The NFL is one of the most popular and profitable sports leagues in the world, second only to the NBA in popularity. With 16 regular season games per week, there are numerous opportunities for fans to bet on the sport. The league promotes diversity and equality, and several of its players have spoken out against political football and social biases. It appears that the NFL is a great choice for sports betting enthusiasts; here’s a breakdown of the most profitable games for sharps in 2019.
New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs (+3.5) in Week 2
One of the most anticipated games of the year came down to the wire, with the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs in a thrilling see-saw battle. Throughout the early stages of the season, both teams were among the top dogs in the NFL, but since then the dominance of the Kansas City Chiefs has been complete. They opened up as 3.5-point favorites in this game, which made it a perfect opportunity for bettors looking for a winning pick. The game went down to the wire with the Chiefs pulling off a stunner by holding on for a 34-31 victory.
This win propelled the Chiefs above the Jets in the AFC supremacy race, and many people are looking at this as a potential make or break game for the New York squad. However, with both teams struggling to find an identity and with no clear-cut favorite, the line opened up significantly and we were treated to one of the most exciting finishes in recent memory.
The Jets opened up as 3.5-point favorites in this game, which made it a perfect opportunity for bettors looking for a winning pick. The game went down to the wire with the Chiefs pulling off a stunner by holding on for a 34-31 victory.
This win propelled the Chiefs above the Jets in the AFC supremacy race, and many people are looking at this as a potential make or break game for the New York squad. However, with both teams struggling to find an identity and with no clear-cut favorite, the line opened up significantly and we were treated to one of the most exciting finishes in recent memory.
While this was a great game to bet on, it’s important to keep in mind that it was decided by a single point. For that reason, it’s not a guaranteed victory for either team, and that makes it slightly less attractive as a bet. Still, this was a fantastic battle and a great game to miss if you’re trying to avoid suffering loss of any kind.
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos (+4) in Week 4
Another highly-anticipated game, as the top-seeded Los Angeles Chargers took on the unproven Denver Broncos. This game was a battle of the unbeatens as far as the betting public was concerned, with many people expecting a shootout between the two prolific offenses. The underdogs, however, proved to be the more reliable team and shocked everyone by routing the Chargers 48-28, handing them their second loss of the year.
This was a revenge game for the Broncos, who were robbed of a first-round bye by the Chargers. Many are comparing this game to the infamous “Frozen Tundra” game from 1982, when the United States Hockey Team lost to the USSR in what is still known today as the “Miracle On Ice.” This game was expected to be close, but the underdogs completely outclassed the favored Chargers and sent shockwaves throughout the league. For that reason, it is one of the more profitable games of the year for sportsbooks and bettors, even though the line fluctuated a good deal and went under the board several times.
Despite the fact that this game was so one-sided, it provided plenty of betting opportunities for handicappers. The underdogs opened up as 4-point favorites and were picked to win by most sportsbooks, including Bovada, which gave them 3.5 points. The line eventually settled in at 4, with the underdogs covering. From a betting perspective, this was a perfect game to take the points, as the over/under was set at 45 points, meaning you needed to choose the winners of this game to win. Naturally, the bettors took that into consideration and settled on the more experienced and reliable Denver Broncos, who were 5-point favorites at the time the line moved.
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (+8) in Week 11
Another highly-anticipated matchup, as the No. 3 Houston Texans went up against the No. 7 Indianapolis Colts. This game was hyped as a possible title contender as well, with the Texans looking to upset one of the best teams in the league. The underdogs pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, as they shocked the sports world by knocking off the top-seeded Colts in a 41-34 victory. It’s quite the feat, considering the point spread was 9 points.
This was a huge blow to the league and its top-seeded teams, who were all feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indianapolis franchise was not created until 1890, so this is a pretty significant upset for a team that has only been around for 76 years. While it’s been a while since the colts have experienced such a significant loss, it does demonstrate that even the best can be brought down by a determined and gritty opponent. This was a big win for the Houston Texans, who went into this game as 3.5-point underdogs and were picked to win by most sportsbooks, including Bovada, which gave them 3 points. The line eventually settled in at 8 points, with the underdogs covering.
Although this was an upset victory, it’s not an attractive proposition to bet on as the Texans are still finding their identity and the Colts are still among the best teams in the NFL. Also, this was just the latest in a long line of upsets for the Houston franchise, so it’s not necessarily indicative of how they will play in the future. Still, this was an exciting game to follow and one of the more lucrative games of the year for sportsbooks and bettors, even though the line fluctuated a good deal and went under the board several times.
Oakland Raiders at New England Patriots (-5.5) in Week 12
Oakland jumped all over New England in this game, outscoring the AFC East rival 28-13 in the first quarter alone. Many expected this game to be a low-scoring affair and an opportunity to rest some of their key players, as the Raiders were already in the playoffs and the Patriots weren’t, but that didn’t turn out to be the case. The line opened up as a narrow 5.5-point favorite at one point, but it eventually settled in at -5.5, with the Raiders covering.
This was a bitter rivalry game, with the two teams meeting for the third straight year in the playoffs. The Raiders won the previous two meetings, so the Patriots were looking for payback. Naturally, you want to avoid betting on underdogs in the NFL, as they have a history of coming back and causing upset bids, but this was an opportunity for handicappers. The line opened up as a narrow 5.5 point favorite at one point, but it eventually settled in at -5.5, with the Raiders covering.
This was a bitter rivalry game, with the two teams meeting for the third straight year in the playoffs. The Raiders won the previous two meetings, so the Patriots were looking for payback. Naturally, you want to avoid betting on underdogs in the NFL, as they have a history of coming back and causing upset bids, but this was an opportunity for handicappers. The line opened up as a narrow 5.5 point favorite at one point, but it eventually settled in at -5.5, with the Raiders covering.
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins (+3) in Week 14
One of the more interesting games of the year came from Philadelphia, where the No. 6 Eagles went up against the No. 1 Washington Redskins in a critical part of the 2019 NFL schedule. The Eagles were coming off their first loss of the season and looked to get back on track against one of the best teams in the NFC, led by quarterback Alex Smith. The line opened up as a narrow 3-point favorite, but due to the intensity of the matchup and the effect of the pandemic, this game ended up getting bet down to the wire. The Redskins were able to pull off an upset and hand the Eagles their third loss of the year.
This was a bad beat for the Eagles, who won 11 of their last 12 games prior to this matchup. They were picked to win by most sportsbooks, including Bovada and Westgate, which gave them 3 points. The line eventually settled in at 3, with the underdogs covering. The Eagles started the year 2-1 and looked to make it 3-1 against the Redskins, but they ended up getting completely overmatched and were unable to stop Alex Smith and company.