NFL Week 3 odds weren’t much kinder to the public betting masses than Week 2 odds. Which is to say, they weren’t really kind at all.
Bookmakers got the best of the bettors once again, in large part due to some surprising upsets – hello Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, and even the Carolina Panthers.
“These are the kind of weekends that keep the lights on during the summer,” SuperBook risk supervisor Chase Michaelson said.
Oddsmakers at sportsbooks across the country help recap the weekend that was in NFL and college football betting.
Early Stunners Set Table
The Giants were 0-2 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) as they traveled to Cleveland in Week 3. And the G-Men were 6.5-point underdogs to the Browns.
But QB Daniel Jones had two touchdown passes, and the Giants won 21-15 despite not scoring in the second half.
The Broncos were also 0-2 SU (1-1 ATS) through two weeks. Denver was a 6-point Week 3 road underdog against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But rookie QB Bo Nix and the Broncos easily delivered a 26-7 victory.
“The Giants and the Broncos were huge,” BetMGM trader Christian Cipollini said, noting that Sunday’s early window of games — including the Philadelphia Eagles’ 15-12 win at the New Orleans Saints — pretty much made the book’s day. “We got pretty much everything we needed there.”
Ditto for The SuperBook.
“We did very well. The Packers and Eagles were big needs for us,” SuperBook executive director John Murray said, alluding to Green Bay’s 30-14 win as 3-point road underdogs vs. the Tennessee Titans. “And of course, the moneyline parlays took a hit with the Bucs and Browns both losing.”
Added TwinSpires Sportsbook director of retail sports Zachary Lucas: “The Bucs and Saints losing wiped out a lot of parlays.”
Saquon Barkley on Eagles’ late win over Saints in Week 3
Circa Survivor Shakedown
It’s not your typical NFL betting, but Survivor contests are quite popular, none more so than Circa Survivor. The contest, run by Circa Sports in Las Vegas, drew a whopping 14,266 entries at $1,000 apiece, for a $14.266 million pot.
Entering Week 3, there were only 3,874 entries left. More than 10,000 were eliminated in just the first two weeks.
Then the Browns, Bucs and Raiders all lost on Sunday. Those three teams were the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 most-selected teams, respectively, in Circa Survivor Week 3. Cleveland was the pick for 931 entries, Tampa for 667 and Las Vegas for 515.
So 2,113 entries got knocked out by those three alone, more than half of the remaining field.
Regional Bias
All the above isn’t to say recreational bettors got entirely beaten up. Tom Gable is sportsbook director at The Borgata, a BetMGM operation in Atlantic City. That means there’s a lot of regional bias from Eagles fans and Giants fans.
Which wasn’t a good combination on Sunday. As noted above, Philly scratched out a 15-12 win as a 3-point underdog at New Orleans, and New York earned a 21-15 victory as a 6.5-point ‘dog at Cleveland.
“As good as last week was, this week everything is coming back to earth,” Gable said. “There was heavy Eagles money in-game, and the Giants weren’t a great result for us either, with them winning outright.”
The Borgata saw plenty of takers on New York moneyline, which was in the +240 range. So, for example, a $100 bet profited $240 (total payout $340).
Giants vs. Browns recap: Jonathan Vilma and Kenny Albert on Giants’ offensive success
On Campus
One of the final games to finish Saturday night proved among the most pivotal in college football Week 4 odds: Baylor vs. Colorado. Trailing 31-24, Colorado had a Hail Mary answered on the final play of regulation, with Shedeur Sanders completing a 43-yard pass to LaJohntay Webster.
That TD forged a 31-31 tie, forcing overtime, which the Buffaloes opened by scoring a TD to go up 38-31. South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews had seen enough by that point.
“Oh my God. I couldn’t believe they got the tying touchdown. And when they scored in overtime, I turned it off. I knew we were gonna lose, and I couldn’t take it,” Andrews said.
It’s probably for the better that Andrews didn’t see exactly how the sportsbook lost and the bettors won. Baylor had first-and-goal at the 2-yard line, poised to tie it and force double OT. Running back Dominic Richardson got the call.
But inches before Richardson reached the goal line, Colorado two-way standout Travis Hunter put his helmet right on the ball and popped it out. The fumble rolled through the end zone for a game-ending touchback.
And Colorado covered as a 2.5-point home favorite.
That capped a good day for South Point bettors and a long day for Andrews and his team.
“We didn’t make any money Saturday,” he said.
Fans storm the field after Colorado’s Travis Hunter forces a Baylor fumble through the endzone and seals a 38-31 win in OT
The Miami-Ohio vs. Notre Dame outcome was interesting, as well, though nothing like the excitement of Baylor-Colorado.
The Fighting Irish closed as 27.5-point home favorites. Leading 28-3, Notre Dame drove all the way to the RedHawks 9-yard line, running out the clock in the process. A field goal would’ve given the Irish the cover.
So kudos to those who took Miami-Ohio +27.5 and got there.
Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas
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