It wasn’t the largest upset of the weekend by the point-spread (Texas State beating Baylor 42-31 as a 26.5-point underdog) or the most shocking (Colorado’s upset of No. 17 TCU 45-42 as a 21-point underdog), but Duke’s 28-7 win on Monday night over No. 9 Clemson was surprising.
Most of the public wasn’t backing the Blue Devils with their wallets, as 88% of the handle was on Clemson to win at BetMGM sportsbooks, and a higher percentage than that at DraftKings. At BetMGM, nearly 80% of bets and 80% of the money was also on Clemson to cover the 13-point spread. And I’m sure there were many Clemson ML tickets to close out teasers over the weekend.
But while the public was on Clemson, on Las Vegas bettor was all over Duke.
The bettor put down two “low six-figure bets” at an MGM property in Vegas, one on the Blue Devils to win at +375 odds and one on Duke +13, according to Scott Shelton, a sportsbook supervisor at The Mirage . The spread wager was never in doubt, and the moneyline wager cashed as well for the bettor, as Duke remained in control in the fourth quarter.
“Yeah, we are [going to] get tuned up pretty good with a Duke outright [win],” Shelton told me.
A big win for the customer, but somehow I think the books will open again on Monday.
