Sports betting roundup: The underdogs are still upsetting the odds in the NFL

Published Sep. 30, 2024 12:31 p.m. ET

Associated Press

The underdogs are still upsetting the odds in NFL betting through the fourth week of the season.

Going into the two Monday night games in the NFL, underdogs have gone 9-4-1 against the spread this week at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

And then there's Week 5 of college football, the WNBA playoffs, the Presidents Cup and the baseball regular season coming to an end to provide more entertainment.

Trends of the Week

The Cincinnati Bengals picked up their first win of the season, beating the Carolina Panthers 34-24. Cincinnati was one of the most-bet teams on Sunday, taking in 81% of the bets and 89% of the money in against-the-spread bets. The Bengals were 4.5-point favorites.

The Alabama-Georgia game in college football was a wild one. After a back-and-forth final quarter, Alabama came away with a 41-34 win. Georgia closed as a 2.5-point favorite, with 45% of the money and 57% of the bets on the Bulldogs. It was the first time Alabama was a home underdog since 2007.

Only two of the five most-bet players to score an anytime touchdown managed to get in the end zone on Sunday — Marvin Harrison Jr. (+100) and Kyren Williams (-145). Aaron Jones (+120), Breece Hall (-165) and Saquon Barkley (-150) did not score.

Upsets of the Week

The biggest upset in the NFL was the Denver Broncos beating the New York Jets 10-9. Denver was an eight-point underdog and took in 45% of the money in against-the-spread bets. Underdogs of seven or more points are 5-1 straight up this season.

In college football, Michigan was a 10.5-point favorite against Minnesota. Although the Wolverines won the game 27-24, they did not cover the spread. Seventy-three percent of the bets were on Michigan to cover.

The three most bet underdogs to win in college football all won Saturday – Alabama (-105), BYU (+140) and Colorado (+450).