A look at NFL handicapping with the PFW editor lobbying to become Las Vegas bureau chief.
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Speculation about the health of Patriots QB Tom Brady has caused oddsmakers to adjust -- and take off the board once Thursday and apparently a second time on Saturday -- the line on Sunday's New England-Miami game.
We reported Thursday about speculation of Brady having a head injury forcing oddsmakers to take the Patriots-Dolphins game off the board, meaning bettors couldn't wager upon the game until oddsmakers could ascertain the New England quarterback's status. However, the speculation about that injury appears to have been unfounded; he was never listed with such an injury on the Week 13 injury report, nor has there been anything to substantiate the rumor.
However, Brady was listed with right shoulder and finger injuries on Friday's injury report. He has been listed with a right shoulder injury for several years (and was listed with the injury Wednesday and Thursday, too) but the finger injury was new. That said, he practiced fully on Friday, just as he did Wednesday and Thursday.
Then, on Sunday morning, ProFootballTalk.com reported that the game was again off the board at some sportsbooks. And this VegasInsider.com chart of the line movement on the game at Nevada sportsbooks shows that the game apparently was widely off the board on Saturday night.
However, the game is back on the board, and the line is as high as New England minus-5.5 after getting as low as New England minus-3. Also, Brady is not one of the Pats' eight inactives and will start.
And, finally, oddsmakers can exhale.