The Vikings' Kirk Cousins is the latest poster boy for the continuing carnage among NFL quarterbacks after he suffered a torn Achilles against the Packers on Sunday.
With Cousins done for the year, Minnesota acquired Josh Dobbs in a trade with the Cardinals on Tuesday. Betting odds on the Vikings have shifted accordingly, with Dobbs expected to start this week against the Falcons, who also may be without their starting QB.
In addition to Cousins and Atlanta's Desmond Ridder, the statuses of the Rams' Matthew Stafford and Steelers' Kenny Pickett are also uncertain heading into NFL Week 9 games. Let's examine how much these injuries are impacting game and futures odds.
Betting line favors Falcons after Vikings' Cousins goes down
Cousins was having a season to remember with an NFL-best 18 TD passes and 2,331 yards through the air, second only to Tua Tagovailoa. The Vikings were riding a three-game winning streak that included a 22-17 win over the 49ers.
The absence of Cousins against Atlanta translated to a 3.5- to 4.5-point swing in favor of the Falcons in early wagering at BetMGM before the addition of Dobbs was announced.
"The game would have been close to a pick’em or Falcons -1 if Cousins was playing but now Falcons -4.5," BetMGM PR Data Analyst John Ewing told Sporting News.
SuperBook VP of Risk & Operations Ed Salmons opened with Falcons -1 last week, and that number had moved to -4.5 at his book by Tuesday.
"Lots of these moves are based on how good your backup QB is," Salmons told Sporting News. "Dobbs helps, but it's a tough situation to have to learn and play the same week."
Atlanta has proven veteran backup Taylor Heinicke if Desmond Ridder (concussion) can't play against Minnesota on Sunday.
Here's a look at live odds for Vikings vs. Falcons on top US sports betting apps:
The effect on Minnesota's futures odds was even more glaring at BetMGM. The Vikings were +2500 to win the NFC last week, but have lengthened to +6600 due to the injury to Cousins. Minnesota's Super Bowl odds took an even bigger hit, plunging from +6600 all the way down to +15000.
Stafford's thumb injury prompts major betting line movement for Rams
Matthew Stafford suffered a sprained thumb on his throwing hand in L.A.'s blowout loss at Dallas. He was replaced by Brett Rypien, the only other QB on the roster. The Rams are in search of another quarterback ahead of Sunday's game against the Packers.
Los Angeles drafted Stetson Bennett in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, but the former Georgia standout is on the reserve/non-football illness list and likely done for the year.
The Rams opened as a -1 favorite over the Packers at DraftKings, but the betting line has flipped in favor of Green Bay.
At BetMGM, the Rams opened at +3000 to win Super Bowl 58. They were listed at +10000 last week but fell all the way to +15000 after the injury to Stafford.
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Pickett a game-time decision for Titans vs. Steelers on Thursday Night Football
Kenny Pickett went down with a rib injury in Pittsburgh's 20-10 loss to Jacksonville, but he could be available for Steelers vs. Titans on Thursday Night Football.
Backup QB Mitchell Trubisky struggled some in relief duty with 139 passing yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. Trubisky will get the start if Pickett can't go, but there hasn't been significant line movement on this game. Does it matter which Pittsburgh QB plays on Thursday?
While the Steelers opened as a 3-point home favorite, here are live odds on Titans vs. Steelers ahead of TNF.
Considering the injuries to all four starting quarterbacks -- Cousins, Stafford, Pickett, and Ridder -- odds on all four teams lengthened to win their respective divisions at Tipico Sportsbook.
- Vikings +500 to +1400 to win NFC North
- Rams +2000 to +2500 to win NFC West
- Steelers +440 to +700 to win AFC North
- Falcons -125 to +105 to win NFC South
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