Ranking the Biggest NFL Upsets by Point Spread in History

The NFL is full of chaotic endings, and the gambling perspective has stepped up in recent years. Now more than ever, understanding football point spreads is crucial to consistent success in football betting.

We have seen plenty of disappointments over the years from heavy favorites. Spreads are getting more outrageous by the year at online football betting sites, but the excitement remains higher than ever.

I’ll get to the biggest NFL upsets in league history, but before I do, here’s a list of the top NFL sportsbooks. If you’re interested in betting on big upsets – or just point spreads in general – use one of these sites.

Where to Bet on NFL Upsets

How We Rate

Safety & Security

You should be able to gamble online without fear. So we only recommend licensed sites that use the latest security and encryption techniques.

Bonuses

Maximize your bankroll with fantastic bonuses. Our recommended sites offer valuable bonuses with fair terms and conditions, including manageable wagering requirements.

Games & Betting

The best sites have the best wagering options. That’s why you will find extensive games and betting opportunities on our recommended sites.

Banking

Getting your money to and from your account shouldn’t be a hassle. We only recommend sites with a variety of convenient banking methods, including cryptocurrency and e-wallets.

We begin our list of the biggest NFL upsets by point spread with the Jets vs. Rams. This wasn’t the thickest point spread sportsbooks have ever seen, but it was close.

The lowly Jets came in at 0-13 under lame-duck head coach Adam Gase. The Jets were among the worst offensive units in the league. Some of their lowlights were abysmal to watch.

There were other reasons why it made no sense to back the awful Jets. New York failed to muster a single point against the Dolphins earlier in the season. Watching Joe Flacco set offensive football back a few centuries.

I would have taken the NFC favorite with the points. I often take the number with the underdog, but the confidence level on the Jets was awful.

The Rams had their eyes on a Super Bowl despite not being as effective with Jared Goff under center. He took them to the promised land two seasons prior, but Todd Gurley was gone, and the offense lacked the explosiveness.

Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, and Cam Akers were all capable of dominating an average defense such as the Jets. However, the Jets had other thoughts.

LA was trailing 13-3 at the half and failed to muster enough offense until the game was over. We saw Goff lead the Rams down into Jets territory, but they came up short on a fourth-down attempt. The Jets pulled off the miracle, and it was one of the bigger head-scratchers in a while.

The Jets went to 1-13 on the season and won the following week as well. The Rams dipped to 9-5, but managed to reach the postseason before falling to Green Bay in the Divisional Round.

If you want to make money betting on NFL upsets like this, make sure you’re using a good site. I recommend using this sign up guide right below.

Want to know one of the biggest upset in NFL history? Just keep reading to find out!

The Cowboys were America’s Team, and they were dominating the competition like it was their job. It looked as if it was Alabama and Nick Saban going against average SEC squads.

The Cowboys were elite, and they were on a magical run in the postseason. Washington was nearly four seasons removed from their Super Bowl appearance.

Their recent struggles were apparent in the desert, and the spread in this one was outrageous for a divisional battle. Plenty of reasons pointed towards laying them and laughing with the Cowboys to the bank.

Biggest #NFL upset last 25 seasons? Redskins +17.5 over Cowboys (12/3/1995)

— RJ Bell (@RJinVegas) October 13, 2013

Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith were world-beaters for the recent two-time Super Bowl champions in the 1990s.

There wasn’t much hope for Washington entering their divisional showdown. They were losers of four games in a row and had allowed 24-plus points in three of their four losses.

However, I would have considered taking Washington based on an earlier matchup in the season. Washington, while they were struggling, they upset Dallas as underdogs in Week 5 at home.

The Cowboys had their eyes set on another Super Bowl, but laying nearly three touchdowns is almost always too rich for my blood.

The next biggest NFL upsets by point spread happened in 2019. Miami no longer had Adam Gase as their head coach, and Brian Flores had his squad fighting at the end of the season.

In the final week of the season, New England had a shot for a bye week. They just needed to sneak by the Dolphins.

We saw Miami split two of the past four with New England. However, this was Tom Brady they had to defend. The game was lopsided on paper, but they had to compete at the line of scrimmage.

Ryan Fitzpatrick was magical against New England, threading the needle for 320 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another additional score.

The Patriots and Tom Brady would suffer the worst aftermath after suffering the outright loss to the Dolphins. TB12 and his time with New England were winding down after losing a home game the following week to Tennessee.

Dolphins (+17.5) upset the Patriots in Foxboro❗️

The biggest upset since the Redskins (+17.5) beat the Cowboys all the way back in 1995…

Heath Shuler, meet Ryan Fitzpatrick ? pic.twitter.com/JIDvPuZJY8

— The Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) December 29, 2019

The upset was great since Miami had lost 43-0 earlier in the season, but that was way back in Week 2. The Dolphins have often challenged New England in recent memory going into the game.

MIA-NE was a spot similar to the one in 1995 between Dallas and Washington. On paper, it could have been a blowout. Football has too many competitive players and coaches to let consistent blowouts occur.

The Jets were a lowly 4-12 in 1992 and had not put together a winning season under head coach Bruce Coslet.

Buffalo was in the middle of their run to an eventual four straight Super Bowl appearances. They had already beaten the Jets once, but it was a 24-20 slugfest earlier in the season.

That could have been the first clue to take the points with New York. The Bills were coming off a loss to Indianapolis. The struggles made a few folks question if a Super Bowl run would occur.

Several factors led to one of the biggest NFL upsets by point spread that the Jets had ever pulled off over the Bills.

Future Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly didn’t put together his best performance of the season. In the fourth quarter, the Buffalo signal-caller had a lost fumble to go along with a picks-six.

The interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference between having a shot at winning and ultimately holding the L.

Josh Allen was a youngster and going up against a surging Vikings team. The chances of an upset seemed unlikely. It was the biggest stunner in 23 seasons and many were blaming Kirk Cousins.

The Week 3 showdown between these two was odd. We had a matchup between a struggling Buffalo squad against a Minnesota squad poised for a playoff appearance.

The game featured some wild numbers, and it was the first professional success we saw from quarterback Josh Allen.

Kirk Cousins struggled and could not take care of the ball. Without Dalvin Cook (knee), the Minnesota offense was one-dimensional. We saw Buffalo come after Cousins and sack him four times.

We have often seen a stiff wind knock down Cousins, and this was one of those games where the line seemed way too much. The worst teams in the NFL can put up a fight, and Buffalo was better than the experts were giving them credit for.

Cousins was struggling, and Allen was surging. This went on to be the biggest point spread upset in NFL history. Despite some solid seasons over the years, being on board with Cousins or the Vikings when vital players are missing in action is dangerous.

Once Cook was done for the season, the team was far too reliant on Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.

While the Bills lacked offensive firepower with proven playmakers, they dominated on defense. It was a game I would have taken the points with Buffalo due to the value.

We saw a role reversal in this game for Josh Allen. He nearly won the MVP the season prior, but there was no reason why the Bills should have lost this game outright. That is why it makes our list of the biggest point spread upset in NFL history.

Taking the points with teams that have been a bit inconsistent is often the play. The Jaguars were not a good team entering this matchup.

However, the Bills were not living up to the Super Bowl hype that many prognosticators had put on them.

The Bills entered 4-2, and the Jaguars were 1-6 and coming off a disappointing road loss at Seattle.

Following closely, one would have you a bit worried about laying the points with the road team. Allen had an awful game with the following numbers.

This game was about taking advantage of the points at nearly three touchdowns. Josh Allen of Jacksonville was abusing the offensive line of Buffalo and put the clamps down on Josh Allen, the passer.

The Jaguars didn’t need much offense because Buffalo was inept and way too vanilla. When they have zero semblance of a rushing attack, the opposition will go for the kill.

I’d classify this as the biggest upset in NFL history.

The 1990s were known for the success of the Cowboys, 49ers, and Bills. Buffalo seemed destined to win a Super Bowl, but they appeared in four straight championships.

The Colts were abysmal and had already lost to the Bills 38-0 earlier in the season. I would have personally stayed away with the matchup being a road game for the Bills. I love the top teams in football, and Buffalo was that.

However, this game came down to the wire, with vital turnovers dictating the matchup. Kelly performed similarly to another upset the following week against the Jets.

However, there was another team that knocked them off. It was the struggling New England Patriots, and to say they were struggling would be an understatement.

I would have stayed as far away as possible with this number. After a turnover by Kelly, the Colts had a game-tying kick by Dean Biasucci.

We saw turnovers impact all these upsets, and we would see another turnover prove to be the difference. Biasucci made another kick in overtime, and the biggest point spread upset in NFL history was complete.

Monday Night Football matchup was where the Steelers slowly fell apart as their push towards the postseason began.

The Steelers started 11-0, but they began to stumble down the stretch. Ben Roethlisberger often played injured, but they lost all momentum on the offensive end.

Cincinnati lost Joe Burrow for the season, and Ryan Finley put together a production performance against the Steelers due to his legs.

Roethlisberger turned it over three times, and Juju Smith-Schuster had a costly fumble during the game. Gio Bernard had two touchdowns, and Finley managed the game properly. The combined numbers from both teams were a struggle.

Pittsburgh would lose five of their final six games, and Cincinnati would win the following week against Houston before they finished 4-11-1 on the year.

The biggest point spread upset in NFL history was not completely stunning since most doubted Pittsburgh when they started 11-0.

I would not have taken the moneyline with the Bengals but grabbing double-digit points at home on Monday Night Football was the play going into the AFC North clash.

I saved the biggest upset in NFL history for last, and there may not be a better upset than this one. Looking at the point spread of nearly three touchdowns, Joe Namath was guaranteed a victory.

Before social media was around, Johnny Unitas and the highly touted Colts were likely to handle the Jets.

This matchup was a game that had several Hall of Famers, and it ranks as one of the better Super Bowls ever, thanks to these legends.

Both teams had the momentum to put on a show, and the fans enjoyed the most stunning Super Bowl upset. We saw Tom Brady and the 18-0 Patriots fall to the Giants, but they had a ferocious pass rush.

Plus, New England was not even a two-touchdown favorite. For more shockers in the big one, be sure to check out the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history.

There were several other upsets in the NFL that had double-digit spreads. The numbers will increase over time. There have been great moments in the NFL and a live underdog always has a shot.

I will leave you with this piece of advice, always follow the teams leading into the matchup since injuries are happening more frequently.

On top of that, it could pay to do a little extra research when it comes to betting on football point spreads.

This post breaks down some of the biggest NFL upsets by point spread bettors have ever seen, but there is so much that goes into getting these wagers right.

For a little extra help, check out some tips for betting on football point spreads below.

Footnotes:

• Sports Illustrated reports on Tom Brady taking blame for Patriots’ loss to Dolphins.