It took three weeks, but we finally had our first major upset of the NFL season on Sunday, and we actually had three of them. Chances are, if you advanced in your survivor pool this week, it was because you took the San Francisco 49ers or Kansas City Chiefs, who were the only favorites of at least seven points to win outright this week.
In addition to a few big upsets, other notable storylines from this past weekend of NFL action include a historical performance and one big comeback in a quarterback’s first career home start. Lets recap all of the Week 3 betting trends and action.
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NFL Week 3 Betting Trends and Recap
3 Heavy Favorites Lost Outright
The biggest upset of the day was the Arizona Cardinals beating the Dallas Cowboys. Not only did they win as 12.5-point underdogs against the team with the best point differential heading into Week 3, but they never trailed and won by double digits.
The Cardinals’ 28-16 win over the Cowboys was the most shocking upset of the day but far from the only notable one. The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts each won as 7.5-point road underdogs yesterday, defeating two projected playoff teams in the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens, respectively.
Any day in which there are a few upsets is always great for the sportsbook. Not only does the public like to bet favorites, but they have a habit of including them in moneyline parlays.
Text from a bookmaker on NFL Week 3:
"Best week of NFL so far this season. Jaguars, Ravens and Cowboys losing took out all of the parlays."
Good Sunday for the books, despite public loading up on Dolphins
— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) September 25, 2023
I’m not sure anyone had this ticket yesterday, but using our parlay calculator, a $10 bet on a Cardinals/Colts/Texans moneyline parlay would’ve won over $800.
Dolphins Win Big, Scoring 70 Points
One big win for the public yesterday was the Miami Dolphins covering their six-point spread against the Denver Broncos. It was a historic performance, with Miami scoring a whopping 70 points, falling just three shy of breaking the single-game record.
MORE: Early NFL Week 4 Predictions and Picks Against the Spread
After their 2-0 start, facing a 0-2 Broncos team, the Dolphins were the most popular bet of the day yesterday at multiple sportsbooks. I mean, they just needed to win by a touchdown to cover or win straight up for the six-point teaser leg to hit.
It seemed too easy, and it was an even easier win beyond anyone’s imagination, winning 70-20 (Dolphins -49.5 alternate spread anyone?!).
Packers Rally Down 17 Points in the Fourth Quarter
Everything was going right for Saints bettors yesterday. They had a 17-0 lead at halftime and were on the verge of shutting out the Packers in their home opener and Jordan Love’s first start at Lambeau Field.
Then, Derek Carr left the game with an injury, and things took a horrible turn. New Orleans couldn’t move the ball offensively with Jameis Winston under center, and Green Bay took the lead with 2:56 remaining, scoring 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
The Saints still had enough time to drive down the field and win the game but missed a 46-yard field on their final possession, losing their first game of the season and blowing a 17-0 lead.
Down 17-0 going into the fourth quarter, the Packers’ live moneyline odds to win the game were +2500 at Caesars Sportsbook.
The Green Bay Packers were down 17-0.
Their longest LIVE ML odds were +2500.
They ended up winning 18-17 😱 pic.twitter.com/6pks951yYq
— Caesars Sportsbook & Casino (@CaesarsSports) September 24, 2023