Joes vs. Pros Breakdown for NFL Week 5: Sharps Are Fading the Packers

Welcome back for week 5 of the NFL Joes vs. Pros breakdown. If you are interested in who the “sharp” money is on, or if games have reverse line movement, this is the place to be. This should not be the end all be all for your wagers, but just another tool to consider while you are putting your card together. Sports Insights is where I get my percentages from.

Before we jump into it, some general betting terms to know:

Joes: Who the general public is overwhelming betting on. Around 60% or higher is a good baseline.

Pros: Sharps, Wiseguys, Syndicates, big bettors, whatever you want to call them. Basically, who the big money is on in the game.

Reverse Line Movement (RLM): When the majority of bets are on one side, but the line moves in the opposite direction. Usually an indicator of “smart” money.

If you tailed the sharps last week, you would’ve gone 2-0 (8-2 YTD). Today, these two games fit both the Joes vs. Pros discrepancy and reverse line movement:

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (pk)

This is a classic Joes vs. Pros/ RLM game. The public sees Aaron Rodgers only needing to win vs. an inconsistent Lions team, so of course they are pounding the Packers. Currently 65% of the public is on the road team. However, the Lions are receiving 60% of the “Wiseguy” money. On top of that, the line has gone from Packers -1.5 to the Lions pk/ -1 in most books (RLM). The sharps were all over the Lions since this line opened.

Oakland Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers (-6)

The public is liking the Chargers in this one at a 59% clip, but the sharp money is on the Raiders (73%). The line has moved down from Chargers -7.5 to Chargers -6 in most books, indicating huge RLM. The “Sharps” took the Raiders early in this one.