Week 13 in the NFL went the way of the underdogs, which is typically a welcome sight for sportsbooks.
Key Takeaways
- Upsets by the Panthers, Packers, and Bears help sportsbooks in Week 13.
- Favorites are looking to stay above .500 against the spread heading into Monday Night Football.
- The underdog Giants are getting some love against the Patriots.
Counting Thursday and Friday’s underdog sweep, favorites are just 5-10 against the spread and have only straight-up won eight of the 15 games played heading into Monday Night Football.
The Thanksgiving trend continued in the early slate Sunday, as underdogs went 5-2, including three significant moneyline upsets to add to the four underdogs that won outright Thursday and Friday. Favorites bounced back in the late slate, but Sunday's prime-time showdown went the way of the underdog in a wild overtime win for the Broncos at Washington.
“Not the best week of the season for bettors, barring a few really fancied dogs and the opposing of the usual suspects - Titans, Saints, Browns, and Raiders,” said Joey Feazel, Caesars Sportsbook’s head of football. “The (late) afternoon all went the bettors' way with the three big favorites all covering the spreads to even up the day.”
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Winners and losers
Feazel reported that the Packers’ upset of the Lions on Thursday and Chicago’s key victory over the Eagles on Friday were two of the book’s biggest wins this week, even though there was a $108,000 bet on Bears +7.
Then on Sunday, the Panthers came through as double-digit underdogs with a shocking 31-28 victory over the red-hot Rams to help sportsbooks. The Jets knocked off the Falcons, the Texans upended the Colts, and the Saints and Cardinals barely got under the number in losses to help underdogs stay hot.
BetMGM bettors fared well in some spots. The top handle team Sunday was the 49ers, who destroyed Shedeur Sanders and the Browns 26-8 as 5.5-point favorites.
“49ers taking on a rookie QB and the Browns is always the easiest recipe for any holiday betting chef,” Feazel said.
Texans +3, Commanders +6, and Bills -3 were also in BetMGM’s top five, and all three hit. Houston was getting nearly 70% of the money as an underdog. The Buccaneers were the only team in that group that failed to cover, winning 20-17 as 3.5-point favorites. Over 80% of the handle was on Tampa Bay at BetMGM.
The Jaguars had 66% of the handle and came through with a 25-3 win against the lowly Titans, a team that has crushed operators nearly all season. The Bills, Seahawks, and Chargers all covered as favorites, getting at least 60% of the handle at BetMGM.
Circa Survivor update
In a split week, Thursday and Friday’s games eliminated 851 of the remaining Circa Survivor Contest entries, as over 80% were backing the Eagles and Ravens. Sunday knocked out four more contestants who were on the Rams, leaving 44 entries battling for the $18.7-million prize.
Nearly 43% of the participants who survived the Thanksgiving and Black Friday bloodbath rode the Chargers on Sunday to advance to Week 14. The Dolphins and 49ers each got seven through, while the Jaguars and Seahawks helped nine more advance.
Just one participant is on the Patriots on Monday night.
#CircaSurvivor 2025🏈🏆Week 13b Selections
— Circa Sports (@CircaSports) November 30, 2025
📄https://t.co/fU6f1akiaz pic.twitter.com/lhBZL16RMm
MNF preview
New England heads into the final game of Week 13 as a 7.5-point favorite over the Giants. The Patriots are getting 52% of the bets, but New York has taken 55% of the money at BetMGM.
DraftKings has seen a slight 52% edge in both categories go to the Giants, who are also getting 48% of the moneyline handle. Both operators reported that the majority of the point total’s tickets and money are on the over 46.5.
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is the most-bet player in the anytime touchdown market with odds of +320, while bettors are backing New England running back TreVeyon Henderson to reach the end zone first at +500.
