When it comes to NFL betting, there’s no such thing as a sure thing. No matter how big the favorite, the possibility exists that an underdog will have its day.
That was on full display in NFL Week 9 odds. And one high-rolling DraftKings Sportsbook customer nailed a big win because of it, while another made a six-figure donation to the house.
More on those bets, other major wagers and profitable parlays in NFL and college football betting this past weekend.
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Upset Specials
Minnesota was a 9.5-point underdog at Detroit on Sunday. Correspondingly, the Vikings were +380 underdogs on the moneyline, to pull the outright upset.
That’s a nice potential payout, particularly on a big-dollar bet. At DraftKings, a customer put $60,000 on Minnesota moneyline.
The Vikes fell behind 7-0 less than three minutes in, which is what pretty much everyone expected. But J.J. McCarthy & Co. responded with their own TD two minutes later, then another late in the first quarter to go up 14-7.
The Vikings never trailed after that point and went on to a 27-24 upset. So the bettor banked a hefty $228,000 profit, for a total payout of $288,000.
But keep in mind, sports betting is gambling. The sportsbook giveth, and the sportsbook taketh away.
Before Sunday’s Panthers vs. Packers game, a high-roller put a massive $200,000 on Green Bay -12.5 (-118) at DraftKings. That’s a lot of points to lay in an NFL game, even with the Packers on home turf and seen as one of the league’s best teams.
Green Bay needed to win by 13 or more. As it turned out, the Packers could only score 13 points, never mind win by 13 points. The Panthers sprung a 16-13 upset, winning on a 49-yard field goal as time expired.
So that’s $200K sent to DK’s coffers. Based solely on point spread, it was the biggest upset of the 2025 NFL season.
Perhaps Carolina is no longer the doormat it has been in recent years. The Panthers are 5-4 straight up (SU) — matching the Kansas City Chiefs at the moment — and are money-making 6-3 against the spread (ATS).
In-Game Win Game
Sometimes, you just want to wait until after a game kicks off to get a better feel for what you’d like to bet. Or perhaps you’re just waiting for better odds.
Whatever the case, a Caesars Sports customer struck big with a three-leg in-game moneyline parlay Sunday. During the early window of games, the bettor put $250 on:
- Panthers moneyline +800 vs. Packers
- Bears moneyline -110 vs. Bengals
- Vikings moneyline +700 vs. Lions
Add up these odds, and also you’ve bought +13645. Or in easier-to-digest phrases, slightly over 136/1.
As famous above, the Panthers delivered the upset of the season, and Vikings moneyline bought there in upset style, as nicely.
The Bears ended up being the wild card of the bunch.
Chicago led Cincinnati 41-27 with 4:53 remaining and appeared sure to win. However the Bears gave up a landing and 2-point conversion, then did not cowl an onside kick, main to a different Cincy TD.
So with 54 seconds left, the Bears have been dropping 42-41. However Caleb Williams and Colston Loveland saved the day on a 58-yard catch-and-run, giving Chicago a 47-42 victory.
The bettor bagged a revenue of $34,113.60. Not a nasty day’s work.
Right here’s Hoping You Had It
It’s not all about making massive bets or cashing out large on 10-leg parlays — which, simply to be clear, is uncommon. Generally it’s about placing 10 bucks on a single straight guess, backing an extended shot or semi-long shot, and getting good ROI.
Should you had an affinity for Drake London touchdowns Sunday, then you definitely bought paid. The wideout scored all three of Atlanta’s TDs towards New England, practically getting the Falcons to additional time.
Alas, Atlanta misplaced 24-23, largely attributable to a missed further level after London’s third rating, with 4:40 remaining.
At FanDuel Sportsbook, London was +15000 — that’s 150/1 — to attain three or extra TDs. Should you’d simply tossed 10 bucks on that, then your pockets can be $1,500 fatter this week.
Guess Huge, Win Small
There’s been a development this season, notably in faculty soccer, of huge bettors inserting moneyline wagers on hefty favorites. That occurred once more in college football Week 10 odds.
At DraftKings, Ohio State was -1200 on the moneyline vs. a reeling Penn State squad. Meaning it could take a $1,200 guess simply to win $100.
A DK buyer determined to go a lot bigger than that, placing $100,000 on Buckeyes -1200.
As anticipated, Ohio State rolled to a 38-14 house victory. And the bettor profited all of $8,333.33 (whole payout $108,333.33). Nevertheless it’s 8.33% revenue, which most of us would take with our 401k, I suppose.
Huge Prop Pop
A DraftKings buyer took a swing on anytime TD scorers in Sunday night time’s Seahawks–Commanders tilt. The bettor put $5,000 on Cody White to search out the top zone, at odds of +950.
That paid out properly throughout Sam Darnold’s large first half. The Seattle QB went an ideal 13-for-13, with 4 TD passes within the first half-hour.
The final of these was a 60-yard reference to White to make it 28-0. The bettor turned a revenue of $47,500 (whole payout $52,500).
I Like Huge Bets and I Can’t Lie
Main wagers have been flying all weekend lengthy on NFL Week 9 odds and faculty soccer Week 10 odds. As famous above, a $200,000 Packers guess went begging.
However that wasn’t the most important donation to the home. A DraftKings buyer put a whopping $300,000 on Patriots -4.5 (-118) vs. the Falcons.
Additionally, as famous above, Atlanta bought a late TD to make it 24-23, and that was the ultimate rating, as nicely. So the Falcons lined to sink that main wager.
Different massive performs from the weekend:
- $115,000 Ravens -7 vs. Dolphins (DraftKings). With Lamar Jackson back, Baltimore easily covered the spread in a 28-6 road victory.
- $86,400 Broncos–Texans Over 40.5 points (Caesars). That game featured six field goals — five from Houston, one from Denver — and the Broncos won 18-15. So that’s a losing ticket.
- $71,200 Bengals +2.5 vs. Bears (DraftKings). That bettor probably felt great when Cincy rallied to go up 42-41 with 54 seconds left. Then not so much when Chicago got a 58-yard TD to win 47-42.
- $50,000 Raiders +130 moneyline vs. Jaguars (DraftKings). The Raiders went for 2 after a final-second overtime touchdown, and didn’t convert, losing 30-29.
- $50,000 Vanderbilt moneyline +140 vs. Texas (DraftKings). The Commodores rallied from a 34-10 fourth-quarter deficit, but fell short of the upset 34-31.
So some big-bankroll bettors had a bust of a weekend, which is an effective reminder that these high-rollers can afford to lose massive bets.
You and me? Not a lot.
Maintain your wagers and your expectations cheap. By no means guess greater than you possibly can afford to lose.
Patrick Everson is a sports activities betting analyst for FOX Sports activities and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He’s a distinguished journalist within the nationwide sports activities betting house. He’s primarily based in Las Vegas, the place he enjoys {golfing} in 110-degree warmth. Comply with him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.
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