Bettors cash in on right NFL favorites, popular underdogs

Bad NFL teams found new and creative ways to lose games over the long Thanksgiving weekend.

Bettors who backed favorites on the money line — and 52 Circa Survivor contestants still in the hunt for a $14.3 million prize — are grateful they did.

Favorites won 11 of 14 games Thursday, Friday and Sunday (Chargers-Falcons closed at pick’em).

“Customers who took favorites on the money line from Thursday onward were giving thanks again this week,” Caesars Sportsbook vice president of trading Craig Mucklow said.

Underdogs went 8-5-1 against the spread, which is usually a good sign for sportsbooks, but bettors still dealt Station Sports a losing week.

“Overall, it was a better weekend for the guests. We didn’t get a big money-line ’dog to win, which we normally need,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “The Bears found a way not to win. The Raiders found a way not to win. The Patriots found a way to lose, and the Panthers found a way to lose.”

All four favorites won on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, which was its own separate week in Survivor. But the Lions and Chiefs barely escaped with victories, as did Caesars bettors who wagered $240,000 on the Kansas City money line (-800) and $200,000 on the Detroit money line (-600).

Bears, Raiders take cover

The Lions made 17 contestants sweat Thursday in their 23-20 win over the Bears. Chicago (+9½) rallied from a 23-7 second-half deficit and was in position to tie the game when Caleb Williams was sacked at the Lions 41 with 36 seconds left.

Rather than call timeout facing third-and-26, Bears coach Matt Eberflus let the clock run, and Williams’ pass to Rome Odunze fell incomplete as time expired. The decision cost Eberflus his job; he was fired Friday.

The Chiefs pushed 29 entries to the brink of elimination in Friday’s 19-17 win over the Raiders. Kansas City, the biggest favorite on the board at -13½, was clinging to a 19-17 lead when the Raiders moved into field goal position with 15 seconds left.

But then Aidan O’Connell botched a snap, and Kansas City recovered it to hand the Raiders their eighth straight loss.

Bucs, Colts survive

The Buccaneers kept 11 contestants on edge in Sunday’s 26-23 overtime win over Carolina. The Panthers (+6½) took a 23-20 lead with 30 seconds left on Bryce Young’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen. That was enough time for Tampa Bay to tie it on Chase McLaughlin’s 51-yard field goal with no time remaining.

After the Bucs missed a field goal to open overtime, Young threw a pass to Thielen to put Carolina in field goal range at the Tampa 34. But on the very next play, Chuba Hubbard fumbled. The Bucs recovered and drove for the winning field goal.

“If Carolina had won, that would’ve made our entire day,” Westgate vice president of race and sports John Murray said. “We couldn’t knock any big favorites out.”

The Colts bailed out two Survivor entries — but didn’t cover as 2-point favorites — when Anthony Richardson threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce on fourth-and-goal with 12 seconds left to close to 24-23, then rushed up the middle for the go-ahead 2-point conversion in their 25-24 win over the Patriots. It wasn’t over until Joey Slye’s 68-yard field goal try fell short as time expired.

The Vikings (-3½) also rescued two Survivor entries but didn’t cover in a 23-22 win over the Cardinals. Minnesota rallied from 13 points down and took its first lead with 1:13 left when Sam Darnold threw a 5-yard TD pass to Aaron Jones.

Favorite things

The betting public cashed in on five favorites that covered: Cowboys (-4½, beat Giants 27-20), Packers (-3½, beat Dolphins 30-17), Commanders (-6, beat Titans 42-19), Rams (-2½, beat Saints 21-14) and Bills (-6½, beat 49ers 35-10).

The public also won on the three underdogs that won outright: Steelers (+3, beat Bengals 44-38), Seahawks (+1½, beat Jets 26-21) and Eagles (+3, beat Ravens 24-19).

“To no one’s surprise, Seattle and Pittsburgh were very popular against poor teams on the road,” Mucklow said.

Backdoor cover

Texans bettors either lost or pushed in their 23-20 win over the Jaguars. Houston, which closed -3½ or -3, led 23-6 midway through the fourth quarter when Jacksonville backup quarterback Mac Jones directed back-to-back TD drives.

Jones threw a 6-yard TD pass to Brian Thomas Jr. with 3:31 left to make it 23-18, then hit Parker Washington for the 2-point conversion and dreaded backdoor cover.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.