*By Michael Teich*
Sports gamblers are betting that rookie quarterback Sam Darnold is the real deal.
The public seems to be getting behind the Jets during the second week of the NFL season after the New York team trampled the Detroit Lions 48-17 as a 7-point underdog in week one, said The Action Network's senior editor Chris Raybon.
The surprising performance is causing sportsbooks to swing the line to Jets -3 against the Miami Dolphins after initially predicting the game would be a toss-up, adjusting for the betting market's shifting sentiment towards the Jets.
“That’s a situation you sometimes want to be wary of. But I actually think this is legit," Raybon said. "I would expect the Jets to take care of business at home.”
While Raybon is high on the Jets, he sees the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles as the safest pick of the week.
“I love the Eagles. They’re actually my favorite pick this week," Raybon said. "They’re a three-point favorite against Tampa Bay, but Tampa Bay’s defense was really bad as well last week ー 32nd, dead last, in success rate versus both the run and the pass. Eagles with 10 days to prepare will be all over that."
The NFL season is well-underway and is already causing a spike in betting.
During Sunday’s season-opening games, DraftKings' sportsbook accepted more than 100,000 bets.
DraftKings, known for its daily fantasy sports games, launched its online sportsbook in New Jersey on August 1, and has already processed over [1 million wagers](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-gambling-nfl/nfl-season-kicks-off-sports-betting-surge-for-draftkings-idUSKCN1LS33F?feedType=RSS&feedName=newsOne).
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/best-bets-for-nfl-week-2).
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was suspended indefinitely by the NBA on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after he hit Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face and received a Flagrant 2 foul and ejection.
Shohei Ohtani's jaw-dropping deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers has some similarities to other contracts for the world's biggest sports stars, including soccer icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, along with NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes. But in terms of his marketability, experts point to another name. The real comparison? Try Taylor Swift.
The police department in the remote north woods Minnesota town of Ely faces the same challenges of recruiting and keeping new officers as countless other law enforcement agencies across the country. So it's offering a unique incentive: canoes.
President Joe Biden told a gathering of Native American nations that he would support the bid by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, which invented lacrosse, to compete in the sport under its own flag in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
NCAA President Charlie Baker announced Tuesday that he wants the organization to create a new tier of Division I athletics where schools with the most resources can offer unlimited educational benefits, enter into name, image and likeness partnerships with athletes and directly pay them through a trust fund.
A men’s World Cup super-G was called off Sunday due to strong wind as weather led to the cancellation of all three ski races over the weekend in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
