[TomWilkinson]

Some bookmakers around the world are calling this football season the worst they have every experienced. Why is that? Favorites, that is why?

Favorites are coming in, particularly in the NFL, at an unheard of rate. Going into this weekend’s action the favorites are hitting at 58% and the big marquee games of Sunday night and Monday night are even higher. That is bad news for bookmakers, since the public loves to bet favorites.

Those gamblers that bet in the state of Nevada don’t have to worry about getting paid, and for the most part Internet bettors don’t have to worry either. Had this run of favorites happened a few years ago, it would be another story. Most of the Internet sportsbooks have other forms of income including poker, casino games, and horse racing. They also have the finances to withstand a bad year. That has not always been the case.

This NFL season has been one of the books. There have only been two seasons since 1989 when favorites in the NFL have had a winning record against the spread and in those two instances it was just barely. This 58% winning percentage is really unheard of. This past weekend was finally a break for the books when dogs went 8-4-3 but it was not a huge boost because the key games still went to the players and pushes are always a disaster. The previous two weeks the favorites had gone 24-8 and that is totally insane.

The season is not over though. There is still time for the books to make up ground, and the Bowls and playoffs are a season unto themselves. It could be that the players take it in the shorts during the postseason, or it could just be one of those years. The next two months will tell that story.