Week 5’s weird and wild Sunday turned out pretty good for NFL bettors. The Vikings’ comeback across the pond, the Lions and Colts covering spreads, and a few outright underdogs led the charge.
Key Takeaways
- The most-bet team of the week came through, as the Lions covered against the Bengals.
- A bettor at Caesars nailed three wagers of over $300,000 each.
- A wild finish in Arizona cost Cardinals bettors and Circa Survivor participants.
“The early start in London did not deter customers, who started the day great with the Vikings' comeback to cover the -3.5 spread, having both pre-match and in-play bettors rejoice early,” said Joey Feazel, Caesars Sportsbook’s head of sports. “The morning games overall were a big win for the customers as the (early) slate continued the trend of fancied teams delivering and the popular dogs, Carolina, Dallas, also winning straight up.”
Favorites were 6-6 against the spread, so sports betting operators were able to get some back, but a reduced schedule with the first week of byes produced key wins for bettors.
The Lions were the most-bet team by spread and handle at both BetMGM and ESPN BET. Detroit (-10.5) bettors enjoyed a 37-24 win over the struggling Bengals.
Big wins
Feazel said Caesars got hit with Minnesota -3.5, Dallas moneyline, Colts -7, and Broncos moneyline. The latter came against the previously unbeaten Eagles.
Of BetMGM’s five most-bet teams by handle Sunday, three covered the number, including the Lions -10.5 versus the Bengals, Commanders +3 at the Chargers, and Cowboys -1.5 at the Jets.
Bettors also landed on two of the three most popular underdog moneyline teams. The Buccaneers’ 38-35 road win at Seattle definitely hurt operators.
Feazel reported that one bettor did well with his “loan of Biff’s Almanac,” a reference to the movie “Back to the Future II.” The Caesars customer hit big with wagers of $316,000 on Vikings -3.5, $300,000 on Cowboys moneyline (+100), and $330,000 on Titans +7.5.
Shock and awe
Tennessee’s massive upset of the Cardinals was the wildest game of the day. The Titans rallied from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to get their first win of the season. ESPN BET said Tennessee had just 6.7% of the ML bets and 9.3% of the handle at +320 before kickoff.
The live moneyline reached +3,000 multiple times during the game before the Titans pulled off a miracle 22-21 victory filled with a dropped Cardinals touchdown, a Cam Ward interception that was fumbled for a Tennessee touchdown, and a game-winning field goal.
That game burned a lot of parlays and teasers and also turned the Circa Survivor contest on its head, eliminating over 3,100 entries that picked Arizona.
Big comebacks
The Titans weren’t the only team to rally. Minnesota trailed the Browns by a field goal entering the fourth quarter, and there were plenty of live Vikings ML wagers and parlays that got home with the 21-17 victory.
The Panthers, popularly bet +1.5 underdogs, turned a 17-point deficit into a 27-24 win over the Dolphins. Carolina had 40% of the ML handle at ESPN BET, where the Panthers reached +900 during the game.
ESPN BET got some money back when the Chargers, who jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, lost 27-10 to the Commanders, who had just 13% of the spread handle. On Sunday night, Buffalo came back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter but still lost 23-20 to the Patriots that hurt parlay and teaser bettors. The Bills were getting 92% of the moneyline tickets and 86% of the handle.
MNF preview
The Chiefs head to Jacksonville on Monday night as 3.5-point road favorites. Kansas City is getting a massive 82% of the spread handle at BetMGM. DraftKings has seen a much lesser 62% of the money come in on the Chiefs, but both operators reported that over 70% of the bets back the favorites.
ESPN BET has seen a nearly even split on the handle, with the Jags getting 50.3% of the money despite seeing just 32.5% of the wagers. However, the Chiefs are a popular moneyline pick with 81% on the -195 outright odds.
The over 45.5 is getting heavier action. BetMGM has seen close to even money, but DraftKings and ESPN BET have both taken at least 68% of the points handle on the over.
As for props, Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy’s over 2.5 rushing yards is getting 99% of the tickets at BetMGM. Travis Etienne Jr. is second with over 63.5 rushing yards, and the Jags running back is the most-bet anytime touchdown scorer.
