2024 NFL Week 3 betting recap: ‘These weekends keep the lights on during the summer’
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 good88 band
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.”
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).
