NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — While the Tennessee Titans prepare to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, fans and sports betters are keeping a close eye on the matchup.
Last year, Tennessee lawmakers voted to allow online sports betting in the state. Officials are still working on the framework of the new industry, and there currently is no timeline for when Tennesseans will be able to place bets. However, lawmakers said they did not expect the industry to be up and running at this time.
But in Las Vegas, where sports betting has been legal for years, sportsbook operators said the Titans have caught bettors' attention."
"That underdog role that the Titans have taken on has captured a lot of hearts out here," Jay Kornegay, Vice President of Sportsbook Operations at Las Vegas' Westgate Casino said. "It certainly has snowballed. I mean as the Titans have gone through this winning streak and really played great over the last couple of months of the season, it really has captured a lot of eyes and support from the bettors."
Still, sports bettors have been siding with Kansas City. The Chiefs are currently 7 point favorites over the two-tone blue.
"The biggest public play this weekend is no doubt the Kansas City Chiefs, even though we've seen some bigger money on Tennessee, most of the tickets are on the Chiefs," Kornegay said.
The Titan's are used to being the underdog. Kornegay said at one point in the season the team's odds to win the Super Bowl were 300/1.
"Did we sell some tickets on them at 300/1? We did. Three. One for $2, one for $15 and one for $100."
Now those odds are 8/1, with Titans fans hoping the team can cash in.
