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Sports betting roundup: Favorites reward bettors in NFL’s Week 17

Week 17 in the NFL was a good one.

Division titles and playoff spots were clinched, and a few games came down to the final play.

Here’s a look at how things played out from a sports betting perspective:

Trends of the Week

Favorites went 7-3 straight up Sunday at the BetMGM online sportsbook. That came after three of five underdogs won straight up on Christmas Day and Saturday (Vikings, Chargers and Ravens).

On Sunday, three of the four most bet teams against the spread covered. Those teams were Giants (-2.5 at Raiders), Jaguars (-5.5 at Colts) and 49ers (-3.5 vs. Bears).

Sunday Night Football between the 49ers and Bears came down to the final play, when the 49ers stopped the Bears inside the 10-yard line for a 42-38 win. San Francisco took in 63% of the bets and 71% of the money.

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (-105) was the most bet player to score a touchdown but ended a three-game TD streak in Philadelphia’s 13-12 win over Buffalo.

Upsets of the Week

The biggest upset in the NFL on Sunday was the Browns beating the Steelers 13-6 as 3.5-point underdogs. The loss by Pittsburgh sets up a winner-take-all game next Sunday night against the Ravens for the AFC North and a playoff spot. The loser is eliminated.

While the Bears lost to the 49ers on Sunday, they won the NFC North on Saturday thanks to the Packers falling to the Ravens. Going into Week 1, the Bears were +625 to win the division.

Coming Up

With the NFL playoff picture coming more into focus, here are the Super Bowl odds as of Dec. 29:

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This column was provided to The Associated Press by BetMGM online sportsbook.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

Maxx Crosby calls nixed Ravens trade ‘water under the bridge’ as he refocuses on Raiders

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby said Wednesday he has moved on since his trade to Baltimore was nixed in March by the Ravens, and his focus is on getting ready for another season in Las Vegas. “It's water under the bridge,” Crosby said in his first comments to Las Vegas reporters. "It's a long time ago. A lot of things I learned about what's going on and what this league can bring. A lot of adversity, a lot of different things you can't really anticipate. But I've been through a lot in my life. It's nothing to me. “I'm here and I want to be here and I'm excited to be here. I've got a lot of work to do.” The Raiders had agreed to send Crosby to the Ravens for two first-round draft picks on March 6, but Baltimore backed out four days later. That decision to exit the deal was made a day before the new NFL year when deals can be finalized.
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