LV books restore Packers’ odds, wins
Changes for Rodgers’ likely return
Amid reports that quarterback Aaron Rodgers plans to return to Green Bay this season after all, sportsbooks on Monday returned the futures odds on the Packers back to where they were at the start of the offseason.
The Westgate, which took down Green Bay’s division odds and season win total Friday based on information from a respected source that Rodgers planned to retire, slashed the Packers’ Super Bowl odds from 40-1 to 12-1 and their NFC odds from 20-1 to 6-1.
But not before one Westgate bettor placed a $2,000 wager to win $80,000 on Green Bay to win the Super Bowl at 40-1.
Circa Sports adjusted Green Bay’s futures odds Friday but left them open for betting.
Here are the big moves on the Packers’ futures Monday at Circa:
■ Season win total from 8½ (-110) to 10 (o-125).
■ NFC North odds from +190 to -140.
■ Super Bowl odds from 25-1 to 10-1.
■ Rodgers’ MVP odds from 30-1 to 15-1.
■ Week 1 line: Packers +3½ at Saints to -2½.
“We waited until we saw some money to show before we started to make some major adjustments,” Circa sportsbook director Matthew Metcalf posted on Twitter. “Sportsbooks rarely get info before sharp bettors so when it comes to rumors we think it best to have some confirmation in the form of bets before we start to aggressively move that way.”
BETMGM, Station Casinos and William Hill also took the NFC North odds and Green Bay win total off the board Friday. The Westgate plans to repost the division odds and Packers’ win total Tuesday.
Station Casinos and William Hill lowered Green Bay to 15-1 to win the Super Bowl, and BETMGM lowered the Packers to 8-1 to win the NFC.
According to a report by ESPN’S Adam Schefter, the Packers are offering concessions to try to persuade Rodgers, the reigning NFL MVP, to return to Green Bay for at least one more season. If the agreement is finalized soon, the biggest concession Rodgers will receive is the freedom to decide where he wants to play in 2022.
“This is essentially the team and their star player having an agreement in place that he is going to leave at the end of the season,” Westgate sportsbook director John Murray said. “We have to at least consider the possibility that they’re going to trade him instead of losing him for nothing.”
Green Bay also faces the potential loss of star wide receiver Davante Adams, whose contract expires after this season.
“If Rodgers goes, Adams will go, too,” Murray said. “They can’t lose Rodgers and Adams and get nothing back.”
Barstool Sports hires Stewart
Las Vegas-based handicapper Kelly Stewart has been hired by Barstool Sports a month after she was fired by ESPN one month after the network hired her.
Stewart, a longtime Review-journal contributor who has more than 125,000 followers on Twitter, is expected to contribute social media posts, videos and blogs and possibly a podcast for Barstool Sports — a digital media company that focuses on sports and pop culture.
ESPN announced May 6 that it had hired Stewart to serve as an analyst on “Daily Wager,” and she also was set to appear on “Sportscenter” and other ESPN programs.
But she was fired by ESPN in early June before appearing on the network, apparently because of the use of anti-gay slurs on Twitter in 2012.
Stewart released a statement on Twitter on June 4 in which she apologized for the language while saying it was in reaction to online attacks.
U.S. men’s hoop meltdown
The U.S. men’s basketball team is down to -300 at the Westgate to win the Olympic gold medal after losing 93-86 to France as a 12½-point favorite Sunday in its first group play game.
The Americans were -500 favorites to win the gold before the Tokyo Games began. The U.S. is a 41-point favorite over Iran on Tuesday.