NFL Week 13 underdogs dominate, cause Circa contest carnage
Summary
Underdogs ran rampant in NFL Week 13, kicking off a 9-2 against-the-spread surge through Thanksgiving and Black Friday and producing multiple outright upsets. Key surprises included the Packers (as 3-point underdogs) beating the Lions, the Cowboys upsetting the Chiefs, the Bengals routing the Ravens in Joe Burrow’s return, the Bears toppling the Eagles on Friday and the Panthers — 10-point underdogs — beating the Rams 31-28. Underdogs went 10-5 ATS for the week; unders were 9-6.
The results shattered many contest entries at Circa: a $1,000-entry Circa Survivor pool fell from 900 entries to just 49 alive, and the high-stakes Circa Grandissimo saw its remaining six entries eliminated. Bookmakers and sportsbook directors described it as an unforgettable holiday weekend for bettors and operators alike.
Key Points
- Underdogs dominated early in Week 13 with a 9-2 ATS run across Thanksgiving and Black Friday, and seven outright wins.
- Major upsets included Cowboys over Chiefs, Bengals over Ravens (32-14), Bears over Eagles (24-15) and Panthers over Rams (31-28) as 10-point underdogs.
- Circa Survivor contest saw dramatic eliminations — the $1,000-entry pool dropped from 900 to 49 survivors after the holiday upsets.
- The inaugural Circa Grandissimo ended as its six remaining entries were knocked out, creating six millionaires from earlier rounds.
- Overall Week 13 totals: underdogs 10-5 ATS; unders 9-6. Several favourites still cashed in the afternoon window, evening out the week for some books.
Context and Relevance
This story matters to anyone who bets or runs contests: holiday upsets can demolish contestant pools and reshape prize races overnight. For sportsbooks, the volatility highlights how short-term trends and unique weekend schedules (Thanksgiving/Black Friday) can swing liabilities wildly. For bettors, it’s a reminder that heavy public narratives and holiday angles don’t guarantee predictable outcomes — and that Survivor and big-entry pools are particularly vulnerable to upset weeks.
Why should I read this?
Short version: if you bet, run or follow big-entry NFL contests, this was a nightmare (or dream) weekend. We’ve boiled down who won, who lost and how it wrecked Circa contests — so you don’t need to sift through box scores. Handy if you want to adjust strategies for high-stakes survivor pools or understand where the money flow surprised sportsbooks.
