Everything that happens in sports has additional context when viewed from a betting perspective. From season-changing injuries to record-setting moments and so much more, the news cycle will constantly and significantly affect the sports betting industry.
Our betting buzz file, with contributions from David Purdum, Doug Greenberg and others, aims to provide fans a look at the sports betting stories that are driving the conversation.
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September 2: The complete betting impact of the Parsons trade
Doug Greenberg: One week before the start of the 2025 NFL regular season, the Dallas Cowboys shocked the football world by trading All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. The move could have been foreseen following months of a contract hold-in, but the transaction nonetheless altered the betting markets in the proceeding hours and days.
Immediately following news of the trade, Green Bay moved from +2000 to +1600 to win the Super Bowl this season; the line moved to +1400 shortly thereafter and sits at +1300 as of Tuesday afternoon, the sixth-best odds at ESPN BET. In the NFC North market, the Packers initially moved from a second-best +260 into a tie with the Detroit Lions at +185, and have since taken over as the outright favorite to win the division at +175.
Green Bay has, naturally, been a popular bet among the public in the aftermath of the trade. Since Thursday, the Packers have the most bets (22.1%) and handle (26.2%) to win the Super Bowl, as well as the largest share of handle (67.8%) to win the NFC North at ESPN BET.
That said, some bettors used the opportunity, and lengthening odds, to put in wagers on the Lions. Detroit has the most tickets and money to win the division, as well as the conference (+650), at BetMGM.
Bookmakers and bettors alike apparently see Parsons' change of scenery as a prime chance for him to take home his first Defensive Player of the Year award. At ESPN BET, the 26-year-old surpassed Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (+650) as the favorite for DPOY, with Parsons' odds shortening from +800 to +500. He has taken a leading 50.4% of handle at the sportsbook since the trade but trails Houston Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. in bets (28.6% to 18.1%).
The huge swap also had a more immediate effect on Week 1 lines, as the Packers moved from -2 to -2.5 for their huge Sunday afternoon showdown against the Lions at Lambeau Field.
As for the Cowboys, they lengthened from +6.5, at best, to +7.5, with the juice favoring the Philadelphia Eagles for Thursday night's season opener. Dallas dropped from +5000 to +6000 to win this season's Super Bowl and is now +260 to make the playoffs.
August 30: Manning, Texas drop in futures markets after opening loss
Greenberg: Coming into Week 1's mega showdown with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns had about as much hype backing them as could possibly be expected, leading sportsbooks to crown them as the preseason favorites for the Heisman Trophy and national championship, respectively. After a 14-7 road defeat to the reigning national champions, the Longhorns have lost some status in the futures markets.
Going into Saturday, Texas was the co-favorite with Ohio State for this season's national championship, showing +550 odds at ESPN BET. Following the game, the Buckeyes maintained the same odds to be the outright favorite, but the Longhorns lengthened to +750, third on the odds board behind Penn State (+600).
Manning, meanwhile, following his poor 2025 debut, dropped from +650 to +1600 on the Heisman odds board, tied for the fifth-best odds. The Texas starting quarterback actually may have saved some face by throwing his first touchdown pass of the season with three-and-a-half minutes left, propelling him from his low odds point of +2000.
Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik and LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier became the new favorites for the Heisman as a result. Saturday night's showdown between the two Tigers will likely be pivotal in deciding who will take sole possession of the Heisman race lead.
After the spread undulated up and down all week, Ohio State ultimately closed as a 1.5-point favorite over Texas, marking the first time a No. 1-ranked team in the preseason Top 25 poll has gone into its season opener as an underdog.
With the win, the Buckeyes have now covered seven straight games against ranked teams, all of which were in the top 10. The Longhorns fell to 2-6 against the spread as an underdog under head coach Steve Sarkisian, per ESPN Research.
OSU's win was also likely good for sportsbooks, as heavy action on the Longhorns briefly made them the consensus favorite for the matchup. On Saturday morning, BetMGM reported that Texas' spread was its most-bet side by tickets and handle for the day.
August 13: Jackson, Burrow leading way in early NFL MVP betting
Greenberg: Less than a month before the NFL season, bettors and sportsbooks alike are eyeing up a pair of perennial AFC North superstars to win the league's highest individual honor.
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is the consensus odds leader to win NFL Most Valuable Player for the 2025 season, showing +450 odds at ESPN BET. Those odds are a bit shorter on the two-time MVP compared to the rest of the sportsbook marketplace because it recently took a $50,000 wager at +550, substantially increasing its liability in the market.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow, meanwhile, has been a darling in the MVP market all offseason and currently sits second on ESPN BET's odds board at +600, with the book reporting him as its highest ticket share at 15.7%.
BetMGM says Burrow has the most bets and handle in the market, making him its largest liability, while DraftKings says it took an overwhelming 32% of bets and 38% of handle on him to win MVP in the span of a week; Jackson took the second-most wagers (8%) and money (9%) over that same time period.
Many bettors believe that Jackson could finally get over the hump this season and lead his team to a Super Bowl: The Ravens are ESPN BET's third-most bet team to win the championship by wagers and handle, trailing only the Buffalo Bills and reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles. Baltimore and Philly are tied for favorite status at +650, with Buffalo coming in right behind at +700.
The Ravens are also -160 favorites to win their third straight AFC North title, with the Bengals close at +260. Cincinnati has a respectable 23.2% of bets in that market compared to Baltimore's commanding 61.8%, and by total bets, the Ravens have the second-most tickets across all division winner markets, trailing only the Bills (-350) in the AFC East, according to ESPN BET.
