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Westgate pulls Packers’ odds after source says Aaron Rodgers retiring
Several Las Vegas sportsbooks took down the Green Bay Packers’ division odds and season win total Friday amid uncertainty about quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ future.
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The Westgate took down the Green Bay Packers’ division odds and season win total Friday after being informed by what it called “a reliable source” that quarterback Aaron Rodgers plans to retire.
BetMGM, Station Casinos and William Hill also took the NFC North odds and Green Bay’s season win total off the board. The South Point took down the Packers’ win total but left the division odds up with Green Bay still favored at +120.
Westgate sportsbook vice president Jay Kornegay said the source has proven to be reliably accurate over the years, though, he cautioned, not 100 percent.
The source said “Rodgers is going to make an announcement in the next few days that he’s going to retire,” Kornegay said. “It could turn out to be overblown, and you could see Rodgers back in Green Bay.”
Because of the source’s track record, the Westgate decided to be prudent and take the odds off the board, Kornegay said.
“I would take it not with a grain of salt, more like a chunk of salt,” he said. “… Because of the credibility of the source, we reacted accordingly.”
Rodgers won The Associated Press MVP honors last season after leading the Packers to a 13-3 record before losing to eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay in the NFC championship game.
However, Rodgers has made it clear in the offseason that he wants out of Green Bay, according to multiple reports. He has skipped all offseason workouts and minicamps, and he faces fines if he does not report to training camp.
Circa Sports adjusted the Packers’ odds but left all the options up for betting. The Minnesota Vikings are now the +125 favorite to win the NFC North, followed by the Packers at +195, Chicago Bears at +335 and Detroit Lions at +1,515.
Circa also has the option to bet the Packers not to win the division at -250.
Boyd Gaming, the Golden Nugget and the Wynn still also had the division odds up, with the Packers favored at +100 to +110.
The Packers’ win total is now 8½ at Circa. Boyd Gaming still had Green Bay’s win total up at 9½ (under -150). The Golden Nugget and the Wynn have the total at 9.
Super Bowl odds remained up, though most kept the Packers at the price assuming Rodgers would be their quarterback, ranging from 15-1 to 20-1.
Circa was at 25-1, and the Westgate pushed Green Bay’s odds up to 40-1. Kornegay said that price assumed that Rodgers would not be playing for the Packers.
The Packers’ Week 1 game at the New Orleans Saints was also off the board at some sportsbooks. The Packers are consensus 3-point road underdogs at the books still taking bets on the game; Boyd is at +2½.
Rodgers remains the consensus second choice to win league MVP behind Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, with odds of 7-1 to 10-1.
Only Circa made a big adjustment in that market, moving Rodgers to 30-1.