Brady-belichick showdown most heavily bet game

Sportsbooks say tonight’s showdown between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick is shaping up to be the most heavily bet on NFL game of the regular season, writes Wayne Parry of The Associated Press.

Brady, the six-time Super Bowl champion, returns to Gillette Stadium for the first time as a member of the visiting team, leading his defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the New England Patriots.

And people are falling all over themselves to bet on it.

“We expect this game to be the biggest game of the season,” said Fanduel spokesman Kevin Hennessy. “Tom Brady has always been popular with Fanduel customers. The Patriots were always a popular team for betting, and a lot of that has transferred to the Bucs.”

Fanduel, which is the official odds provider for The Associated

Press, says 95 percent of bets are on Tampa Bay to cover the 7-point spread. Other sportsbooks report similarly lopsided betting action on Brady and the Bucs, and they expect a cascade of cash in the final hour before kickoff.

“It’s safe to say the book will be pulling for the Patriots on Sunday,” said Wyatt Yearout ,a spokesman for Pointsbet. “It is on track to be the biggest regular-season NFL game ever at Pointsbet, and it’s not even close. It is the most heavily bet game by far and we haven’t even entered the weekend yet, when a majority of the action normally comes.”

At BETMGM on Friday, 92 percent of the money was on Tampa Bay to cover; at Caesars Sportsbook, it was 97 percent.

The revenge angle — on both sides — is an appealing one to gamblers.

“Brady wants to show, ‘Is it you, coach Belichick, that made this team great for so many years, or was it me?’ ” said Johnny Avello, head of sportsbook for Draftkings. “There’s a lot of motivation for Brady. But there’s also motivation on the other side. (New England rookie QB) Mac Jones wants to show he belongs, and say, ‘Move over, Brady, it’s a new era.’ ”

“Bettors are also looking to bet alternate spreads, thinking that Brady will blow his former team out and run the score up on Belichick,” said Craig Mucklow, vice president of trading at Caesars Sportsbook.

Trivia question Belichick has a .723 winning percentage with New England (339-245). What’s his winning percentage in Patriots games he’s coached without Brady? Trivia answer Belichick is 62-74 minus Brady, a .456 winning clip.