NFL Betting Trends: Looking Back at the Best Teams Against the Spread

Smart bettors know even bad teams can be good bets, here's a look back at the best NFL teams at covering the spread.

The best NFL teams to bet on come in all shapes and sizes.

There’s underdogs, like the Giants and Lions, who covered at a high clip and exceeded their low expectations and then there’s Super Bowl contenders like the Bengals and 49ers, who were favored for the vast majority of their schedules and covered the spread often.

One common denominator for the five teams with the best records against the spread: They all finished with winning records straight up, and all but one (Detroit) made the postseason.

Let’s look back at the 2022 season and review which teams delivered most often for bettors. This information can potentially be informative for 2023, though the Lions were the only team that repeated as a top-five team against the spread (ATS) from 2021.

New York Giants

Against the Spread Record: 13–4

Straight Up Record: 9–7–1

The Giants, who were installed as underdogs 12 times last season, covered 10 of those games and pulled off six upsets on the way to a surprising postseason appearance. New York’s largest upset of the year came was a 27-22 victory as a nine-point underdog against the Packers in London. Coach Brian Daboll’s team also won outright as a 5.5-point underdog twice — once on the road against the Titans in the season opener and at home against the Ravens. The Giants finished 3–2 ATS as a favorite, well short of their sterling 10–2 underdog mark. New York went 6–3 ATS at home, posted an impressive 6–1 record on the road and won and covered its only neutral site game.

Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer/USA TODAY NETWORK

Cincinnati Bengals

Against the Spread Record: 12–4

Straight Up Record: 12–4

The Bengals finished the regular season on an eight-game winning streak in which they covered all but one game: They failed to cover by a half point in a 27-16 Week 18 win against the Ravens as an 11.5-point favorite. Cincinnati’s season began with two outright losses to the Steelers and Cowboys, both times as seven-point favorites, but Zac Taylor’s squad rebounded and finished the year as one of the most reliable teams to bet on even though it was consistently installed as a favorite. The Bengals were only listed as underdogs twice and covered both times — they lost 19-17 as 3.5-point underdogs on the road to the Ravens and beat the Chiefs 27-24 as 2.5-point underdogs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Lions

Against the Spread Record: 12–5

Straight Up Record: 9–8

The Lions were a team of runs in 2022. They began the season with three straight covers, then failed to cover four in a row and followed that up with a seven-game cover streak. That run of covers late in the year also corresponded with outright victories. Following a 1–6 start, Detroit went 8–2 over its final 10 to secure a winning record for the first time since 2017. Dan Campbell’s knee-biting team finished 8–3 ATS as an underdog with five upset wins. The Lions hosted the Commanders Week 2 in a contest that closed as a pick ‘em and ended their run of 24 consecutive in a row as an underdog; Detroit won, 36-27. It wasn’t often that the Lions were giving points, though they finished 3–2 ATS in that position.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Chargers

Against the Spread Record: 11–5–1

Straight Up Record: 10–7

The Chargers were listed as a favorite 11 times last year and finished a respectable 6–4–1 ATS in such games. As an underdog, Los Angeles posted a stout 5–1 mark ATS but only pulled off one upset: A 23-17 victory against the Dolphins while getting three points at home. The largest letdown of the season was a 38-10 home loss to the Jaguars in which the Bolts closed as 6.5-point favorites. L.A. finished 7–2 ATS in away games, including a 4–1 record ATS as a road favorite. Justin Herbert improved to 5–1 ATS in games against the division-rival Chiefs with two covers this season, though the Chargers lost both games and are 2–4 straight up against Kansas City since 2020.

Stan Szeto/USA TODAY Sports

San Francisco 49ers

Against the Spread Record: 11–6

Straight Up Record: 13–4

The 49ers were a different team after the Christian McCaffrey trade. They were 3–3 ATS and straight up before the deal, lost to the Chiefs 44-23 in McCaffrey’s debut in San Francisco as a one-point home underdog and then ripped off a 10-game winning streak that lasted from Oct. 30 till the season’s end. The Niners went 8–2 ATS over that stretch and were favored in all but one game. Kyle Shanahan’s team entered just two games as an underdog all year: The Chiefs game and a week later against the Rams on the road, a contest they won 31-14 as a one-point underdog. San Francisco was favored by more than a touchdown six times and finished 4–2 against the spread, including a 14.5-point cover against the Cardinals in the season finale.

---

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call the National Council for Problem Gambling 1-800-522-4700. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and its partners may receive compensation for links to products and services on this website.