The 2020 NFL season is in the books and it’s time to reflect on the best and worst moneymakers of the year and see which teams we should’ve banked on and which ones we should’ve faded. Some of this data may help you with your handicapping during the upcoming NFL playoffs.
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As always when it comes to trends, it’s never foolproof to simply count on these as can’t-miss options. Check out the first-half 2020 NFL betting report to see some of the outliers and how things changed from Week 8 to Week 16.
NOTE: All figures below are based on $100 bets per wager
Here are the most and least profitable bets across many different scenarios for the 2020 NFL regular season:
Which NFL Teams Were The Best Bets In The 2020 Regular Season?
Best & Worst NFL Bets For 2020 Season
| Bet Type | Most Profitable | Least Profitable |
|---|---|---|
| Full Game Moneyline | Bills: $574.86 | Jaguars: -$1,240.00 |
| Home Moneyline | Bengals: $614.33 | Lions: -$631.03 |
| Away Moneyline | Raiders: $538.65 | Jaguars: -$800.00 |
| Moneyline Favorite | Bills: $369.86 | 49ers: -$506.25 |
| Moneyline Underdog | Dolphins: $525.24 | Jaguars: -$1,140.00 |
| ATS | Dolphins: $469.75 | Cowboys: -$644.27 |
| ATS Favorite | GB/BUF: $228.79 | Cowboys: -$709.09 |
| ATS Underdog | Dolphins: $433.12 | Jets: -$353.03 |
| First-Half Moneyline | Bengals: $703.00 | Jaguars: -$1,025.00 |
| First-Half ML Home | Bengals: $513.00 | Jaguars: -$800.00 |
| First-Half ML Away | Broncos: $392.24 | Giants: -$470.00 |
| Evening Games ML | Bengals: $363.89 | Cowboys: -$400.00 |
Best OVER & UNDER NFL Bets For 2020 Season
| Bet Type | OVER | UNDER |
|---|---|---|
| Full Game | Raiders (13-3, $881.82) | Giants (3-12-1, $790.91) |
| Full Game Home | Vikings (7-0-1, $636.36) | Rams (0-8, $727.27) |
| Full Game Away | Bills (6-1-1, $445.45) | Cardinals (0-7-1, $636.36) |
| First Half | Cowboys (13-3, $910.66) | Cardinals (5-11, $554.55) |
| First Half Home | Cowboys (7-1, $547.45) | Rams (2-6, $350.59) |
| First Half Away | Colts (7-1, $532.41) | Cardinals (1-7, $572.73) |
Buffalo Bills - Best Moneyline Bet of 2020
Tied for the second-best record in the NFL, the Buffalo Bills were gangbusters this season. They were 13-3 SU while going 4-1 SU and ATS as an underdog to lead the NFL in overall moneyline profits at $574.86. One of the main reasons was the emergence of QB Josh Allen, who spearheaded a top-five offense that was simply wrecking teams. They won their last six games by an average of 19.8 points, including a Week 17 victory as home dogs to the Dolphins when most of their starters played only the first half.
This team is legit and will likely be favored in any game in the playoffs aside from a potential AFC championship game vs Kansas City.
Miami Dolphins - Best ATS and Moneyline Underdog of 2020
Although Week 17 was a bit of a dud in terms of how the Miami Dolphins finished the 2020 season, the fact remains that they’ve got something building in South Beach. The Dolphins paid out $525.24 in profit on moneylines when tabbed as underdogs, including some big outright wins over the Cardinals, Rams, 49ers and Patriots.
The defense stole the show for this unheralded squad, leading the league in forced turnovers while ranking sixth in the NFL in points allowed per game. With a bundle of draft capital in the 2021 NFL Draft and blue-chip prospects already in-house, bettors likely won’t be seeing the Dolphins as consistent underdogs going forward.
Las Vegas Raiders - Best OVER Bet of 2020
In order for a team to be a good OVER bet in the NFL, it needs a competent offense but also a below-average defense. The Las Vegas Raiders managed to check both of those boxes in 2020. The Raiders finished the season ranked 29th in points allowed per game (29.9) while also ranking 29th in rushing touchdowns allowed. Yikes!
But on the flip side, the Raiders could surprise you offensively and it showed as they ranked in the top 10 in points scored per game while QB Derek Carr threw for a career-high 4,103 yards to go with 27 passing touchdowns. The Raiders also finished in the top 10 in rushing touchdowns, evidence of a balanced offensive attack that could score on nearly any defense.
Oddsmakers likely had a tough time setting totals for Raiders games: 12 of their 16 games had closing totals of 50 points or more and 10 of them went OVER.
Washington Football Team To Win NFC East +1600
There are comeback stories and then there’s quarterback Alex Smith, who not only is a lock for NFL Comeback Player of the Year but somehow led Washington to its first playoff berth in four years by winning the NFC East division.
To start the 2020 season, Washington opened at +1600 odds to win the division with the Eagles and Cowboys expected to duel for the division crown. Washington, though, ended up going 5-1 SU in the division and sweeping both the Eagles and Cowboys en route to an improbable NFC East title.
San Francisco 49ers To NOT Make the Playoffs +300
The team that loses the Super Bowl the previous season tends to have a season from hell and no team came out of the gate with worse luck than the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners were pegged as the likeliest team to come out of the NFC and make the playoffs and, if anything, were expected to be even better with a lot of up-and-coming blue-chip prospects.
Well, pass-rushers Dee Ford and Nick Bosa went down early for the season, QB Jimmy Garoppolo injured his ankle and the injuries were just too much to overcome for the 6-10 49ers. Taking the team that loses the Super Bowl to miss the playoffs the following season has now been a winner in three of the last five years.
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