Upsets, Blocked Kicks, Notable Injuries and a “Crazy” Day of NFL Betting
With only tonight's Ravens vs. Lions game left, 62.5% of bets and 77.3% of handle in on the Ravens at -4.5, according to ESPN Bet, NFL Week 3 is over. It has seen its share of odd endings, and those who wager on points spreads are undoubtedly having a bad day.
Disturbs a Storyline
Quinshon Judkins, the Browns' rookie running back, stole the show in Week 3 after rushing for 94 yards on 18 cards in the team's 13-10 upset victory over the Packers. He is currently the Browns' top back. James Conner, the running back for the Cardinals, had a terrible ankle injury against the 49ers that ended his season. Star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb of the Cowboys is probably going to miss this Sunday's game against the Packers after suffering a severe ankle injury against the Bears.
Additionally, word broke today that 49ers star defensive end Nick Bosa tore his knee ligament during their game against the Cardinals, ending his season following reports yesterday that he had escaped an ACL injury.
The Chiefs defeated the Giants 22–9 in their season opener, but not before head coach Andy Reid slapped tight end Travis Kelce's shoulder as Kelce walked off the field following a heated altercation. Reid attributed their previous shouting matches on Kelce's intense love for the game.
The Eagles defeat the Rams in a thrilling victory
The game was tied 10-10 with 24 seconds remaining, and the Packers were poised to win on a 43-yard field goal against the Browns. However, the kick was blocked, and the game was lost.
“What drew the biggest shock after years of being their biggest fans each week was that we fully expected the Browns to miss the game-winning field goal,” said Caesars Sportsbook Head of Football Joey Feazel. “Instead, there were cheers on the trading floor, as we were stunned that this was not the Browns we were used to cheering for over the years.”
The Falcons appear awful
With three seconds remaining, the Eagles blocked a 44-yard field goal, and their 336-pound defensive end Jordan Davis roared back for a touchdown, capping the Eagles' comeback victory over the Rams 33-26. After returning it for the touchdown, Philadelphia not only avoided the Rams on the last play but also covered –3.5.
At ESPN BET, the Eagles' ML odds hit +2000 throughout the game. While 82.8% of bets and 81.4% of handle were on Eagles ML prior to the game, 52.7% of bets and 55.9% of handle were on the Rams spread.
Feazel talked about how huge of a swing it was when Davis stopped the Eagles' field goal for a touchdown.
“Significant, crazy endings ninety-nine times out of a hundred usually benefit the customers, and you could hear the hearts pounding of Eagles spread ticket holders while they cheered a mountain of a man carrying their millions move like lightning for 74 yards, a thrilling way to cash a winning ticket,” he says.
Under quarterback Baker Mayfield, the Bucs are genuine. Tampa Bay was unable to cover the -6.5 at home despite surviving three Jets touchdowns in the fourth quarter with a walk-off field goal of their own.
The Browns' Unexpected Victory Over the Packers
At ESPN BET, Bucs ML accounted for 97.3% of handle and 95.9% of bets. For the 22.5% of bettors who backed the Jets (or 31.4% of the stake), they covered +6.5. In terms of wagers and handles during Sunday's early window, Tampa Bay was the second most bet ML team.
The Falcons lost 30-0 to the Carolina Panthers, looking like a complete mess.
Super Bowl prospects were another area of focus for ESPN BET. With the same odds they had going into Sunday, the Bills (+500), Ravens (+500), Packers (+550), and Eagles (+700) are at the top of the Super Bowl winner board.
MVP Futures Are Tightened by Herbert
With the Chiefs and Chargers at +1400 the next best odds, the top four have pulled away from the pack.
Justin Herbert, the quarterback for the Chargers, has the third-best MVP chances, which were further reduced on Sunday from +750 to +550 at ESPN BET. Jordan Love of the Packers is still in fourth place but has dropped from +800 to +1300.
"Crazy Ten Minutes"
All in all, the day at the sportsbooks was crazy.
“A crazy 10 minutes basically decided [the early games], with last-second field goals in Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Cleveland pretty much all at the same time. Philadelphia’s Block-Six got the cover for the Eagles faithful, and the Bucs’ comeback again late were great results for the customers,” Feazel said. “The big two shocks on the Moneylines went against the customers with the Panthers and Browns pulling upsets that swung the morning slightly against the public.
“The later games were a push with the bettors. Chargers covering -2.5 from the opening lines was the result of the day for the customers, and the Bears topping the Cowboys was the one highlight of the afternoon for the book.”
Moneylines, the Bucs, the Packers, and the Chiefs were the most popular wagers at FanDuel during Week 3, and the Bucs, the Packers, and the Chargers were the most bet teams.
