The football on Thanksgiving weekend didn't disappoint.
Saturday saw a number of upsets as part of Rivalry Week in college football, and then it was a solid Week 13 in the NFL.
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) slips a tackle by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Maason Smith (94) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) runs after a catch during the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) dives for the end zone to score against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) reacts after a touchdown by running back Zach Charbonnet during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Here’s a look at the action using data from the BetMGM Sportsbook:
The NFL saw favorites go 9-2 straight up on Sunday, and the teams with the most bets cover the spread. The four most bet on teams in terms of bets all covered the spread: the Seattle Seahawks (-1) vs. the New York Jets, the Buffalo Bills (-6) vs. the San Francisco 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams (-2.5) at the New Orleans Saints and the Houston Texans (-3.5) at the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Although there were upsets in college football, the teams that saw the most bets covered the spread for the most part. The six-most-bet teams in terms of bets all covered the spread, including Indiana (-28.5) vs. Purdue, South Carolina (+2.5) at Clemson and Arizona State (-8.5) at Arizona.
Miami’s loss to Syracuse had a major impact on its odds to win the College Football Playoff. Going into the game, it was +2500, but following the 42-38 loss, it is now +15000.
The Ohio State and Michigan game went under the total of 42.5 points. It was the first time in 10 years the game went under. Eighty-nine percent of the money was on the over.
The biggest upset of the weekend was Michigan taking down Ohio State 13-10. The Wolverines closed as 19.5-point underdogs, which made the win the biggest upset in the history of the rivalry. Michigan took in 51% of the bets and 34% of the money when it came to against the spread betting. In terms of the moneyline, Michigan saw 77% of the bets but just 17% of the money.
There weren’t many upsets in the NFL on Sunday. The biggest were the Philadelphia Eagles beating the Baltimore Ravens on the road as three-point underdogs and the Pittsburgh Steelers beating the Cincinnati Bengals on the road, also as three-point underdogs.
Entering Monday Night Football in Week 13, the Detroit Lions have the best odds to win the Super Bowl at +275.
The Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Eagles are all tied for the second-best odds at +500, while the Ravens (+1000) round out the top five.
The Green Bay Packers (+1500) are the only other team with odds shorter than +2000.
This column was provided to The Associated Press by BetMGM online sportsbook.
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) slips a tackle by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Maason Smith (94) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) runs after a catch during the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) dives for the end zone to score against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) reacts after a touchdown by running back Zach Charbonnet during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
ATLANTA (AP) — Already reeling from their November defeats, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden’s pardoning of his son for federal crimes after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who disregarded the law.
The president pardoned Hunter Biden late Sunday evening, reversing his previous pledges with a grant of clemency that covers more than a decade of any federal crimes his son might have committed. The 82-year-old president said in a statement that his son’s prosecution on charges of tax evasion and falsifying a federal weapons purchase form were politically motivated.
“He believes in the justice system, but he also believes that politics infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who along with Biden and other White House officials insisted for months that Hunter Biden would not get a pardon.
That explanation did not satisfy some Democrats, angry that Biden’s reversal could make it harder to take on Trump, who has argued that multiple indictments and one conviction against him were a matter of Biden and Democrats turning the justice system against him.
“This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wrote of Biden on the social media platform X.
“When you become President, your role is Pater familias of the nation,” the governor continued, a reference to the president invoking fatherhood in explaining his decision. “Hunter brought the legal trouble he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggles while also acknowledging that no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son.”
Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., said on X: “This wasn’t a politically motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies and was convicted by a jury of his peers.”
Certainly, the president has plenty of Democratic defenders who note Trump’s use of presidential powers to pardon a slew of his convicted aides, associates and friends, several for activities tied to Trump’s campaign and administration.
“Trump pardoned Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort, as well as his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner — who he just appointed US ambassador to France,” wrote prominent Democratic fundraiser Jon Cooper on X.
“Sorry, but Biden was right to pardon his son Hunter to protect him against Kash Patel’s weaponized FBI,” Cooper concluded, referring to Trump’s apparent plan to oust FBI Director Christopher Wray in favor of a loyalist who has talked of going after political opponents and journalists.
First lady Jill Biden said Monday from the White House: “Of course I support the pardon of my son.”
Democrats already are facing the prospects of a Republican trifecta in Washington, with voters returning Trump to the White House and giving the GOP control of the House and Senate. Part of their argument against Trump and Republican leaders is expected to be that the president-elect is violating norms with his talk of taking retribution against his enemies.
Before beating Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump faced his own legal troubles, including two cases that stemmed from his efforts to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Those cases, including Trump’s sentencing after being convicted on New York state business fraud charges, have either been dismissed or indefinitely delayed since Trump’s victory on Nov. 5, forcing Democrats to recalibrate their approach to the president-elect.
In June, President Biden firmly ruled out a pardon or commutation for his son, telling reporters as his son faced trial in the Delaware gun case, “I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.”
As recently as Nov. 8, days after Trump’s victory, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon or clemency for the younger Biden, saying, “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no.”
The president’s about-face came weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges. It capped a long-running legal saga for the younger Biden, who disclosed he was under federal investigation in December 2020 — a month after his father’s 2020 victory.
The sweeping pardon covers not just the gun and tax offenses against the younger Biden, but also any other “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024.”
Hunter Biden was convicted in June in Delaware federal court of three felonies for purchasing a gun in 2018 when, prosecutors said, he lied on a federal form by claiming he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. He had been set to stand trial in September in a California case accusing him of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. But he agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges in a surprise move hours after jury selection was set to begin.
In his statement Sunday, the president argued that such offenses typically are not prosecuted with the same vigor as was directed against Hunter Biden.
“The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election,” Biden said in his statement. “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son. … I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.”
Associated Press writers Will Weissert aboard Air Force One and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.
President Joe Biden arrives at Amilcar Cabral international airport on Sal island, Cape Verde Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, en route to Angola as he makes his long-promised visit to Africa. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
President Joe Biden accompanied by his son Hunter Biden and his grandson Beau leave a book store as they walk in downtown Nantucket Mass., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
