Despite the absence of the Cardinals, the NFL Championship games continue to be a major attraction for Arizona betting apps.
People who thought that Arizona sports betting apps would stop accepting bets in large quantities after the end of the Arizona Cardinals season were proven wrong.
After being eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round, the Arizona Cardinals have sparked a significant increase in NFL betting demand in the division round of the playoffs. This surge is evident in the betting splits from various sports betting operators this week.
Arizona fans are eagerly anticipating Sunday’s Conference Championship Games, which will feature Cincinnati at Kansas City at 1 p.m. Arizona time on CBS, followed by San Francisco at L.A. Rams at 4:30 p.m. on FOX.
Let’s analyze the two games and see how Arizona sports bettors compare to the national average in their wagering habits.
Things to keep in mind regarding the championship games happening on Sunday
The Chiefs are currently 7-point favorites over the Bengals at DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona as of Wednesday afternoon. BetMGM Arizona has the line at Kansas City -7.5.
DraftKings, BetMGM, and FanDuel, the three Arizona sportsbooks, are all predicting the Rams to win by 3.5 points in the NFC title game. This would mark the Rams’ second appearance in the Super Bowl since returning to Los Angeles in 2016.
The Chiefs are the favorites on BetMGM Arizona and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona with moneyline odds of -350, and -335 on DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona. The Rams are also favored on DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona (-170), BetMGM Arizona (-175), and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona (-184) when facing the 49ers.
Comparing Arizona’s Bets
Customers at BetMGM Arizona are showing a strong preference for the Rams at -3.5, with 59% of the handle bet on the spread going to the team. This is in contrast to the national average of 37%.
The Cardinals and Rams faced off three times this season. The Rams emerged victorious in the Wild Card playoffs on Jan. 17 with a score of 34-11 and in Arizona on Dec. 13 with a score of 30-23. The Cardinals won the first matchup on Oct. 3 with a score of 37-20.
Nevertheless, there is a slight variation in the distribution of bets placed, as 53% of wagers in Arizona are in favor of the 49ers, compared to the national average of 49%.
In Arizona, most bettors at BetMGM are favoring the over in the NFC Championship Game, causing the total points line to decrease from 47.5 to 46.5. 61% of bets in the state and 69% of the total money wagered are on the over, compared to 50% of bets and 41% of the total money wagered nationwide.
BetMGM’s Arizona customers are favoring San Francisco, leading to a decrease in the 49ers’ moneyline from +160 to +155. In contrast, the Rams’ moneyline has shifted from -190 to -185.
Arizona bettors at BetMGM are showing more confidence in the Bengals at +7.5 and the Chiefs moneyline at -350 during the AFC Championship Game compared to the rest of the country, with 79% of the handle in the state for the Bengals and 71% for the Chiefs, as opposed to 63% and 54% nationwide, respectively.
The statistics for both Arizona and the national figures at DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona are almost identical.
Bettors heavily favor the Rams, with 60% of the national handle betting on them to cover the spread at -3.5 and 69% betting on them to win on the moneyline at -170. In contrast, the majority of the money is on Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game, with 79% of the national handle betting on them to cover the spread at -7 and 62% betting on them to win on the moneyline at -335.
In Arizona, WynnBET has noted that 53.8% of moneyline tickets are supporting the 49ers in the Arizona vs. 51.4% nationally. Furthermore, 53.9% of spread bets are leaning towards the Rams in Arizona, as opposed to 54% nationally.
On the other hand, the Rams have garnered 61.8% of Arizona spread bets, exceeding the national average of 53.2%.
The Chiefs are the favorites in Sunday’s AFC title game, with 56.4% of the moneyline handle backing them, slightly above the national average of 55.6%. In the state’s spread market, 79.4% of the handle is in favor of Kansas City, which is 2% higher than the national average.
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Author
Peterson Christopher has spent more than seven years reporting on sports and sports betting in Arizona, gaining experience at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News. He currently holds the position of lead writer at yengols.com.
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