Coming off a winning opening week, bettors had another overall strong run in Week 2 as favorites and overs ruled Sunday’s slate of games, especially in the early window.
Key Takeaways
- Favorites have won at a 76.7% clip through the first 30 NFL regular-season games
- Eagles, Bills, Lions, and Patriots come through for spread bettors
- After Week 1’s under run, overs dominate the early Sunday slate
Favorites went 7-6 against the spread and 9-4 straight up on the day, helping a lot of moneyline parlays and teasers get home. Bettors also crushed point totals with the over going 10-3 overall, including 8-1 in a touchdown-heavy early portion.
“Overall, the combination of favorite wins and high-scoring outcomes made the morning slate a standout session for bettors,” Joey Feazel, Caesars Sportsbook’s head of football, said. “The afternoon games were a push for bettors as the Eagles were popular, but the points didn’t arrive. Bettors are 2-0 on the season for Sundays and continuing their tremendous form.”
In the Super Bowl rematch between Philadelphia and Kansas City, the Eagles were getting 77% of the bets and 72% of the money at BetMGM. They beat the Chiefs on the road 20-17 in one of the bigger wins of the day for bettors.
There are still two Monday Night Football contests to go in Week 2, but counting the Packers’ win over the Commanders on Thursday, favorites have hit 23 of 30 so far this season on the moneyline, a 76.7% winning clip.
Sunday’s winners and losers
At ESPN BET, the Ravens, Bills, Eagles, and Bengals all had at least 70% of the spread money and covered. Three of the most-bet top five teams at BetMGM won and covered: Lions, Eagles, and Patriots. Despite cruising to an easy 30-10 victory, Buffalo was involved in an odd split, with the Jets being the most-bet team by handle and the Bills receiving the highest number of tickets at BetMGM.
The Cowboys were a big spread winner for the books, as they were getting between 80% and 90% of the handle. Dallas won 40-37 as a 5.5-point favorite, but a Giants upset would’ve been better for operators.
The Seahawks were one of the better upsets of the year so far for sportsbooks, as they were getting just 10% of the moneyline handle at ESPN BET. They beat the Steelers, the third most-bet team by tickets at BetMGM, 31-17.
“The morning games delivered strong results for customers, with favorites winning outright in seven of the nine matchups,” Feazel said. “Notably, Cincinnati and Dallas – two heavily backed teams – secured comeback victories, driving significant in-play wagering success for bettors.”
The Falcons won as an underdog in the Sunday night game, but Atlanta has the edge in tickets and handle at ESPN BET. A Caesars bettor cashed big on the Falcons’ win over the Vikings.
CASH IT 🤑 pic.twitter.com/PLkWGgplBJ
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) September 15, 2025
Over power
Bettors love overs. They didn’t love that unders went 12-4 in Week 1, but they had their big bounceback on Sunday.
Three of the four most-bet overs hit for BetMGM and ESPN BET customers. The Ravens nearly eclipsed a 45-point total by themselves in a 41-17 win over the Browns, while the Lions hung 52 on the Bears to easily go over. Jaguars-Bengals going over by 8.5 points was another killer for the books. The low total of 40.5 points in Seahawks-Steelers hit for over bettors.
“The ever-popular over markets proved fruitful, particularly for parlays and same-game parlays, with nine games finishing over the posted total,” Feazel said. “This trend contributed to a highly favorable start to the day for the customer base.”
Bills-Jets over 44.5 was the big one on Sunday, as over 90% of the handle at both sportsbooks was on a high-scoring game, and it delivered for the sportsbooks with just 40 points scored.
Injury shakeup
One of the most popular picks in the NFL MVP market will be sidelined for at last three months, reshaping the futures markets and player props for the rest of the season. Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow left Sunday's game with a toe injury that will reportedly require surgery, possibly ending his entire season. He was the most-bet player in BetMGM’s MVP market.
ESPN sources: Bengals QB Joe Burrow will need toe surgery that will sideline him a minimum of three months. pic.twitter.com/g8AiFectwX
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 15, 2025
Because he left Sunday’s game against the Jaguars in the second quarter, Fanatics Sportsbook activated its Fair Play protection program, giving bettors a break after the injury.
“Customers received cash refunds for single Burrow player prop bets, whether it was a pre-game wager or in-game wager,” Fanatics said in a statement. “For those who had Burrow player props in their parlays, Fanatics voided the leg, allowing the rest of the bet to play out. Fair Play at Fanatics Sportsbook is fast, fair, and first to pay for all FIRST HALF injuries this pro football season.”
DraftKings also honored Burrow bets with its Early Exit program after the QB didn’t return.
Joe Burrow has been confirmed OUT.
— DraftKings Support (@DK_Assist) September 14, 2025
Early Exit will be honored and eligible customers will receive cash credits within 24 hours.
Details 🔗https://t.co/iODK4ki34U https://t.co/emU9JslPPv
At ESPN BET, Burrow has the highest ticket count a 17.3% and is second behind Lamar Jackson in handle with 14.7% of the money. He's no longer on the board in that MVP market.
Survivor sweats
Nearly 20% of the Circa Sports Survivor entries were sweating out that Cowboys overtime victory. Over 3,500 picks were on Dallas, the third-most in Week 3. The Cardinals, the most picked team, also gave 28.5% of the field a scare after the Panthers made a fourth-quarter rally to keep the game interesting.
The Ravens took it easy on 24.4% of the entries with a no-doubt victory. The team that let contestants down the most was the Steelers, who were upset by the Seahawks and knocked out 491 entries. The Vikings’ loss to Atlanta on Sunday night ended the contest for another 355.
On Sunday, 1,056 of the 18,125 remaining entries were eliminated. Between the two Monday Night Football games, 391 contestants are relying on a winner, with the Chargers getting 282 of the picks.
#CircaSurvivor 2025 🏈🏆Week 2 Selections
— Circa Sports (@CircaSports) September 14, 2025
📄PDF: https://t.co/SSr114rVtn pic.twitter.com/rh4FZdFuWF
MNF double dip
The rare Monday doubleheader features the Texans favored at home by 2.5 points over the Buccaneers in the first game, while the Chargers are -3.5 at the Raiders.
The underdog Bucs are getting most of the action and 67% of the money at BetMGM. There’s a wild split at DraftKings, where Tampa Bay is holding 67% of the bets, while the Texans are getting 70% of the money.
Bettors might’ve loved the Raiders in Week 1 on the road, but they’re fading them this week, with the Chargers grabbing 72% of the bets and 66% of the handle at DraftKings. The favorite is around 60% in both categories at BetMGM.
Bucs-Texans over 42.5 and Chargers-Raiders over 46.5 are both getting over 77% of the money in the totals markets at DraftKings.
