The New Orleans Saints are facing significant discipline for not wearing masks during their postgame celebrations last Sunday night — as seen in videos they posted to social media, including the team’s own Twitter account — after their victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, league sources told ESPN.
Video of Saints players and head coach Sean Payton dancing and celebrating their 38-3 victory over Tampa Bay trended last Sunday night. Multiple players were clearly not wearing masks during the celebration in the locker room, which is a violation of the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols — and the league noticed, according to sources.
The Saints are facing stiff fines and the loss of a draft pick, similar to the action the NFL took against the Raiders earlier this month, when Las Vegas was fined $500,000, head coach Jon Gruden was fined $150,000 and the franchise was stripped of a sixth-round pick for COVID-19 protocol violations.
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The Seahawks’ available running backs against the Rams will be rookie DeeJay Dallas, Travis Homer and Collins plus fullback Nick Bellore. Dallas has started the last two games but Homer out-snapped him last week 31 to 20 while Collins played 13 snaps in his first game since 2018. Dallas leads Seattle’s running backs over that span with 72 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.
The Seahawks will also be without their top two cornerbacks Sunday with Shaquill Griffin (hamstring) and Quinton Dunbar (knee) ruled out. Tre Flowers will fill one starting spot, but it’s not clear who will fill the other. Thorpe, Seattle’s captain on special teams, is one candidate. Others include Linden Stephens, D.J. Reed and Ryan Neal, who previously started at strong safety while Jamal Adams was out.
The Seahawks are 6-2 despite allowing the most passing yards (2,897) through eight games in NFL history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. In fact, no team has ever allowed that many passing yards through nine games.
Harrison has been waiting to make his Seahawks debut since joining their practice squad on Oct. 7. The holdup initially was that the 350-pound, 31-year-old Harrison had to work himself back into football shape. He had been undecided over the offseason about playing in 2020 due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, which he said were eased once he saw how the league was handling travel protocols and other safety measures.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has said for the last few weeks that Harrison is physically ready to play. The holdup, according to Carroll, has been the absence of an opening in Seattle’s defensive-tackle rotation, which has consisted of Jarran Reed, Poona Ford and Mone. The ankle injury that landed Mone on IR creates that opening.
“We had a plan when I was coming in,” Harrison said Thursday in his first comments to reporters since joining the Seahawks. “I needed to work myself back into football shape. The only way you can get into football shape is actually playing football, so I was at home working out, trying to do as much as I could without exposing myself in too many public situations. But I spoke to the coach, I spoke to the general manager before I got here and we knew it was going to be a process. That’s why I’ve been OK with it just working from the ground up.”
The Seahawks will also be without starting center Ethan Pocic (concussion) against the Rams. Kyke Fuller will make his first career start in Pocic’s absence.
Miami, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Green Bay have been the best teams against the spread so far this season, all 6-2 ATS. Dallas has been the worst at 1-8 ATS.
Here are the top things to know for each game in Week 10.
Odds listed are from Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill and subject to change.
Sunday’s games
Houston Texans at Cleveland Browns (-3), 1 p.m. ET
• Houston is 0-5 ATS as an underdog, and 0-4 ATS on the road.
• Houston is 1-7 ATS and 0-5 ATS against teams with winning records.
• Since the start of the 2008 season, these teams have faced off five times, with Houston covering in all five games.
• Cleveland is 15-31-1 ATS coming off a loss since the start of the 2016 season.
• All four of Cleveland’s games against teams with losing records have gone over the total.
Washington at Detroit Lions (NL), 1 p.m. ET
• Washington is 4-12-1 ATS in games that follow a loss since the start of last season.
• Detroit is 2-9 ATS since the start of last season in November or later.
• Detroit has failed to cover at home this season (0-3 ATS).
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Los Angeles Chargers at Miami Dolphins (-2.5), 4:05 p.m. ET
• Miami has covered in four consecutive games. Miami is also 4-1 ATS as a home favorite since the start of the 2018 season. Miami is 15-5 ATS since its Week 5 bye last season, the best mark in the league.
• Miami is covering by an average of 11.2 points per game this season, on pace to be the best mark in the Super Bowl era (current high: 1967 Oakland,11.1).
• In the 12 games between these two franchises since the start of the 2002 season, the total has gone under 11 times.
• Los Angeles (A) is 10-4-2 ATS as a road underdog under Anthony Lynn.
• Los Angeles (A) is 2-8 ATS in November or later since the start of last season.
• Five straight Los Angeles (A) games have gone over the total. The over is 5-2 in Justin Herbert starts.
Buffalo Bills at Arizona Cardinals (-1.5), 4:05 p.m. ET
• In games against teams with winning records, Buffalo games have gone over the total five of six times this season.
• Buffalo is 1-4 ATS in its past five games overall, and in its past five road games.
• Unders are 6-2 in Arizona games this season.
• Arizona is 1-5 ATS as a home favorite since 2018.
Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams (-1.5), 4:25 p.m. ET
• Since drafting Russell Wilson in 2012, Seattle is 23-10-2 ATS as an underdog, the best mark in the NFL during that span.
• Los Angeles (N) is 6-1 ATS in its past seven games following a loss, and 5-1 ATS in its past six games as a home favorite.
• Los Angeles (N) is 12-7 ATS against NFC West opponents under Sean McVay (12-5 ATS in past 17 games).
• Los Angeles (N) is 9-2-2 ATS following a bye week since the start of the 2007 season (2-1 under McVay).
• The total has gone over in each of the past five Los Angeles (N) games.
San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints (-9.5), 4:25 p.m. ET
• Since the start of last season, San Francisco is 6-1 ATS as a road underdog, the second-best mark in the NFL in that situation (Chiefs 2-0).
• The over is 7-1 in New Orleans games this season, and 4-0 when New Orleans is home.
• Since the start of last season, San Francisco is 9-3 ATS on the road, the third-best mark in the NFL during that span.
• Drew Brees is 10-16 ATS as the Saints’ starter when favored by nine or more points.
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers (-9.5), 4:25 p.m. ET
• Cincinnati is 3-0 ATS in its past three road games, and its past three games as an underdog.
• In the past 10 seasons, Cincinnati is 31-16-2 ATS as a road underdog, the second-best cover percentage in the NFL in that situation during that span.
• Cincinnati is 4-1 ATS against teams with winning records this season.
• Pittsburgh has covered each of its past three home games.
• Underdogs are 15-6-2 ATS in AFC North games since 2018.
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Baltimore Ravens (-7) at New England Patriots, 8:20 p.m. ET
• New England is 12-3 ATS and 10-5 SU as a home underdog under Bill Belichick. This is the first time New England has been a home underdog since Week 9 of 2014 (+3 vs. Denver, won outright). In the past 15 seasons, New England has won all three times it has been a home underdog. Overall, New England has won six of the past seven times it has been a home underdog, with all seven games going over the total.
• This is the most points New England has gotten as a home underdog since 2001.
• Since the start of the 2006 season, New England is 21-7 ATS as an underdog.
• Lamar Jackson is 11-2-2 ATS on the road in his career.
• New England is 10-0 ATS in games that come off fewer than six days of rest since the start of the 2016 season.
• Baltimore is 9-2 ATS in November or later since the start of last season.
• In all four of the meetings between these two teams since the start of the 2013 season, the total went over.
Monday’s game
Minnesota Vikings (-2.5) at Chicago Bears, 8:15 p.m. on ESPN
• Kirk Cousins is 0-9 ATS and SU in his career on Monday nights — the worst marks of any quarterback in the Super Bowl era. Seven of the nine losses are by two scores, and three of the losses came as a favorite.
• Minnesota is 5-1 ATS in its past six games.
• Minnesota is 40-22-1 ATS as a favorite under Mike Zimmer.
• Since the start of the 2013 season, Minnesota is 40-20-2 ATS in November or later.
• Chicago is 10-4-1 ATS in its past 15 games as a home underdog (4-3 ATS under Matt Nagy).
• Cousins is 5-2 ATS as a road favorite since joining Minnesota in 2018.
• All five NFC North divisional games have gone over the total this season. Last year, NFC North games were 9-3 to the under.
• Home underdogs in divisional games are 11-2 ATS this season.
Bookmakers and bettors have battled back and forth, while underdogs, especially in prime time and on the road, and overs have been money-makers through nine weeks of an NFL season like no other.
At the midway point, underdogs are 75-56-1 (57.2%) against the spread overall. Road ‘dogs are covering at a 59% clip, and in prime time games the underdog is 19-6 ATS. Games are averaging 50.7 points, which, according to ESPN Stats and Information, is the highest through the first nine weeks since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. Oddsmakers have struggled to keep up with the increased scoring –the over is 72-58-3 (55.4%) so far this season.
With the coronavirus pandemic posing unprecedented challenges for bookmakers and bettors, the betting market has adjusted on the fly. Teams are covering the spread by 9.52 points per game, the smallest spread margin — the difference between the closing line and final margin of victory — -through the first nine weeks in any season since the 1970 merger.
Here’s a look at the NFL betting market at the midway point:
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• Super Bowl odds: The Chiefs remain the consensus favorites to win the Super Bowl and are listed at 7-2 at Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill. The Steelers (11-2) are next, followed by the Saints (7-1). The Buccaneers and Ravens are the only other teams with single-digit Super Bowl odds, each at 9-1.
• Biggest mover: The Steelers began the season as 22-1 to win the Super Bowl. They’re now the second-favorite, behind only the defending-champion Chiefs.
• Biggest faller: The Cowboys have seen their Super Bowl odds fall from 12-1 at the start of the season to 200-1.
• Best teams to bet: The Steelers, Dolphins, Packers and Bengals are each 6-2 ATS.
• Worst teams to bet: The Cowboys are 1-8 ATS. They covered the spread for the first time this season on Sunday against the Steelers. The Jets are 2-7 ATS.
• Best over teams: The Raiders, Seahawks and Saints are each 7-1 to the over.
• Best under teams: The Cardinals and Rams are each 2-6 to the under.
• Biggest lock: The Saints (+3.5) covered the spread by 38.5 points in a 38-3 thrashing of the Buccaneers in Week 9.
• Season-win total lock: The Cowboys’ season-win total was set at 10. At 2-7, the under has already been clinched (as long as Dallas plays its full 16-game regular season).
• MVP odds: Russell Wilson +130, Patrick Mahomes +200, Aaron Rodgers +300, Josh Allen +1800, Ben Roethlisberger +2500.
• Offensive rookie of the year odds: Joe Burrow +100, Justin Herbert +100, Tua Tagoviloa +1,000 (via DraftKings).
• AP comeback player of the year odds: Alex Smith -250, Roethlisberger +270, Cam Newton +1,000.
Mid-season book report
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• After holding its own early in the season, the tide has turned against the betting public. Several bookmakers said Weeks 8 and 9 were among their most lucrative of the season so far.
“Overall, it’s been kind of a choppy season,” Jeff Stoneback, director of race and sports for BetMGM sportsbooks in Nevada, said. “We’d have good days, give it away on a Monday night. It was kind of back-and-forth all season, until these last couple of weeks.”
• Sportsbook operator PointsBet said its hold percentage (the amount the book keeps from the amount wagered) has exceeded expectations through nine weeks.
“A big factor there has been the consistent run of bad performances from the favorites in prime time matchups,” PointsBet communications director Patrick Eichner told ESPN. “Our biggest handle events are always going to be the marquee, standalone night games, and favorites have been crushed against the spread there thus far. It’s also worth noting that those games are often the final leg of a parlay, with bettors usually needing the favorite to cover.”
• Las Vegas casinos have been operating at limited capacity due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it has not significantly hurt betting handle on the NFL.
“Year over year, our NFL handle is actually up from 2019,” John Murray, executive director for the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas, said. “I was surprised when I saw that because I know we have a lot less tourism in previous years.”
“The betting handle has been great,” added Stoneback. “I would’ve expected it to be quite a bit down from previous years, but it’s been holding its own. We’ve been writing actually more tickets than we have in the last years.”
• Station Casino sportsbook has seen strong handle on the NFL and an uptick in mobile wagers.
“The season started slow in regards to win and hold percentage. Bettors did well in September,” Chuck Esposito, sportsbook director for Station Casinos, said. “However, over the last month, it has started to turn a bit in favor of the books.”
• With players going on and off of COVID-19 lists, bettors and bookmakers have had to pay close attention to the news.
“We’ve definitely noticed our sharper college players being a lot more tentative this year, especially early in the week. It’s hard to fall in love with a side on Monday when you know there’s a good chance 10 of the guys on your team will be in quarantine by Wednesday,” Murray of the SuperBook said. “You have to be a little more cautious than ever before, and we are seeing a lot more sharp players take that approach than in previous seasons. As for the NFL, I’d call it similar. But it does seem like the NFL is not being impacted quite as much. There’s a little more clarity there. In both pro and college football and all sports, really, information is more valuable than ever before. Knowing a QB is about to be ruled out for COVID before anyone else can be worth a lot, and it’s always a race to have that information first.”
Midseason by the numbers
• 48.02: The average closing over/under total in games this season, the highest such mark through nine weeks in the last 20 seasons.
• 18: The number of games that have ended with a margin of victory of three. That’s eight more games than any other margin of victory.
• $132.1 million: The amount wagered on football in September and October with Indiana sportsbooks.
ESPN Stats and Information researcher Bryan Beasley contributed to this article.
