Week 6 of the NFL season ended up as one for the favourites but one underdog stole the show to win their first game in 399 days.
Favourites Cash In
Favourites punters cashed in throughout the early hours of Monday morning (AEDT) as NFL favourites went 7-0 to start the day.
Favorites go 7-0 straight up and ATS in the early Week 6 NFL slate
— VSiN (@VSiNLive) October 17, 2021
The Week 6 trend is in contrast to how the season has gone so far in 2021.
Overall, favourites have only covered the spread at a 46.2% clip. Like last season, away dogs have been the underdog to go with early. Teams taking points into away venues have covered the spread at 60% across the first six weeks of the NFL season while home dogs have covered at only 44.7%.
Mahomes Picks?
Another week, another Patrick Mahomes interception. Two, in fact. That takes Mahomes’ total eight for this season already…
Patrick Mahomes interceptions:
2019: 5
2020: 6
So far this season: 8— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 17, 2021
However, most importantly for the Kansas City Chiefs, their superstar quarterback also threw two touchdowns and for 397 yards as to beat the Washington Football Team 31-13.
It’s a nice bounceback performance from their loss to the Buffalo Bills last week. Their price to win Super Bowl LVI remains at $8 but is a lot more appealing with the Chiefs defence finally keeping a team to less than 30 points. With the Titans, Packers and Cowboys all to come before their Week 12 bye, we’re going to learn a lot about the Chiefs over the next six weeks.
Rodgers’ Rant
“All my f***ing life, I own you! I still own you. I still own you.” – Aaron Rodgers following the Green Bay Packers 24-14 win over the Chicago Bears.
He’s right, you know.
Rodgers is now 22-5 against the Bears across his career. His 81.5% winning rate is the third-best by a quarterback against a single opponent since 1950 (min. 25 starts). Only Tom Brady (32-3 v Bills @ 91.4%) and Ben Roethlisberger (23-3-1 v Browns @ 87%) have beaten up on a team more than Rodgers has the Bears.
He completed on 13 of his 23 attempts for 195 yards and threw two touchdowns before his match-winning rushing touchdown which triggered the spray directed at the Bears fan in the crowd flicking him the bird. Despite the uncertainty around where he will play next season, Rodgers is still playing at a high level. He has the Packers up to 5-1 after Week 6 and at $14 to win Super Bowl LVI. If he wants to stay in Green Bay beyond this season, a Super Bowl win would more than likely force the Packers’ hand.
Jags Win!
No, seriously…Jags win!
The Jacksonville Jaguars knocked over a 53-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Miami Dolphins 23-20 to win their first game of the season and break a 20-game and 399-day losing streak.
It doubles as Urban Meyer’s first win as an NFL head coach and Trevor Lawrance’s first as a player. Both piled up wins at college level so this is a monkey finally off their back.
The Jags now have a week to recover from their trip to London before facing the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8.
Cardinals Move To 6-0
The Arizona Cardinals just keep doing it…
They thrashed a sorry Cleveland Browns outfit 37-14 to move to 6-0 and remain as the only unbeaten team left in the NFL.
It didn’t quite go as smoothly as the scoreline suggests, though.
Head coach Kiff Kingsbury watched this one on Zoom 2,000 miles away. After testing positive to COVID-19 a day earlier, the Cardinals staff scrambled to prepare the team knowing their coach wouldn’t be there on game day. It didn’t matter in the end, though. Kyler Murray continued his stellar form to throw four touchdowns as they built a 20-0 lead in the first half and made it look relatively easy in the end.
Cardinals’ HC Kliff Kingsbury, who has had multiple positive COVID tests on back-to-back days and will miss today’s game vs. the Browns, will need two negative COVID tests 24 hours apart, meaning the earliest he now could return to work is Tuesday. But Kingsburgy “feels great”.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 17, 2021
Still, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have leapt the Bills ($7) to be $6.50 Super Bowl LVI favourites while the Cardinals are on the sixth line of betting ahead of the Baltimore Ravens ($10) at $11.
READ: Bills Breakout As Super Bowl Favourites
NFL Against The Spread Standings
The big story against the spread is the Dallas Cowboys continue to cover at 100% following their 35-29 win over the New England Patriots as -3.5 favourites. Also of note, five of Dallas’ six games so far this season have finished Over the Points Total.
After Week 6
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| Top 16 |
Bottom 16 |
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| Dallas (6-0) | Houston (3-3) | |
| Arizona (5-1) | Carolina (3-3) | |
| Green Bay (5-1) | Las Vegas (3-3) | |
| Buffalo (4-2) | Seattle (3-3) | |
| LA Chargers (4-2) | Cincinnati (3-3) | |
| Indianapolis (4-2) | Atlanta (2-3) | |
| LA Rams (4-2) | Miami (2-4) | |
| Tennessee (4-2) | Pittsburgh (2-4) | |
| New Orleans (3-2) | New England (2-4) | |
| Denver (3-3) | NY Giants (2-4) | |
| Philadelphia (3-3) | Tampa Bay (2-4) | |
| Minnesota (3-3) | Jacksonville (2-4) | |
| Baltimore (3-3) | Kansas City (2-4) | |
| Chicago (3-3) | San Francisco (1-4) | |
| Detroit (3-3) | NY Jets (1-4) | |
| Cleveland (3-3) | Washington (1-5) | |