BTSC Bookie: Betting NFL Week 2 games against the spread with consensus numbers

It is time for the Week 2 installment of BTSC Bookie! This is a chance for the BTSC community to collectively choose games in which to place an imaginary wager of “BTSC Bucks.” Each week I will remind everyone of the rules and explain an aspect of betting in order to further educate those interested about the process.

Before I get into the procedure of things, I want to remind everyone that gambling addiction is a serous problem numerous people face. Like many things in life, gambling can be a fun and safe exercise if done in moderation, while obsessive gambling can have destructive and life-altering consequences. If you or anyone you know is suffering from a gambling addiction, help is available HERE.

The Process

• We will start with $500 in BTSC Bucks for the season. If we bust, we may borrow from the BTSC Bookie, but will have to pay 20% interest each week it isn’t paid. It’s a steep price, but there are consequences to failure.
• All games this week will be betting against the spread with the consensus numbers given.
• There will be 10 betting lines for users to place a vote. The point spreads are as of Tuesday evening and they are locked in throughout the voting. The polls will run until Saturday night at 11:59 PM and the top three results will have wagers placed: $100 for the top choice, $50 for the second choice, and $25 for the third.
• A write-in campaign can be staged for voting. If any comment in the weekly article brings up a different game in the comments to make the wager and can receive enough recommendations to place it in the top three vote-wise, it will be calculated accordingly. I know it’s highly unlikely for a comment to receive that many recommendations, but if it does it will count.
• Thursday games will not be included due to obvious time constraints.
• Some games may have the two opposing lines as an option. If so, only the higher vote-getter will be eligible for the wager. For example, if betting on the Steelers in Week 2 earns the most votes while betting for Seattle is the second highest, only the bet for the Steelers will be placed.
• Betting both for and against the Steelers will always be an option.

Last Week’s Wager

For Week 1, the majority of the users voted for the Steelers to cover the 5.5 points against the Patriots. While we all know this is a Pittsburgh Steelers site, voting for your team is not always the smartest bet. Therefore, there’s $100 of our BTSC Bucks down the drain.

As for the other two games, the Kansas City (-3.5) at Jacksonville game had a $50 wager on the Chiefs for coming in second place in the voting and the L.A. Rams (-2.5) at Carolina game had a $25 wager on the Rams which rounded out the top three. In both of these games the teams covered the spread, so after losing $100 on the Steelers we were able to recoup $75.

Week 1 Balance: $500

Week 1 Net Gain/Loss: -$25

Week 2 Total: $475

Betting the Consensus

One other thing to consider while placing a bet is the consensus numbers for each game. To better understand, here is a rundown on the consensus according to Odsshark.com.

What is the Consensus?

The consensus is the number of wagers being placed at a sportsbook on one team or its opponent. Often referred to as betting percentages, these numbers give you an idea of what’s going on at the sportsbook. You can then use this information to shape your NFL picks.

On our NFL Consensus page you can determine if you want to bet with or against the public. Consensus picks can also give you a peek into line movements.

For example, if the line opened at New Orleans -7 and then moved to -8, you’ll understand the reason for the movement because 74 percent of the public is betting on the Saints.

The consensus is a snapshot into what’s going on at the sportsbooks. You can see the percentage of wagers on each side of every football game based on the point spread.

Week 2 Options

Here are the options chosen for the Week 2 betting exercise. Make sure you cast your vote in the poll. If you want to play your own game, leave your choices in the comments below and keep track of your total throughout the season.

For this week, payouts are 1/1 as we will get into “juice” at a later date. The consensus is given as a percent in parenthesis after each selection.