NFL bettors have been watching Week 6 to see if the clash, if you can call it that, of the 5-0 Denver Broncos and 0-5 Jacksonville Jaguars would produce an historic point spread.
Broncos vs. Jaguars features biggest point spread in NFL history
Denver has been by far the NFL’s best team; Jacksonville has the league’s worst. When the two teams meet in Week 6, it will be the biggest point spread in NFL history, according to OddsShark.com.
Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE
And when the line opened Monday morning, it did not disappoint. Denver was a 28-point favorite, which is by far the biggest spread since the OddsShark.com NFL database started logging scores and lines in 1980.
The previous high for a closing spread was 24 points in 2007 when the New England Patriots eked out a 31-28 win over Philadelphia.
Of note, ESPN's Chad Millman has found a site that claims the Baltimore Colts were a 28-point favorite against the expansion Falcons back in 1966. That would match this spread, but there are still six days before kickoff for this number to climb.
The over-under opened at 52, which many observers felt was low and primed to move upwards this week.
“Nobody can stop Denver and the Bronco defense just got scorched for 48 points by Dallas, so we would have expected that total to open higher,” said Jack Randall of OddsShark.com.
“That game has backdoor cover written all over it, because most would expect the Broncos to race out to an early lead and then take the foot off the gas. Easing up is an invitation for some meaningless scoring by the Jaguars.”
Of course it won’t be meaningless in Las Vegas and at online sportsbooks, just like it wasn’t meaningless in the Week 3 Monday Nighter. The Broncos jumped to a huge lead, then watched Oakland score late for a 37-21 final. The closing point spread was 16 points - a push or tie - which gave Raider bettors their money back.
Should you bet on the huge favorite? History tells us that the underdogs are the better play at 5-1 ATS in the six games with the biggest spreads in recent history.
Date | Fave | Dog | Spread | Score |
Oct 13 2013 | Broncos | Jaguars | -28 | ? |
Nov 25 2007 | Patriots | -24 | 31-28 | |
Dec 5 1993 | -23.5 | 21-8 | ||
Dec 23 2007 | Patriots | -22 | 28-7 | |
Oct 13 1991 | -20.5 | 42-6 | ||
Dec 19 1992 | 49ers | Bucs | -20.5 | 21-14 |
Dec 16 2007 | Patriots | -20.5 | 20-10 | |
Nov 11 2001 | -20 | 48-14 | ||
Dec 4 2011 | Patriots | Colts | -20 | 31-24 |
Nov 1 1992 | Bills | Patriots | -19.5 | 16-7 |
Nov 29 1998 | Eagles | -19.5 | 24-16 | |
Oct 24 1999 | Rams | -19.5 | 34-3 | |
Sept 29 2002 | Eagles | -19.5 | 35-17 |
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