The biggest regular season game in the history of the NFL...yes, like everyone else, we'll discuss it, but first we wanted to talk a little about NFL home dogs. Of course, this segues nicely into the New England - Indianapolis matchup, as Peyton Manning and his Super Bowl defending Colts are underdogs at the RCA Dome for the first time since 2002 and only the second time since 1999.  

So how have teams getting points at home fared so far this season in the NFL? Well, five or six days ago the answer to that question would have been an enthusiastic "very good", but over the span of eight hours last weekend, the same question now produces a considerably more subdued response. 

You see, heading into Week #8 home dogs were paying off at a very profitable 62.5% (on over 30 games), which is the kind of number that peaks the interest of any sports bettor.  

The record had punters chattering about it on the forums, wondering whether the trend would continue. It had bettors eyeing the five home dogs on the Week 8 schedule with a little extra attention...and then...yikes.

As the saying goes, "I guess I picked the wrong week to jump on the home dogs", well maybe that isn't a saying, but you get what we mean. Those dogs lost their bite in a big way, as they served up a fat "0'fer", going 0-5 ATS. 

So what are bettors thinking of the home dogs this week? Week #9 serves up five more of them, none more intriguing than the Super Bowl champ Colts. With the Patriots making a mockery of that whole parity thing the NFL prides itself on, it's a little surreal, but not overly surprising that the defending champions, who are undefeated themselves, are5.5-point underdogs in their own stadium. Still, the betting public can't get enough of the Pats, backing them at a 85% clip.  

The other home dogs this week don't have the resume of Indy, but they're also not facing an opponent that will likely shatter every offensive record the league has.  

Philadelphia hosts the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night in what is shaping up as a more lopsided betting event than the Colts-Pats. The home team Eagles are barely registering at the books, as Dallas money pours in (90%) on a Cowboy team laying 3 points on the road in a divisional battle.  

The same pattern is playing out with the three other home dogs on the board, as the Jets (+ 3.5 points vs. Washington), the Bills (+1 vs. Cincinnati) and the Vikings (+7 hosting San Diego) are all being frozen out by bettors. Each of them is attracting less than 15% of the volume wagered on their respective games.  

It looks like the betting public will be the ones who get hurt if these dogs get their bite back.  
 

Props For the Big Game 

By the time Tom Brady leads his team on to the field this Sunday in Indianapolis, bettors will have had more than enough of the hype and be ready for kick-off. One way to add even more excitement to this event is by having a little action on a prop bet or two...and from the early betting activity it looks like most bettors will.  

As mentioned, there has already been a steady stream of activity on the props, with bettors wagering on everything from which team they think will score first, how many yards passing the QBs will have, the number of TDs scored, and on and on.  

Here's a list of the more popular ones so far as we head into the weekend:  

Will Either Team Score in the First 5 1/2 Minutes of the Game

Yes  -125

No  -105 

Patriots - Total Points

Over 31.5 (-120) 

Under 31.5

Colts - Total Points

Over 26.5 (-120) 

Under 26.5  

Patriots vs. Colts - Team to Score First

Patriots  -150

Colts  +120  

Patriots vs. Colts - Longest Touchdown of the Game

Longest TD  Over 54.5  

Longest TD  Under 54.5 (-120) 

Player to Record Most Passing Yards

Tom Brady  -21.5 (-115)

Peyton Manning +21.5 (-115)  

Randy Moss - Will He Score a Touchdown

Yes  -200

No  +160 

Peyton Manning - Will He Throw an Interception

Yes  -160

No  +130 

Marvin Harrison - Total Receptions

Receptions  Over 5.5 (even) 

Receptions  Under 5.5 (-130)   

There are dozens of more prop betting opportunities, both player and team related, at SPORTSBETTING.COM 
 
 

Enjoy all the games this weekend and be sure to stop by SPORTSBETTING.COM to check out some of the best bonus offers and promotions in the industry.