National Football League

NFL Week 4 odds: 'Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda' parlay; five bets that would've won big

Updated Oct. 2, 2024 7:01 p.m. ET

NFL Week 4 odds are behind us.

But if all the analysts are allowed to Monday morning quarterback about what they would’ve done, then why can’t we at FOX Sports play Tuesday morning quarterback for the sports betting crowd?

Recreational bettors — the public betting masses — love to wager on parlays. It’s understandable. Betting a little to win a lot is appealing, like the lottery.

Or in this instance, perhaps a mini-lottery.

However, remember this, too: Parlays are a bookmaker’s best friend.

That being said, what if I told you that betting $10 on: a former Biletnikoff winner to score first; a player with 97 career receiving touchdowns to score first; a favorite to win straight up; the 2021 Super Bowl runner-up to cover against a team that went 2-15 last season; and a game between two former Heisman winners to go over 49 points would profit you over $10,000?

In Week 4, it would have. So with that in mind, here’s this week’s edition of …

Woulda Coulda Shoulda

The following parlay in DraftKings Sportsbook’s NFL Week 4 markets would have hit:

Jordan Addison (+1800) to score the first touchdown in Vikings-Packers game
Mike Evans (+850) to score the first touchdown in Buccaneers-Eagles game
Ravens moneyline (-148) vs. Bills
Bengals -4.5 (-112) vs. Panthers
Commanders-Cardinals total, Over 49 points (-110)

The odds for that hypothetical five-leg parlay were a lengthy +109198. In more readable terms, that’s approximately 1092/1.

So the net profit on a $10 play would’ve been a healthy $10,919.77.

Just three minutes into the game, Addison found the end zone to give Minnesota a 7-0 lead. Evans opened scoring with a touchdown catch in the Bucs-Eagles tilt, giving Tampa Bay a 7-0 lead.

Baltimore served up a no-sweat 35-10 win over Buffalo, and Cincinnati topped Carolina 34-24 to win and cover.

And for the second straight week, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and Washington put up a bushel of points. The Commanders did almost all the work for Over bettors, rolling over Arizona 42-14.

To reiterate, there’s a reason the odds are so long on these types of bets. Wager accordingly. If you’re looking for a little entertainment value for your $10 or $20, then it’s fine to fire on these mini-lottery tickets. Just don’t dip into the weekly grocery money to do so.

Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.