NFL Week 2 Sees Scoring Dip, Upset Victories, and Survivor Pool Carnage
Unders hit frequently, popular Survivor picks falter, and Super Bowl odds shift after a turbulent second week of the season.
The second week of the National Football League season saw a significant shift in betting trends, with scoring plummeting compared to the opening week and several favored teams falling to upsets. This volatility impacted betting markets, particularly Survivor pools and Super Bowl futures.
Scoring Decline and Upset Trend
Following a high-scoring Week 1, where NFL teams combined for 791 points, Week 2 witnessed a sharp decline. Teams collectively scored 647 points, averaging just 40.4 points per game. This led to the "Under" betting total hitting in 10 out of 16 games, a reversal from Week 1's "Over" trend. Favorites also struggled against the spread, finishing Week 2 with an even 8-8 record after the Los Angeles Rams covered their spread on Monday night.
Five underdogs emerged victorious outright on Sunday. Notable upsets included the Cleveland Browns defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New Orleans Saints beating the Baltimore Ravens, and the Las Vegas Raiders besting the Los Angeles Chargers.
Survivor Pool Meltdown
For the second consecutive week, popular choices in Survivor pools proved disastrous for many participants. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a favored pick by 6,061 entries in the Circa Survivor contest, lost outright to the Browns, costing a significant number of players their chances.
The Los Angeles Chargers contributed to the carnage for a second straight week, eliminating an additional 1,357 entries with their loss to the Raiders. The Baltimore Ravens' upset loss to the Saints also knocked out 835 entries. Entering Monday night's game, only 8,464 of the original 25,017 entries in the Circa contest remained.
Super Bowl Odds Adjustments
The Super Bowl futures market saw notable shifts after Week 2 results. The Los Angeles Rams solidified their position as favorites at +650 on FanDuel Sportsbook following their decisive victory over the New York Giants. The Buffalo Bills remain close contenders at +750 after an undefeated start to their season, highlighted by a win over the Detroit Lions.
The San Francisco 49ers have seen their odds shorten to 10/1 after a strong opening to the season. The Kansas City Chiefs also improved their standing, moving from 16/1 to 13/1 after an overtime win against Indianapolis.
MVP Race Takes Shape
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has emerged as a leading candidate for the Most Valuable Player award. After Week 1, Allen was at +350 odds, but his performance through two games, including nine touchdowns without an interception, has moved him to +250.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has also made a significant leap, climbing from 20/1 to +900 odds after guiding his team to a 2-0 record. Conversely, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson's odds slipped from +750 to +900 following his team's Week 2 loss. Patrick Mahomes' odds also adjusted from +600 to +750. Quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels were removed from MVP betting boards entirely due to injuries sustained in Week 2.