It took all of one game for NFL bettors to feel like they’d already suffered the worst beat of the year.
Key Takeaways
- Only score of the second half came on a 58-yard field goal at the 8:35 mark of the third quarter.
- Over money was nearly 3-to-1 at sportsbooks, and the live total climbed over 60.
- Dallas had the best chance at a touchdown in the second half before fumbling at the Eagles' 10.
To be fair, it was really bad. The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles opened up the 2025 regular season on Thursday night with 41 first-half points. With a total of 47.5, which was heavily bet for the opening game, it was inevitable the game was headed for an over and an easy ticket cash.
Over bettors needed just one touchdown and an extra point. That’s it.
However, the unthinkable happened. For just the second time in the last 20 years in NFL games with a total below 50, a 40-or-more-point first half didn’t produce an over. The Eagles kicked a 58-yard field goal, and that even came on the first drive of the second half, to win 24-20.
Surging over, right?
It was a great victory for under bettors, but it left the other side posting plenty of “rigged” comments on social media after the game.
This came after a first half that featured points on the first eight possessions. The live total surged to over 60 points as the high-scoring affair looked like it could even be headed to 80 points with the way the two offenses were moving in the first 30 minutes.
BetMGM reported that 69% of the point total’s handle was on the over 47.5.
69% of money was on Eagles-Cowboys OVER 47.5 at @BetMGM ❌
— John Ewing (@johnewing) September 5, 2025
41 points - 1st half
3 points - 2nd half
Bad beat for OVER bettors.
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
It was the most-bet total of the week so far at the online sportsbook. ESPN BET said on Thursday afternoon that 78% of the money was on the over. Combined with the Cowboys still somehow covering as a 7.5-to-8.5-point underdog, it was a great night for operators and a kick in the teeth for bettors to start the season.
Building hope
With star Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter ejected for spitting on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, the Cowboys came out firing and scored touchdowns on their first two drives. The Eagles answered both times before the Cowboys took a 17-14 lead in the second quarter.
Saquon Barkley scored a Philly touchdown with 56 seconds left in the first half before Brandon Aubrey got Dallas back within a point at the end of the quarter.
Over bettors who didn’t stick around for the second half were likely already counting their winnings. It looked like a lock as neither team looked like it was going to stop scoring.
What went wrong?
There was a lighting delay in the second half that disrupted the flow of the game and might’ve been a major cause for the unusual lack of scoring. Regardless, there wasn’t a single point scored after the 8:35 mark of the third quarter. The bad beat really took form on the drive after the Eagles’ field goal. Dallas got down to the Philly 11-yard line after a 49-yard run by Miles Sanders.
On the very next snap, the Cowboys got called for unnecessary roughness in a game full of penalties, pushing them back 15 yards. However, the Eagles returned the favor four plays later with an unnecessary roughness penalty of their own, moving the ball back to the Philly 11.
Disaster struck after that as Sanders fumbled at the Eagle 10, and Philadelphia recovered to thwart the scoring attempt.
Eagles knock the ball loose for the first turnover of the game!
— NFL (@NFL) September 5, 2025
DALvsPHI on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/AqNWvimMrM
After that, the Cowboys took just one snap in Eagle territory the rest of the game, while Philadelphia didn’t have a possession across the 50 until Dallas turned it over on their own 45 with two minutes to play.
The Eagles ran three plays and then ran out the clock, completing 23 minutes of game time without a single score and nearly 31 minutes without a touchdown, a huge damper for over bettors.
