Betting trends only last for so long, but they can sometimes be helpful when making NFL picks. A handful of teams continue to lose against the spread, while others have been making bettors a lot of money through the first two weeks of the 2021 NFL season.
Half of the games on the Week 3 schedule feature a sizable point spread. One undefeated team is a home underdog. One winless team is favored at home.
There still haven't been any major upsets. The biggest betting favorites have all managed to win their games outright. Underdogs have a much better record against the spread than favorites.
Don't rely too much on the previous week's results. Three Week 1 winners were defeated by double digits in Week 2. Four teams who were upset in Week 1 won their Week 2 games by at least 18 points.
Here are 10 betting trends to know for Week 3.
- Underdogs are 21-11 against the spread. Favorites are 18-14 straight up.
- Double-digit favorites are 3-0 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.
- The Texans, Broncos, Raiders, Cowboys and Panthers are 2-0 against the spread. The Jets, Jaguars, Chiefs, Falcons and Washington are 0-2 against the spread.
- Home teams are 6-0 straight and 4-2 against the spread in primetime. Road teams haven’t covered the spread yet on Sunday or Monday night.
- The NFC East and AFC South are a combined 0-4 against the spread as favorites.
- The betting total has gone under in every game featuring an AFC East team.
- In divisional matchups, home teams are 5-3 straight up and 4-4 against the spread.
- The Jaguars have lost 17 games in a row straight up. Jacksonville last covered the spread in Week 13 of last season.
- The Chiefs are 1-9 against the spread in their last 10 regular-season games. Kansas City has won eight of those contests outright.
- First-year quarterbacks are winless against the spread when facing a non-rookie starter. Mac Jones beat Zach Wilson in a battle of first-round signal callers.
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs points out defensive formations by the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. Photo: David Eulitt/Getty Images
