It was a horrible day for bettors who backed the favorites in Week 4, and watched as NFL underdogs won 10 of the 14 games against the spread on Thursday and Sunday. The underdogs also won eight of those 10 games straight up.
Three teams hurt bettors the most. New England, Kansas City, and the Dallas Cowboys all got a ton of public money, and all three failed to cover against the underdogs.
William Hill reported that 84 percent of the tickets written were on the Patriots, along with 87 percent of the money.
New England was a 6.5-point favorite over the Buffalo Bills in a battle of undefeated teams. The line moved to seven before kickoff. As expected, the game was a defensive battle, and the over of 42 points was never in danger.
The Patriots won 16-10, but failed to cover by either a half-point or one point. New England coach Bill Belichick told reporters after the game that he expected a low-scoring, tough, physical game.
“Great team effort by our guys, really proud of our players,†Belichick said. “They stepped up, showed a lot of mental and physical toughness in this game. Obviously the Bills are a good football team, played very well, they have a lot of great players, well coached, tough. Our guys just started making more plays, and really competed for 60 minutes. “
Kansas City Fails ATS to NFL Underdog Detroit
The Chiefs were the biggest money handle percentage of the day. Kansas City was on the road and favored by seven over Detroit. That didn’t deter the betting public. They ignored the NFL underdog, and bet the Chiefs heavy. William Hill said 92 percent of the money was on KC tickets, as well as 89 percent of the total dollars wagered.
Until the fourth quarter, it appeared the Lions might pull off the upset. Detroit was leading 10-0 after the first quarter, and was tied at 13 at halftime. They had a three-point lead going into the fourth, but two Kansas City touchdowns prevented Detroit from winning.
The Lions still covered however, losing 34-30.
NFL Underdog New Orleans Knocks off Undefeated Cowboys
Dallas faced the New Orleans Saints and gave away 2.5 points, which raised plenty of eyebrows with the sharps, but not the public. They piled on the Cowboys, giving away the points gleefully.
Dave Mason of BetOnline said the game got more action than any other in the history of the Internet sportsbook.
William Hill reported that 69 percent of the tickets written were for Dallas, and 64 percent of the money wagered was on the Cowboys.
The Saints, who were +135 on the moneyline, won outright, 12-10.
Stat of the Week
Aaron Rodgers’ 59-game unbeaten streak at home when taking a 10-point lead has come to an end. It was the second-longest streak of its kind in the Super Bowl Era. Tom Brady’s 80-game streak was snapped by a 35-28 loss to the Eagles in 2015. Rodgers’ streak ended via a 34-27 loss to the Eagles on Thursday.
Bonus Stat of the Week
Per Bet Labs: Since 2003, teams getting 80 percent or more of bets have gone 94-115-9 ATS for a winning percentage of 45 percent.