How Andrew Luck's Retirement Has Hit Bettors
When the Andrew Luck retirement news it shocked the sporting world. The league's talking heads were taken aback, with many going to extraordinary lengths to outdo each other for the worst take. Fans were speculating on social media and those who had already had their fantasy draft were in despair.
Likewise anybody who'd wagered on the Colts early-doors would be in pieces. The Colts came alive down the stretch last year, Andrew Luck looked as good as he had pre-injury whilst the teams rookies, Darius Leonard and Quentin Nelson, were shining like future stars.
The Colts were a team going places. That confidence begun to wane over recent weeks when there were worrying reports about Luck's injury status but nobody saw this coming.
That news has sent prices tumbling, earlier this summer the Colts were +100 favorites to win the AFC South and are now a best price of +550. The Colts were always third favorites to win the Conference at +550 but now they sit at +3300 behind the likes of the Titans, Jags and Ravens. At +1700 they looked liked dark horses to win the Super Bowl but are now +5500.
Earlier this summer when all appeared well the Colts were as short as +135 to topple the Chargers on opening weekend but now they're as long as +260. Likewise the Colts' win total has been hit with the over/under now residing at 7 rather than the 9.5 it was previously.Â
Luck's retirement hasn't just hurt his own chances, third favorite to be MVP at +1000, it has also damaged Parris Campbell's odds with the young receiver, himself struggling for fitness, now available at +5000, double his earlier price of +2500.
It's truly gutting for Luck to have retired so early but it's understandable given what his body has been through. The Colts certainly seem keen to keep him sweet, not making him repay any payments, perhaps believing that their talisman may one day return to the gridiron. We'll be keeping our fingers crossed that Andrew Luck can make one more return.