen some sharp action. The total opened 44 but has been bet up to 47 thanks to 64% of bets and 86% of money. This was likely due to Aaron Rodgers announcing he'd play, but it also makes sense that two teams already eliminated from the playoffs might be more interested in vacation planning than gang tackling.
Bengals at Browns (-9, 44)
Who would've thought at the beginning of the year that the Browns would be nine-point favorites over anyone? This line actually opened Browns -7, and with only a small majority backing the Browns (58%), it would appear this line move was influenced by sharp money. While nine points is a lot to lay to a divisional rival this late in the season, the Browns have been the best offense in yards per play (6.9) over the past three weeks.
Rams at Cardinals (+14.5, 44)
Here's a game that appears to have sharp action on both sides. The Rams are currently receiving 63% of bets and have moved from -14 to -14.5, but 59% of dollars wagered are on the Cardinals. If sharp bettors were unanimously on the Cardinals, I think we'd see reverse line movement instead of an increasing spread.
Bears at 49ers (+4, 43)
The public sees a playoff team facing a team that'll likely get a top-three pick in next year's draft and thinks this is a no-brainer. Despite 77% of tickets coming in on the Bears, we've seen some reverse line movement from Bears -4.5 to -4. This is one I'd personally pass on, though, as the 49ers are coming off a big upset win in overtime.
Steelers at Saints (-5.5, 53)
Full disclosure, I'm a Steelers fan, but I think they are in a great spot here. The Saints are currently receiving 58% of bets but only 39% of money, and Pinnacle, a sharp book, recently moved to Saints -5.5. Meanwhile, Bovada, a square book, is at Saints -6 -115. I'm personally already on Steelers +6, and I've also sprinkled a little on the ML. I've read many articles detailing how close Big Ben is with his offensive line, and I do not see them taking Cam Jordan's comments lightly.
Chiefs at Seahawks (+2.5, 54.5)
Here's another game where extra rest will play a factor, as the Chiefs last played on TNF, while the Seahawks are coming off a brutal overtime loss last Sunday. Sharp bettors seem to agree, with only 54% of tickets on the Chiefs but 67% of money wagered. This has caused several books to adjust juice from -110 to -120.
Broncos at Raiders (+3, 43)
I can't imagine this game has drawn much action yet, but it will once bettors wake up Monday morning and realize it's the only game to bet on. Currently, 57% of bettors are backing the road favorite Broncos, and the line has not moved off the opening number of 3.
Alex S. is a correspondent at BettingPros. For more from Alex, check out his archive and follow him @FreeMoneyAlert.