The NFL gave bettors a reminder in Week 5 that there is no such thing as a sure thing. Two stunning upsets Sunday involving the last two Super Bowl participants — one a shocking blowout, the other the first loss by the NFL’s current juggernaut — have shaken up the betting landscape as the NFL heads into Week 6, according to analysts for TheLines, which tracks odds in the U.S. regulated sports betting markets.
The Las Vegas Raiders, who opened last week as 11.5-point underdogs to the Kansas City Chiefs, came from behind to stun the reigning NFL champions, 40-32. Then the Miami Dolphins, who opened last week as 7.5-point underdogs to the San Francisco 49ers, walloped the defending NFC champions 43-17.
Oddsmakers are now looking at the 49ers, the one-time NFC favorites, differently. A consensus of the nation’s largest legal online sportsbooks — including FanDuel, DraftKings, PointsBet, SugarHouse, and BetMGM — have moved the 49ers from a lookahead 3-point favorite against the rival Los Angeles Rams to a 3-point underdog as of Monday.
Meanwhile, bettors will have to wait until the Buffalo Bills play Tuesday, ahead of their Week 6 game with the Chiefs, and for the Dolphins and Raiders to emerge from their bye weeks to see if views on those teams have changed. In the meantime, NFL fans can feast on Week 6’s Green Bay Packers-Tampa Bay Buccaneers showdown, which could be the final duel between hall-of-famers Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.
“At 2-3, the 49ers’s struggles have been one of the NFL’s most surprising storylines, and that is increasingly making its way to NFL lines,” said Brett Collson, lead analyst for TheLines.com. “The 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, and Buccaneers have all moved from one-time favorites in their Week 6 games to current underdogs. For at least the 49ers and injury-depleted Cowboys, it shows that perceptions of some teams are changing.”
The consensus point spreads for Week 6 games, as of Monday, Oct. 12:
- Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5); over/under 56.5
- Baltimore Ravens (-7.5) at Philadelphia Eagles; over/under 47
- Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers (-3); over/under 44
- Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts (-9.5); over/under 45.5
- Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (-4); over/under 51
- Detroit Lions (-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars; over/under 54
- Washington Football Team at New York Giants (-4); over/under 43
- New York Jets at Los Angeles Chargers (-8); over/under N/A
- Green Bay Packers (-1.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers; over/under 53
- Los Angeles Rams (-3) at San Francisco 49ers; over/under 49.5
- Kansas City Chiefs (-3.5) at Buffalo Bills; over/under N/A
- Arizona Cardinals (-2.5) at Dallas Cowboys; over/under 54