NFL playoffs betting: William Hill bookie says Eagles win over Saints would be ‘horrible’

Nick Foles has been money for the Eagles and for bettors. Literally, money.

Evan Davis, vice president and general counsel at SugarHouse in Fishtown, reports that his sportsbook is saturated with Eagles wagers. Not a huge surprise, given they’re the only legal sportsbook in the city.

“We’re seeing about 85 percent of our action on the Eagles,” Davis said. “Whether they’re betting with their hearts or their heads, (the Eagles) have worked out well. We’ll see how it goes this week.”

>>READ MORE: Parx has the closest thing to a mobile app in Pa.

The Eagles are 3-0-1 against the spread since Nick Foles took over as starter in mid-December; the push coming against Houston. They went 3-0 in last year’s playoffs as Foles led them to the Super Bowl. Today’s line was Eagles +8 for most of the sports books and apps in the region, though the Borgata’s playMGM app had 8.5 as of 2 p.m. Sunday.

William Hill-US reports that 85 percent of the money-line bets it has taken has been on the Eagles at +320. The amount wagered however, is just about split down the middle.

Their top bookie, Nick Bogdanovich, has concerns beyond today’s game. William Hill, which has operations stretching from New Jersey to Nevada, took a $2,000 bet on the Eagles to win the Super Bowl on Dec. 22 at 60-1 and a $5,000 play on Jan. 3 at 30-1. That’s $270k at stake for those two and plenty more beyond.

“We really need the Saints to advance,” Bogdanovich said. “They are a good result, and the Eagles are a horrible result.”

Mobile sports betting will not be available for the Super Bowl, but it might be here for the start of baseball.

“Online sports wagering could be offered as early as the end of the first quarter of the year, though most likely after we get into the second quarter,” said Doug Harbach, communications director for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Parx will open sports betting at its South Philly turf club on Tuesday.

The SugarHouse consolidated its kiosks in order to expedite wagering.

“We think logistically it will be better,” Davis said. “Now there’s one queue.”

Davis said they have 12 kiosks and more are on order.

There’s a stat or trend for almost anything if you dive deep enough.

For example, underdogs had been KILLING it in the playoffs, covering 14 of the last 15 before Saturday. And dogs of 7 points or more are 16-9-2 ATS since 2006 in the division round. However, and there’s ALWAYS a however. After a wild card upset, like last week, teams own an UGLY 9-38 straight up record, and only 18-29 against the spread. So, pick your poison.

My poison is gonna be New Orleans. Why? One reason, just like the argument we made in the Clemson pick, the QB.

Not bashing Nick Foles, and giving the Birds D some love, but that was against Mitch Trubisky. Now, they gotta play Drew Brees again. The last time the Eagles flew to New Orleans, Brees was brilliant, hitting on 22 of 30 for 363 yards, 4 TDs and NO INT’s. Tell me, are the Birds 41 points better than they were eight weeks ago? They’re better sure, but even if you think they are 21 points better, it’s still Brees by 20.

Better effort, but still picking Saints by a dime, 31-21.

>>READ MORE: More staff picks for Eagles-Saints

Regionally, the Borgata’s playMGM app was offering the best odds as of 1 p.m. on the Eagles' money line at +320.

They also were the only ones who still had the Eagles at +8.5. All others were holding at +8.

Matthew Cullen, VP for sports betting for Parx in Bensalem,