The NFL betting public is very glad to see the calendar flip from Week 2 to Week 3, as multiple favorites not only didn’t cover but actually lost outright. Incredibly, through two weeks of the season, underdogs of 6 points or more are a perfect 8-0 against the spread. A few of the Week 2 games that hurt public bettors:
- Baltimore Ravens (-8), the largest favorite of the day, blew a 23-13 fourth-quarter lead to the Las Vegas Raiders and lost 26-23
- Dallas Cowboys (-6.5) got crushed 44-19 at home by the New Orleans Saints
- Detroit Lions (-7.5) lost outright 20-16 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Generally, when one or two big underdogs win outright it’s a good weekend for the sportsbooks because it knocks out all moneyline parlays and teasers associated with the relevant big favorites. But it’s very rare to have several big ‘dogs all win outright. And the result was crushing for public bettors.
“That early slate was an absolute bloodbath for the customers,” Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata in Atlantic City said. “The hold percentage was insanely high. Ravens, Lions, Cowboys, Colts, 49ers. We cleaned up on all of them.”
As Gable mentioned, the Indianapolis Colts (-3) were a popular play going into Green Bay to face Malik Willis, starting for an injured Jordan Love. However, the Packers ran the ball for 261 yards on 53 carries and eked out a 16-10 win.
“It was a very good week,” John Murray, executive director at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook told Odds Shark. “The morning was outstanding as I’m sure it was for most books. The afternoon games didn’t go our way and we lost on the night game, but the morning was so great, it allowed us to overcome everything that happened the rest of the day.”
The Philadelphia Eagles (-5.5) losing a stunning final-minute six-point lead and falling 22-21 to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football was the icing on the cake, as over 80% of bets and 80% of the total dollars wagered on the spread were on the Eagles at every sportsbook.
“That was a pretty good result,” Chris Andrews, sportsbook director at The South Point in Las Vegas texted, “But we already had a good four days.”
The carnage also impacted NFL survivor pools, as Circa Sports’ contest – which began the season with over 14,000 entries – is now down to under 4,000 entries after just two weeks. The Ravens (2,304 entries) were the most-selected team in Week 2 in the contest, and lost. The Bengals (4,895) were the most-selected team in Week 1, and lost outright 16-10 to the New England Patriots.
The betting public will bounce back, but it’s certainly been a tough start to the season.