NFL, CFB Weekend Betting Recap: Touchdowns Galore Benefit Bettors

NFL Week 1 went to the public betting masses. Week 2 saw the pendulum swing hard the other way toward the bookmakers.

So perhaps it was fitting that NFL Week 3 odds ended up somewhere in the middle, with one notable exception: player props — specifically, Anytime Touchdown Scorers.

"It was a dream Sunday for player prop bettors, as nearly every popular touchdown selection delivered," said Joey Feazel, head of football trading for Caesars Sports. "Nine of the 10 most-backed players found the end zone, turning touchdown parlays into a steady stream of winning tickets."

Oddsmakers from Las Vegas and across the country chimed in to recap the weekend that was in NFL and college football betting.

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The public got paid early and often on popular Anytime Touchdown Scorers, starting with the Thursday night game and really picking up during Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET window. 

Not only did nine of the 10 most-bet players reach paydirt, but eight did so before Sunday’s late games even kicked off.

Those eight, ranked by bets taken:

• Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III
• Ravens running back Derrick Henry
• Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (Thursday)
• Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs
• Seahawks wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba
• Bills running back James Cook
• Bills QB Josh Allen
• Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown

Niners running back Christian McCaffrey was the seventh-most-bet Anytime TD Scorer, playing in the 4:05 p.m. ET/4:25 p.m. ET window on Sunday. McCaffrey found the end zone in the third quarter of a 36-30 win over the Cardinals.

"Jonathan Taylor was the lone star player who missed the party, preventing what would have been a clean sweep for bettors," Feazel said of the Colts running back, who didn’t score in a 19-17 win over the Texans.

On results for the games themselves, Caesars Sports and BetMGM chalked up some key wins, most notably the Commanders’ stunning upset of the Seahawks.

However, the masses got some back, most notably on the Bills and Lions.

Buffalo trailed the Chargers 10-0 after the first quarter, but tied it at 10 by halftime and went on to a 24-16 win and cover as a 7-point home favorite. Detroit blew all of a 24-10 fourth-quarter lead vs. the Jets, but got the win 31-24, either covering as a 6.5-point favorite or pushing at -7, depending on the sportsbook.

The Lions surely kept alive plenty of moneyline parlays by simply winning.

"Today’s results were a mixed bag. The Lions and Bills’ big performances delivered for bettors," Feazel said. "And we once again found ourselves cheering for Deshaun Watson and the Browns on a Sunday. Ultimately, the Browns came through for the book."

Indeed, Cleveland is now 2-1 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) after edging the Panthers 21-18. The Browns were 2.5-point home underdogs and won outright on a late TD.

"It will be interesting to see whether that result earns Cleveland any support from bettors when the Browns return to prime time on Thursday against a divisional rival," Feazel said, alluding to a home date vs. the Steelers this week."

All the bookmakers enjoyed Washington’s 33-31 victory over defending Super Bowl champion Seattle. With Jayden Daniels (elbow) out, Marcus Mariota had three TD passes, and the Commanders narrowly held on as 8.5-point home underdogs.

"Mariota and the Commanders holding on was another key result for the book. Seattle moneyline had become a popular addition to parlays throughout the week," Feazel said.

Added BetMGM trading manager Adair Horne: "Our top three results were all games where the outsider won: Texans vs. Colts, Panthers vs. Browns and Seahawks vs. Commanders."

Indianapolis was a modest 1.5-point home ‘dog and beat Houston 19-17 on Spencer Shrader’s 53-yard field goal with 16 seconds left.

Horne said the bettors beat BetMGM on the Lions and the Chiefs (-9.5), who topped the Dolphins 24-10, covering on a late Travis Kelce touchdown.

Three of the four games in Sunday’s late window absolutely soared over their respective totals. At 54.5, the Ravens-Cowboys total was Caesars’ highest of the week and one of the highest of the season.

Thanks to a touchdown and two field goals in the final 1:30, the Over got there in Baltimore’s riveting 34-31 victory. The Ravens won on a 56-yard Tyler Loop field goal as time expired, a stunning occurrence considering that the Cowboys tied it on a field goal with just seven seconds left.

As noted above, Cards-49ers was a scorefest, with 66 points far surpassing the 48.5 total. And the Raiders’ 35-27 road win vs. the Saints blew through the 44.5 total.

"The [late] slate turned into an Over bettor’s dream, with points piling up and totals cashing across the board," Caesars’ Feazel said. "Ravens-Cowboys action in Rio was lighter than anticipated, which was surprising for a game in a window that normally attracts the week’s largest handle.

"The bettors who did show up largely backed the Over, and they were rewarded."

The scoring carried over into Sunday night, in a game that seemed destined for the Under at halftime and even well into the fourth quarter. The Rams led the Broncos 16-0 at halftime, and it was 19-16 Rams with under five minutes left, with a total of 43.5.

But Talanoa Hufanga’s 66-yard pick-six for Denver was the first of three TDs in the final 4:49. The Broncos got the last word in a 30-26 victory, and Over bettors nabbed another win, as well.

The 49ers led the Cardinals 23-6 four minutes into the third quarter and seemed to be on cruise control, but San Francisco gave back almost every point of that lead, up 29-27 with 2:51 remaining.

The Niners put it away on a George Kittle TD grab to go up 36-27 with 1:31 remaining, and they ultimately won 36-30. So San Fran didn’t cover as a 7.5-point home favorite, but much like Detroit, just by winning, the 49ers helped cash moneyline parlays.

Ditto for the Jaguars (-3.5), who had no trouble blowing out the Patriots 35-6. Horne said professional bettors are gravitating toward San Francisco and Jacksonville, in futures markets such as Super Bowl odds, along with weekly game markets.

"The 49ers and the Jags seem to be the most popular teams with our sharper bettors at the moment," Horne said.

From a betting standpoint, the biggest game in college football Week 4 odds was No. 4 Ole Miss vs. No. 21 Florida. All week long, there was buzz about the Gators being a home favorite vs. a top-five team.

The public masses certainly weren’t buying it, going all in on the Rebels. But sharp bettors were on Florida early in the week, at -2.5/-3, and they were proven right in a huge way.

The Gators, who ultimately closed as 4-point favorites, ran away from Ole Miss 52-28.

"It was a good day for the book Saturday," BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. "Florida was the biggest need for us, and the Gators delivered.

"What made that game even better for us was the live [in-game] market. A lot of money poured in on Ole Miss when Florida got off to a hot start."

The Rebels made it semi-interesting by pulling within three twice in the third quarter — 17-14 and 24-21 — but the Gators scored 28 of the final 35 points.

On the positive side for public bettors, Georgia was a popular 11.5-point home favorite vs. Oklahoma and rumbled to a 41-13 victory.

"Most bettors got something back with Georgia pummeling Oklahoma. But all in all, the book had a good day," Magee said.

The public also did well on Tennessee covering vs. Texas. The Vols, a trendy home underdog of +4.5, got a touchdown with 1:22 remaining to cover the spread in a 20-17 loss.

"There was a huge swing on that touchdown," Magee said. "The game going Under was the only thing that saved it from being really bad for us."

Indeed, the defensive battle fell miles short of the 54.5 total.