While Sunday's matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles isn't looked at as any sort of playoff preview, it carries significant weight for at least one person.
A bettor in Kentucky has placed a seismic wager, backing the Eagles on the moneyline to defeat Carolina. Circa Sports, who took the wager, told ESPN that the bettor has placed a total of $3.1 million on the Eagles to win, making it one of the largest bets ever reported for an NFL regular-season game. And they are likely sweating.
In the fourth quarter, the Eagles hold a 22-16 lead over the Panthers, but Carolina has hung around throughout the afternoon despite being a double-digit underdog on the road.
Initially, the bettor first placed a $1 million wager on the Eagles, but then asked to bet more and ended up at the $3.1 million figure. Circa Sports took the wager at -700 odds, which would net roughly $442,800. That is the largest bet the sportsbook has ever taken, owner Derek Stevens told ESPN.
After taking the bet, Circa Sports has moved its line to Eagles ML to -870 and Panthers ML to +650. Meanwhile, SportsLine's consensus odds have Eagles ML at -862 and Panthers ML at +583. At DraftKings Sportsbook, Eagles ML is -800, and Panthers ML is +550, while FanDuel Sportsbook has their odds at Eagles ML -847 and Panthers ML +590.
This $3.1 million wager is believed to be one of the largest ever placed on a regular season NFL game. The largest bets ever recorded for an NFL game have all come in the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XLIV, a $6 million wager was placed on the New Orleans Saints with the points over the Indianapolis Colts. Meanwhile, famed Houston-area bettor Jim "Mattress Mack" McIgvale has made several bets that have exceeded $3 million in recent Super Bowls.
The Eagles comes into this game 10-2 on the season and hold a firm position of first place in the NFC East. Meanwhile, Carolina is 3-9 coming into Week 14. Philadelphia is riding an eight-game winning streak after beginning the season at 2-2, which is one shy of tying the longest winning streak in franchise history. Over this stretch, the Eagles have enjoyed tremendous play from their defense, which ranks first in the league in fewest total yards per game allowed (241.3) and yards per play allowed (4.1) over this stretch. Philly's defense is also allowing just 15.3 points per game during the streak, second fewest in the league.
While this massive wager is on the moneyline, the Eagles were 12.5-point favorite in this game. If we look at recent trends, Carolina keeping things close shouldn't come as too much of a shock. Double-digit favorites are 0-4 ATS in the last two weeks after going 5-0 ATS in the first 11 weeks of the regular season. In their last five games as a double-digit favorite, the Eagles are 0-5 ATS. Meanwhile, the Panthers come into Sunday's action covering four straight matchups.
