Chris Boline
The biggest news in the NFL this season thus far has no question been the update that Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has resigned from his post after some truly shocking e-mails were brought to light via reports from both the Wall-Street Journal and the New York Times. Now, Fans are racing to bet on Jon Gruden’s replacement for Las Vegas. Who will be the next full-time leader for the team?
In case you missed it, Gruden’s e-mails contained offensive language, which included anti-gay and racist trobes. He tossed gay slurs at NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and also went on to blast him for encouraging Jeff Fisher, the former coach of the Rams, to select Michael Sam, making him the first openly gay player to be selected. This was something Gruden didn’t like, saying Goodell had an influence on it.
Well, now that Gruden is no longer at the helm or on the sidelines with the team, it’s now on Mark Davis to find a new permanent head coach for the players. Remember, Las Vegas is 3-2 on the year and they’re in the hunt to potentially win the AFC West this season. While the Gruden news was a stunner, that doesn’t mean the season is going to be wasted. There’s simply too much talent on offense and defense.
With all of that said, the Las Vegas sportsbooks have seen countless folks place early bets on who will be the next head coach. While special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia has the job right now, he’s not expected to be the leader of the team next year. Per local reports, the majority of the bets being placed right now are on quite the popular name over in the AFC West. We know you’ve heard of him before.
Jon Gruden resigns as Las Vegas Raiders coach after reports he used racist, homophobic and misogynistic language in emails while working at ESPN https://t.co/iRw5ThyLXa
— CNN (@CNN) October 12, 2021
Kansas City Chiefs assistant Eric Bieniemy is the favorite to become the new coach
To no one’s surprise, Kansas City Chiefs assistant Eric Bieniemy is the favorite to become the new coach for the Las Vegas Raiders once the 2022 season arrives. After making the move from Oakland to Las Vegas, Davis has invested so much time and resources to try and make this team a powerhouse. Derek Carr is also in the middle of his 5-year, $125 million extensions signed in 2017. An extension is coming too.
Having said that, the pieces sure are in place for this team to have an incredible future. That’s where Bieniemy could come into play. The Chiefs coach has long been linked to a head coaching opening, but he hasn’t been able to find the right fit. Last offseason, there were multiple openings, but he didn’t land himself a head coaching gig. This opening with Las Vegas could change things for Bieniemy and KC.
While the sportsbooks have seen plenty of money come in on Bieniemy, that doesn’t mean he’s the only person that’s going to be considered for the job. Other folks who have had money placed on include Bills assistant Brian Daboll, Panthers assistant Joe Brady, Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, and also Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. So, who will Davis give the job to?
For the Las Vegas Raiders fans, the Gruden news really has stung. When he signed his 10-year, $100 million contract with the team, they were still in Oakland. However, with Gruden and Davis running the show, the team made the move to Sin City and there’s been so much excitement across the team. However, Gruden’s old e-mails have come back to haunt him and now he’s not expected to coach again.
Statement from Jon Gruden:
“I have resigned as Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 12, 2021
Gruden news added to a major loss for Vegas sportsbooks for betting
Surprisingly, the Gruden news added to major losses for Vegas sportsbooks for betting in Week 6 for NFL bets. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, multiple casinos across Sin City reported major losses from NFL bets that were placed over the weekend. As soon as the Wall Street Journal report dropped, as did the odds on whether or not Gruden would be out. People jumped at that bet and won in a big way.
On top of that, the Review-Journal has reported that Caesars, BetMGM, and others reported some huge losses from the weekend’s games. Normally, sportsbooks all over the strip celebrate big wins with fans recording some questionable bets and parlays. However, the opposite was the case this weekend, as so many people had a feeling the Chiefs would blow it going up against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night.
“It was, by far, the worst day of the year,” MGM Resorts director of trading Jeff Stoneback told the Las Vegas Review-Journal after his sportsbooks took a nasty hit that no one was expecting to arrive like this.
All in all, between Gruden stepping down from his position and the NFL recording a surprising Week 6 as a whole, it was a rough week for Las Vegas sports betting. They tried to weather the storm, but that task was much easier said than done in this case. The sportsbooks will hope to bounce back this week. Meanwhile, you can expect more and more bets to come in on Gruden’s replacement in the near future.
