Just three weeks into the 2026 season, the NFL is down to five undefeated teams in a real-life survivor league, exposing how tough it is to win every week.

How much longer will those teams remain undefeated? Well, we know at least one team will get eliminated from 17-0 talks this weekend, with the Chiefs and Raiders facing each other Sunday. (Yes, we see you in the back pointing out that they could tie.) The Bills, Vikings and 49ers are the other three teams that enter Week 4 undefeated, and all three are favored to win their respective games this weekend. 

So, which of the five 3-0 teams will be the last to lose a game this season? Let’s predict when each of the undefeated teams will lose their first game this season. 

Las Vegas Raiders: Week 4 vs. Chiefs

Maxx Crosby and the Raiders’ defense might have too much turnover luck to continue their undefeated start. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

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As surprising as the Raiders’ 3-0 start is, we need a little perspective. The three teams they’ve beaten (Dolphins, Chargers and Saints) are 1-5 in the rest of their games, and that’s the worst outside record among the five 3-0 teams. (The Bills and Raiders’ opponents are 2-4, the Vikings and Chiefs’ opponents are 3-3).

A big part of Las Vegas’ strong start is defensive takeaways. The Raiders lead the NFL with nine, after totaling 16 in all of last season. The problem is, the Chiefs have only lost two turnovers in their 3-0 start, so that likely won’t be there to make life easier for the Raiders’ offense. The Chiefs and Raiders have scored the exact same number of points through three games, but Kansas City is averaging 105 more yards per game, and it’s averaging five yards per carry compared to 3.23 for Las Vegas.

Kansas City is a 4.5-point road favorite in Las Vegas this week, and I think it’ll end up easier than that. The healthy return of tight end Brock Bowers last week is another boost for the Raiders, but their concern might be defending tight ends, as the Saints threw four touchdowns to tight ends in a close loss last week. That’s good news for Travis Kelce fans.

San Francisco 49ers: Week 4 vs. Broncos

George Kittle is among the league leaders in touchdown receptions. However, the 49ers’ receivers have all dealt with injuries in recent weeks. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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San Francisco has looked strong out of the gate, and Brock Purdy has arguably had the best start of any quarterback, with nine touchdowns against one interception despite all kinds of injuries at receiver. The entire offense is humming, ranking first in the league in yards per play (7.35), third down (63%) and red zone (90%) — all ridiculous numbers.

The Broncos’ defense has not played as expected. Last year’s No. 2 unit in total defense is now ranked … 29th? 

Still, they beat the Jaguars and rallied to beat the Rams late, so it feels like a potential get-right game for them. It’s a homecoming for safety Talanoa Hufanga, who almost beat the Rams by himself down the stretch. Bo Nix has been downright ordinary in three games, but perhaps this is the week he connects with Jaylen Waddle for their first touchdown together.

And if the 49ers are able to take care of the Broncos, they go to Seattle next week, and that might do the trick. They lost 41-6 there in January.

Buffalo Bills: Week 5 @ Rams

The Bills might have gotten lucky to win in Week 3, with Josh Allen committing three turnovers against the Chargers. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

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The Bills are not going to let the Patriots come in and hand them their first loss in the new stadium, right? New England has struggled enough that it seems a safe assumption, even though last season, Buffalo’s first loss came at home to New England in Week 5.

Buffalo is the highest-scoring team in the NFL, but it’s hardly a complete team yet, with a defense that doesn’t rank in the top half of the league in anything except sacks. The Rams have stumbled to a 1-2 start, with an offense that’s generated more yards than any team in the league but somehow ranks 20th in scoring.

Their showdown on Monday night at SoFi next weekend will be seen as a potential Super Bowl preview on the field where the big game will be played in February. The last time they met was a classic in December 2024, with the Bills never leading but the Rams holding on for a 44-42 win in Los Angeles. Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns, ran for three touchdowns and lost — the only time that’s happened in NFL history. (The three-and-three has only happened three times ever, one in an Allen win and the other an Otto Graham win in 1954).

I think it’s the same result this time around. The Bills lose, and the question is whether they get another game on that field …

Kansas City Chiefs: Week 7 @ Seahawks

Will Kenneth Walker be able to continue his hot start when he faces his former team in Week 7? (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

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Kansas City is back, Patrick Mahomes is healthy and a retooled Chiefs secondary has impressed in their 3-0 start. We expect them to take care of the Raiders on Sunday and a backs-against-the-wall Chargers team the following week, so they could easily be undefeated going into their Week 6 bye.

But after the week off, they have to go to Seattle for a Sunday night game that should be one of the most anticipated games of the regular season. What better way for the Chiefs to show they’re back to their old selves than to go into Seattle and beat the defending Super Bowl champs? It’s part of a nasty stretch for the Seahawks, facing the 49ers, Broncos, Chiefs and Bears in four straight weekends.

We’re not talking enough about Seattle’s defense. The Seahawks are third in scoring, first in total defense and first in passing defense, holding opponents to 141 passing yards per game. This game will be Kenneth Walker’s big return to Seattle, and he’s been amazing, but the Seahawks are holding opponents to 3.26 yards per carry. I think Jaxon Smith-Njigba will find the end zone against the Chiefs, and as long as Sam Darnold can avoid turnovers — that’s the caveat on this one — Seattle should put Kansas City in the loss column, finally.

Minnesota Vikings: Week 8 @ Lions

Kyler Murray has quarterbacked a team to be the least undefeated standing once before. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

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Wouldn’t it be wild if Kyler Murray was the last undefeated quarterback standing? It actually wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened, with Murray leading the Cardinals to a 7-0 start in 2021.

But this is really much more about Brian Flores’ defense, which has been dominant in the Vikings’ 3-0 start. Only the Jaguars have allowed fewer points, and Minnesota leads the league in sacks while tied for third in takeaways with six.

What also helps them stay perfect is a light schedule ahead. They face the lowly Dolphins (that could be a shutout), the exciting-but-still-turnover-prone Saints, a bye week and then the Colts over the next four weeks. All three are very winnable games, so we’ll have Minnesota staying undefeated into a big division showdown in Week 8 on FOX.

Detroit has committed only one turnover in three games, so if any offense can handle Minnesota’s aggressive, blitz-happy front, it should be them, especially as a new-look offensive line rounds into form. The Vikings swept Detroit last year, so the Lions will be plenty motivated for a revenge game that can firm them up as a playoff team in contention to win the toughest top-to-bottom division in the NFL.
 

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Kansas Speedway (Kansas City, Kan.) — After Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar traded fisticuffs last week at Bristol Motor Speedway, fans cheered Hocevar …

… as he stood by his car …

… as he did interviews …

… as he left the track.

Hocevar ate it up, and it is fair to say the majority of the crowd ate it up, too.

Carson Hocevar (L) and Ryan Blaney got into a physical altercation after the end of the Bristol night race. 

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Which brings to mind: How can a driver who has captured the hearts of the NASCAR fan base also be the one who lacks the respect of many of his competitors?

“The disconnect between the two is the fan only cares about the entertainment side of things,” Cup team co-owner and driver Denny Hamlin told me and other reporters Saturday. 

“The drivers — these are their careers. And if you feel like someone hampers your ability to get your best result in your career, you’re going to feel more upset.”

Upset they’ve been. 

It’s gotten to the point where they aren’t afraid to throw shade at Hocevar because of the number of incidents he has been involved in during his young career. In fact, he got a reputation in trucks for being a driver who would retaliate quickly.

Hocevar, though, has matured. 

Carson Hocevar has matured, although he’s still got a bit of a reputation.

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He’s no longer criticized for retaliation. 

It’s now more about his aggressive driving (that’s often considered reckless) and getting involved in incidents for positions early in a race or jockeying for a spot mid-pack where patience could be a virtue.

“He’s different than all of us,” defending Cup champion and current series points leader Kyle Larson said during a news conference Saturday. “He acts different, talks different, dresses different. He’s just different. I think that’s refreshing for fans.

“He drives more aggressive and willing to do crazier things than the rest of us probably are. … I’m not jealous of any exposure he’s getting from it because he’s doing a good job with it.”

Many drivers are so focused on what they’re doing and on trying to win the title that, when it comes to social media, Hocevar seems to be more engaged than others. 

Others aren’t going to troll their competitors by selling merchandise at a discount based on the car number of the last driver to tangle with him.

And at least in the Blaney situation, their on-track tangle was more a 50-50 racing incident battling for second.

“The fans are going to take a liking to whoever they want and that’s their own opinion,” Blaney said at a news conference Friday. “People like who they like. People dislike who they dislike.

“I can’t tell you why a fan likes a certain person. It’s just that person’s personality that might draw them, or they like their stuff on track. So it doesn’t surprise me.”

Chase Elliott, who has been the sport’s most popular driver the last several years, said Hocevar’s popularity doesn’t frustrate him.

“I don’t view that to be frustrating,” Elliott told me and other reporters on Saturday. “People gravitate to their own personal choice and they have a right to do that. There’s excitement or what have you. It’s natural for people to gravitate to that direction.”

Ryan Preece indicated that he has a code he races to and Hocevar has a different code. And he’s OK if the fans like Hocevar’s code.

Hocevar is walking to the beat of his own drum.

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“For some fans, entertainment for sure,” Preece told me and other reporters Saturday. “I don’t want to be that. I don’t want to disrespect my competitors in a certain way. I want to do things the way I want them done, and he wants to do things the way he wants to.

“That’s completely fine.”

Three-time Cup champion Joey Logano hears his fair share of boos and he has stopped trying to figure out how to turn those to cheers. Going for his fourth title, he has said “Four The Haters” during this Chase.

“I hate talking about this because I don’t think I’m a villain in any way,” Logano said in his pole news conference Saturday. “I’m the most smiling villain you have ever seen. … I don’t see the villain side that people try to put on me.

“I guess it’s the way we’ve won our championships [in the elimination system] and that’s what it is.”

One driver who has been surprised by the fan reaction is Bubba Wallace, who has been seen talking to Hocevar after a race, telling him he has speed but needs to work on how he manages races.

“I am [surprised],” Wallace said in a media availability last week about Hocevar’s popularity. “It’s interesting how the sport works out. He’s playing into the media side and the hype and all that for his brand.

“And good for him. He’s doing it better than anybody else. We’re in a spot in the sport where a lot of drivers get booed and you finally have somebody going in and wrecking the drivers that gets booed and the next thing you know, that driver is getting praised for it.”

Hocevar’s lack of respect in the garage might make his road to winning a championship more difficult.

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Wallace pointed out what nearly every driver and analyst says. And that’s that Hocevar can’t win a championship if he doesn’t have the respect of his competitors, as he won’t get the room he needs in 50-50 situations.

“He’s definitely making it hard on himself with everything that goes down, whether his fault or not. …. His name seems to be a part of an on-track incident a majority of the time, his fault or not,” Wallace said. “That’s where a lot of the frustration comes from the driver. It is what it is. We’ll continue to worry about ourselves and move on.”

Hocevar will do the same, and the crowd will likely follow.

“He’s just different and people like different,” Larson said. “You have to keep your eye on him when you’re on the race track. But as a fan, I can see why he’s likable in that aspect.”

In The News

Erik Jones will remain at Legacy Motor Club.

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— Erik Jones signed a contract extension with Legacy Motor Club that will keep him with the team for the “foreseeable future.” The organization’s 2027 lineup will be Jones, Josh Berry and Riley Herbst. Legacy Motor Club also announced it has hired former Brad Keselowski crew chief Jeremy Bullins to crew chief Herbst next season.

— Austin Dillon crew chief Richard Boswell will move to a vice president of competition role starting in 2027. The team did not name a new crew chief for Dillon.

— Arrow McLaren announced the car numbers for its new drivers in 2027. Scott Dixon will drive the No. 6 car while Felix Rosenqvist will drive the No. 7.

— Sam Mayer will move from Haas Factory Team to JR Motorsports (where he has driven previously) for the 2027 O’Reilly Series season.

— Former Cup Series owner George Gillett Jr. died Tuesday at age 87. An owner of several sport teams, Gillett was a former co-owner at Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Richard Petty Motorsports from 2007-2010.

Social Spotlight 

They Said It

“It would be one thing, I would fully understand, of getting slapped with a penalty if I went over and initiated a punch or something like that. But in that situation I kind of initiated a confrontation and Carson defended himself, and I’m happy they didn’t do anything.”
— Ryan Blaney

WHAT YOU SHOULD READ NEXT

Kyle Larson got his second win of The Chase. And even though he’s leading the pack in points, he’s not getting too comfortable.

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Cavan Sullivan just wanted to hug his mom and dad.

The U.S. men’s national team prodigy — who celebrated his 17th birthday on Monday — was less than two hours removed from becoming the second-youngest starter in the program’s 113-year history, going a solid 62 minutes in Saturday’s 4-1 friendly win over Peru at Orlando’s Inter&Co Stadium that marked the start of a new World Cup cycle.

When it was over, Sullivan rose from the bench, looked up into the stands behind the USA’s bench and waved to his parents, friends and the former youth coaches who had made the trip to Orlando to watch his debut. Then he strode into the tunnel in the southwest corner of the stadium and disappeared. 

The hug will have to wait. 

“I didn’t get to see them,” Sullivan told reporters shortly before boarding the team bus and heading to the airport to catch the charter flight back to Atlanta and U.S. Soccer’s sprawling new training facility. “I know now for next time that I can find a way to bring them down here.” 

(Photo by Mark Thorstenson/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

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Off the field, Sullivan obviously still has plenty to learn. On it, he’s clearly well ahead of his years. With seven goals and nine assists in his last nine games for his hometown Philadelphia Union, it was no surprise that Sullivan became just the fourth 16-year-old to represent the Stars and Stripes on Saturday and the first in more than 20 years, or that he was in U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino’s lineup from the beginning, or that he appeared almost as comfortable against the Peruvians as the seven World Cup veterans who were also in the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager’s starting XI. His opportunity was earned.

So don’t be shocked if Pochettino goes right back to Sullivan when the Americans meet Chile in St. Louis on Tuesday night. With rivalry games looming against regional nemeses Mexico and Canada to close out FIFA’s extended four-game international window early next month, Pochettino seems more likely to ask two-time World Cup veteran Sergiño Dest to man the right wing for the majority of those games.

Sullivan will be ready however many minutes he gets against El Tri and Les Rouges.

(Photo by Alex Menendez/USSF/Getty Images)

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“He’s a special player,” U.S. veteran Tyler Adams said of Sullivan. Adams isn’t prone to hyperbole, having played close to 300 club games in the Premier League, Champions League, Bundesliga and MLS. But the 27-year-old and two-time World Cup veteran can’t help but be impressed by Sullivan’s maturity in training and in games.

“He’s obviously very young still, but you wouldn’t know that he’s that young. He’s not out of his depth in any way,” said Adams, who was the youngest captain at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“I see a lot of similar qualities that I had growing up, and I kind of relate it to being from the Northeast, having that chip on your shoulder, that mentality, a little bit of swagger.

“You need all those to take it to the next level,” Adams added. “Now it’s just putting the pieces together. But he has time to do that.”

(Photo by Taylor Banner/USSF/Getty Images)

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Over the last week, Sullivan’s introduction to the national team has been aided both by vets like Adams and the presence of his peers; seven other teenagers also made their debuts on Saturday. The majority of them will inevitably return to the U.S. under-20 and -23 national teams after this camp, with the latter providing the core of the USA squad for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. But a few of the newcomers will have a chance to stick with the big boys. Sullivan, who is scheduled to leave Philly for Manchester City next year, tops the list.

“He’s got a load of talent,” U.S. vet Gio Reyna told me in Orlando. “I’m looking forward to continue to see him develop.”

Racking up a few more caps over the next week—plus, can only speed up that process. Though Sullivan has adjusted quickly to the increase in speed and intensity, the Mexico and Canada games will both ratchet up to another level. Having experienced teammates next to him will help.

“When you’re surrounded by players with such high quality,” he said, “It makes it so much easier.”

The 5-foot-7 Sullivan might not even be finished growing yet. But he’s been playing against men since turning pro at 14. Depending on how these next matches go, Pochettino could bring him back for next month’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. Either way, he figures to be a senior team regular sooner rather than later.

Christian Pulisic, the country’s most gifted attacker and a player to whom Sullivan is often compared, has been a mainstay since he was 17. Same for Reyna. Adams was 18 when he won the first of his 59 caps. Sullivan’s now on the same path, but what’s impressed Reyna the most isn’t the youngster’s ability. “[He’s a] really, really hard worker,” Reyna said. “I think we’re all still getting to know him, but he’s been great so far.”

“He’s been himself,” 25-year-old midfielder Sebastian Berhalter told me during a videoconference with reporters Monday before the team flew to St. Louis. “That’s all you ask for. And we’re here to help him and guide him along the way.”

USMNT Related Stories

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The only thing that is clear when talking about championship contenders is that Kyle Larson is firm as No. 1 with two victories in the first four races of The Chase.

Larson’s victory and max points at Kansas on Sunday created a big gap between him and most of the field.

There are only three drivers within one race worth of points (76). So not even all drivers in the top 10 of this list are considered to have a good shot.

Here are my contender rankings heading into the fifth race of The Chase, which is next Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 

For those still in at least somewhat legitimate contention, we’ll also give a bit of an outlook for Vegas.

On The Verge (Alphabetical Order):

Chris Buescher (RFK Racing No. 17 Ford, -186 points behind leader): A 23rd-place finish at Kansas (partly because of damage from the wreck during Stage 2) has left him with mathematical hope, but that’s about it for the title.

William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet, -158): Byron finished seventh and earned nine stage points but is more than two full races behind his teammate Kyle Larson.

Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet, -161): An eighth-place finish and only three stage points at Kansas was crushing to his championship hopes.

Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet, -150): Being involved in an accident during Stage 2 all but eliminated Hocevar from having any shot at the title.

Ryan Preece (RFK Racing No. 60 Ford, -173): Preece was 10th at Kansas and his main priority should be consistent top 10s the rest of the way.

Daniel Suárez (Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet, -187): Suárez was 14th at Kansas but at least he knew he was going home to his new baby boy.    

Contender Rankings

10.

Cindric finished second and earned 17 stage points at Kansas for a great day. He still lost 24 points to the leader. At this point, he’s probably thinking that finishing in the top 10 in points is a good goal. Unfortunately for Cindric, he has never finished in the top five at Las Vegas and was 19th in the spring race at the track.

9.

Wallace got damage in the wreck during Stage 2 and rallied to finish ninth. But with no stage points, that meant he lost 48 points to Larson, which pretty much crushes any title hopes. He has just one career top five at Vegas and was ninth in the spring.

8.

Reddick needed several changes to his car for an 11th-place finish. Like his teammate Wallace, he lost significant ground to Larson to the tune of 50 points. The struggle is real. He has two top fives and five top 10s in the nine Next Gen races at Las Vegas but was 13th in the spring.

7.

Gibbs finished 17th at Kansas, a place where he really needed at least a top 10 to keep somewhat of pace with the leaders. He has a best finish of fifth (twice) at Las Vegas, including in the race last spring. 

6.

A fifth-place finish at Kansas was solid but he still lost 39 points to Larson. He can gain it back but will need others to have trouble while he rattles off some wins. He has just one Next Gen top five at Vegas and that was a third in 2024 and was 16th in the spring.

5.

Logano followed his Bristol win with a 20th-place finish after he had a tire issue late in the race. He lost 51 points to Larson in a big swing. But Vegas is a good track for Logano, where he has two Next Gen victories. But his last three races were a 15th, a sixth and another 15th.

4.

Briscoe virtually has no chance at the title. He lost another 36 points to Larson, despite a fourth-place finish. But he is the one driver who could win the next two races based on his intermediate-track speed. So maybe that can give him some hope. Vegas? It’s a solid track for him, a place where he has a fourth and an eighth in his last two starts.

3.

Bell was sixth at Kansas and lost 33 points to Larson. But you can’t count him out because like his teammates Briscoe and Hamlin, he has the potential to rattle off wins. Bell has four poles in the nine Next Gen races at Las Vegas and has three top fives in the last four races there, including a third a year ago and a fourth in the spring.

2.

Hamlin is down but not out. He finished third at Kansas and lost 25 points to the leader. The good news for Hamlin? He has won the last two races at Las Vegas and led 134 laps there on his way to the win in the spring. He will be the favorite, and his championship hopes could take a pivotal turn next Sunday.

1.

The winner of two of the last three races knows it can slip away quickly. But he also knows that he has significantly cut the number of legitimate title contenders. And he’s great at Vegas. He has won twice there and finished second in the nine Next Gen races at the track. He finished second a year ago (leading 129 laps) and was seventh in the spring (where he led 62 laps).

WHAT YOU SHOULD READ NEXT

Kyle Larson got his second win of The Chase. And even though he’s leading the pack in points, he’s not getting too comfortable.

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Per usual, on a huge NFL and college football weekend, big bets were flying around at sportsbooks across the country.

And when $300,000 lands on the Rams-Broncos Under 44.5, well, that’s rightly going to get some attention. 

But how about a more relatable bet size to all of us average Joes and Janes? And something that actually won? Like a $2 wager that became 10 grand.

More on that winner, the major Under wager that went begging, a prescient Sunday night in-game bettor and more, as we recap the weekend that was in football betting.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

Parlay Partay

Running backs and wide receivers are always popular in First Touchdown Scorer markets. Sometimes quarterbacks, too, particularly if the Bills’ Josh Allen is involved.

But nondescript tight ends? Not so much.

So it’s hard to say what led a Caesars Sports customer to put all of two bucks on this tight-end trio Sunday:

Sadiq (Jets), Fannin (Browns) and Johnson (Saints) were long-ish shots to score the first TD in their respective games. Key those players together in a three-leg parlay, and you get massive odds of +503900, or in easier-to-digest terms, 5039/1.

All three were the first to hit paydirt, vs. the Lions, Panthers and Raiders, respectively. So the bettor’s $2 turned into a hefty $10,078 windfall.

Six-Figure Fallout

As alluded to above, a DraftKings Sports customer ponied up a whopping $300,000 on Rams-Broncos Under 44.5 in the Sunday night game.

It was 16-0 Rams at halftime, but Denver then put up two TDs before the third quarter ended, and got two-point conversions on each to tie the game at 16.

Still, with five minutes left in the game and L.A. up 19-16, the Under prospect was quite alive.

But 21 points went up in those final five minutes, beginning with a Talanoa Hufanga pick-six for Denver. The Broncos won 30-26, and that Under major wager became a six-figure donation to the house.

Knew The Script

In-game betting continues to grow in popularity, offering options one couldn’t even think of just a few years ago. For example: How will the Broncos’ seventh drive end?

At FanDuel Sports, a bettor tossed a nominal $10 on tight end Nate Adkins to cap that drive with a touchdown, at odds of +12500 (125/1).

Adkins delivered on an 8-yard TD catch late in the third quarter. That turned 10 bucks into $1,250 profit (total payout $1,260).

And at Fanatics Sportsbook, before the Rams-Broncos kickoff, a high-roller put $5,000 on Adkins Anytime Touchdown. The odds were +1800, but the customer utilized a profit-boost promotion to hike the number to +2250.

So when Adkins hauled in the TD pass, the bettor pocketed $112,500 profit (total payout $117,500).

Prediction Market Winners & Losers

In Thursday night’s Falcons-Packers tilt, a Kalshi customer did something almost no one else was doing: putting faith in Atlanta.

The trader served up $101,500 on the Packers to not win, at a price of 29%, which correlates to odds of +245.

That actually gave the customer two outs: Green Bay losing outright, or the Packers and Falcons playing to a tie after overtime.

The trader didn’t have to sweat out that second option. Atlanta stunningly hammered Green Bay 35-14, and the trader profited $248,500 (total payout $350,000).

Also at Kalshi, a trader put $85,000 on Texas to beat Tennessee by five or more points. The Longhorns led 20-10 in the waning minutes, but a Vols touchdown with 1:22 remaining accounted for the final score: Texas 20, Tennessee 17.

So that’s high five figures in the loss column.

And in the risk-a-lot-to-win-a-little department, a Kalshi customer put up a whopping $303,603 that Sam Houston State — a massive underdog — would not beat Texas Tech. The price on that trade was 98%, which equates to -4900, ostensibly a slam-dunk favorite.

No surprise, the Bearkats got drilled 49-14. The trader profited a relatively nominal $6,196 (total payout $309,799).

Here’s Hoping You Had It

Sometimes, it’s about putting 10 bucks on a single straight bet, backing a long shot or semi-long shot, and getting a solid return on investment.

For example, at DraftKings, Vikings wideout/kick returner Myles Price was a hefty +11000 (110/1) to score the first TD of Sunday’s game vs. the Buccaneers.

But midway through the first quarter, Price broke off an 86-yard punt return to put Minnesota up 10-0.

If you’d thrown a tenner on that, then you’d have an extra $1,100 in your bankroll today. If you got frisky and put $100 on Price First TD Score, then you’d have $11,000.

How about taking Rams tight end Tyler Higbee to score the first TD on Sunday night? At Caesars Sports, Higbee was +3000 to do so.

With five minutes left in the first quarter, Higbee delivered on a 5-yard scoring catch. Ten bucks on that turned into a tidy $300 profit.

Or perhaps you made an in-game moneyline wager or two on teams that trailed big. At Fanatics, the Broncos were +1500 in-game, early in the third quarter, while trailing 16-0.

As noted above, Denver came back in a wild second half to win 30-26. A $10 bet returned $150 profit.

Also at Fanatics, Wisconsin was +2500 while trailing No. 13 Penn State 17-0 in the second quarter. Shockingly, on the road, the Badgers came all the way back to pull off a 24-20 upset.

Ten dollars on that unlikelihood turned into $250.

I Like Big Bets And I Cannot Lie

That $300,000 Rams-Broncos Under was the largest reported sports bet of the week. Arguably the sweat of the week came on the Northwestern vs. Indiana game.

The Hoosiers were 20.5-point home favorites. A Caesars Sports customer decided to take the supposedly safe route, betting $25,000 on Indiana moneyline -2500. All the Hoosier had to do was win, regardless of margin.

Indiana didn’t exactly light it up in the first half, but still led 12-0. By the fourth quarter, though, it got much more interesting, as Northwestern pulled within 22-20 on a TD with 5:10 remaining.

The Hoosiers held on for a 29-23 victory. And for all that sweat, the bettor profited a total of $1,000 (total payout $26,000).

Other notable wagers on college football Week 4 odds:

• $99,000 Alabama -12.5 vs. South Carolina (DraftKings). The Crimson Tide rolled to a 49-18 victory, and the bettor profited $90,000 (total  payout $189,000).
• $76,900 Tennessee moneyline +175 vs. Texas (Caesars). The Vols fell just short, so this bet was a five-figure donation to the house.
• $57,000 Texas -4.5 (-114) vs. Tennessee (Caesars). The Longhorns won 20-17, but didn’t cover the spread.
• $56,500 Iowa +5.5 (-113) vs. Michigan (Caesars). The Hawkeyes did more than just cover as a road underdog. They won outright 20-19, with a touchdown on the game’s last play. The bettor profited $50,000 (total payout $106,500).

More major wagers on NFL Week 3 odds:

• $91,910 Jaguars -3 (-105) vs. Patriots (DraftKings). Jacksonville rolled 35-6, and the bettor banked $87,533 profit (total payout $179,443).
• $63,630 Jets +6.5 vs. Lions (DraftKings). New York rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to tie it at 24, but ultimately lost 31-24. So that bet is a loser by a mere half-point.
• $50,000 Steelers moneyline +160 vs. Bengals (DraftKings). Pittsburgh hung on for a 30-27 outright win, and the bettor bagged $80,000 profit (total payout $130,000).
• $50,000 Falcons-Packers Under 43. A 35-14 Atlanta win for 49 total points tore up this ticket.
• $20,000 Falcons moneyline +215 vs. Packers (DraftKings). Atlanta’s road upset netted the bettor $43,000 profit (total payout $63,000).

It’s always worth reminding that these high-rolling bettors have the ability to absorb big losses. You and me? Probably not so much. 

Keep your bet size and expectations reasonable. Never bet more than you can afford to lose.

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Following USC’s loss to Oregon at the LA Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, I’m stuck with the thought that USC is not a bad football team but a Lincoln Riley football team. And Lincoln Riley football hasn’t played for a national title, let alone won one, or won a single college football playoff game.

Riley’s teams have been middling, mid. And, even more disgusting for fans of Riley’s Oklahoma and USC teams, his teams shrink against a clear-and-obvious contender on the opposing sideline instead of proving they could, eventually, win the national title.

Saturday night featured such a chance for Riley against Dan Lanning and Oregon, but Saturday night against Lanning’s Ducks, Riley’s team lost a game that felt exactly like the kind it should win.

But in a second half shootout, against an (extraordinary) backup quarterback — and entering a season where Riley himself even said this is the best team and best alignment with USC administration he’s ever had — the Trojans could not keep the Ducks from dashing the belief that this USC is any different from any other Lincoln Riley team. 

(Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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It’s not just the 41-27 loss in Los Angeles. It’s the quintessential way in which Riley’s team lost. 

It was the way he’s lost so many others as head coach: with a defense that can’t keep up with his explosive offense, a defense that plays knowing the offense is not likely to be on the field for long, a defense that will watch its offense score knowing that its job isn’t to pitch shutouts but to keep the opposition just one point weaker on the scoreboard.

That is a nearly impossible way to win national championships and antithetical to complimentary football. Teams that cannot play complimentary football do not win national titles. 

Last season’s Trojans defense finished averaging 23.0 points and 350.8 yards allowed per game, the fewest in both categories since Riley took over. Progress is good, but let’s not pretend those are small numbers.

This season, Riley’s defense has given up at least 26 points in four out of five games this season and its opponents are currently averaging 354.8 yards a game.

And now, that defense has its own drama after Desman Stephens II’s dirty hit on Oregon starting quarterback Dante Moore, who was hit so viciously he was immediately taken to a hospital and diagnosed with a concussion.

As for Riley himself, he will probably never shake that his exit from Oklahoma is one of the pillars holding up the story of his legacy and a foreshadowing of the expectations to come — and his not meeting them, again. 

In his last press conference as head coach at Oklahoma, Riley made his job seem like one where he lived for the players. Players who fought for him. Players who sacrificed for him. Players who wanted to win a national championship with him.

“I’m heartbroken for our players,” Riley said in 2021 following a 37-33 loss to Oklahoma State in the last edition of the Bedlam series. “It’s a horrible feeling, that’s the only way I can describe it. We’ve had a chance to win this league six years in a row, and we’re not gonna have a chance to do that this year. It’s a gut punch. I hate it for our players. They fought their [expletive] off tonight, they really did. We had guys laying it on the line, we had guys playing hurt, we had a couple guys that had the flu and probably shouldn’t even have been out there.” 

Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams at Oklahoma in 2021.  (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

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He even addressed rumors around his potential exit as head coach at Oklahoma. 

“I’m not gonna be the next head coach at LSU. I have no concerns about our administration, our [athletics director], or our president. We’ve been through a lot together. This isn’t our first rodeo together. We always have conversations about the future. With all that’s changing right now in the college landscape, all that’s getting ready to change for us as at some point here.  

“When we transition into a new conference, those are always conversations that we’re going to have, and we’ll be having those yearly, no matter. All of us are trying to make this place better and make this program better. You don’t do that without working together and conversing with each other. We’re going to continue to do that. We work well together, and we’re going to keep working well together.” 

Less than 24 hours later, he accepted the job he’s had for the last five years at USC. And that was devastating for at least one of the players Riley claimed to hurt for after a loss that crushed any chance of the Sooners reaching the College Football Playoff in 2021. 

Lincoln Riley speaks during a news conference to announce him as USC’s new football coach in November 2021. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)

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“Oh, I was heartbroken, man,” former Oklahoma defensive end Isaiah Thomas told me. 

“But it’s just more so how he left,” he added, “telling us that he got the call after the game, thought about it overnight, slept on it, made the decision that day. So that kind of rubbed me the wrong way.” 

Such was — is — the feeling for many, especially after Riley took what would become the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner with him from Norman to USC and began the arduous task of returning the Trojans to their early 21st century glory.

Remember, that’s why USC hired Riley, and that is the reason Riley chose USC: to win national championships — plural. Having made the CFP four times as a coach at Oklahoma and three times as a head coach, the thought was he’d have USC back in the CFP in short order. Surely, it wouldn’t be long before the Trojans were not just one of the teams to beat but the team to beat in this modern era of the sport.

He is the best developer of quarterbacks in the sport with three Heisman Trophy and three first No. 1 overall draft selections. He is renowned as a play-caller for an offensive scheme that is more explosive than a struck match in a warehouse full of gasoline-soaked fireworks.

But the glaring weakness on every team he has head-coached is the same this year as it has been in years past: Even with a College Football Hall of Famer calling the defense in Gary Patterson, Riley’s team has allowed 25 points or more in three of its first four games, including 35 to Rutgers in a one-score game.

The only good news for Riley and USC fans heading into Week 5 is that this loss to Oregon does not count them out of the College Football Playoff. It also might not count them out of making the Big Ten championship game to better qualify for the postseason tournament. Of course, they’ll have to go through Ohio State, Penn State, a newly plucky Wisconsin, Indiana and UCLA to do it. And they might.

The bad news for USC fans, though, isn’t news at all. It’s a feeling. It’s the same sickening feeling Oklahoma fans had at the end of each CFP game Riley coached for it: This team isn’t good enough to win the national title, and a Riley team might never be.

WHAT YOU SHOULD READ NEXT

FOX Sports’ RJ Young shares his latest college football rankings after a wild Week 4 slate and a lot of movement.

No. 12 USC’s Lincoln Riley, Jayden Maiava & more after losing to No. 20 Oregon

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Justin Jefferson suffered an ankle sprain against the Buccaneers Sunday, and imaging did not reveal any long-term damage, according to NFL Network. There is reportedly a chance the Vikings star wide receiver plays in Minnesota’s next game at home against the Miami Dolphins in week 4.

Jefferson was ruled out in the first quarter against the Buccaneers after going to the blue medical tent and exiting with both ankles heavily taped. He walked the sideline testing his mobility before eventually heading to the locker room. 

Notably, Jefferson was able to walk off the field under his own power, an early sign the injury was not as severe as initially feared.

The injury occurred in the first quarter when he was brought down by Buccaneers safety Tykee Smith. He finished the day with two catches for 32 yards, including a 22-yard gain on Minnesota’s opening drive.

The update is a relief for a Vikings offense that has leaned on Jefferson as one of its few consistent threats over the past two seasons. He enters this stretch looking to bounce back from a down 2025, when he finished with 84 catches, 1,048 yards and two touchdowns behind inconsistent quarterback play. 

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Jayden Daniels could return to the field sooner than expected for the Washington Commanders.

The third-year quarterback recently told his Commanders teammates that he won’t undergo surgery and that he owes it to them to get back on the field as soon as possible, CBS Sports reported Monday. Daniels is also reportedly pushing to return in the coming weeks.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn added that Daniels is expected to practice this week and travel to London for their Week 4 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. 

Daniels dislocated his left elbow in the Commanders’ Week 2 loss against the Dallas Cowboys after awkwardly landing on his left arm on a snap before halftime. It’s the same elbow dislocation he suffered last season, which was an injury that initially forced him to miss three games before missing four more games later in the year after re-aggravating the injury. 

Now in his third season in the league, Daniels continues to struggle to stay healthy for a full season. Following a productive rookie year where he led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game, injuries have sidelined him for 11 games over the last two years.

Before going down in Week 2, Daniels was off to a promising start to his third season. Daniels had thrown for 260 yards and three touchdowns alongside 100 rushing yards before his injury against the Cowboys. In his absence, backup Marcus Mariota stepped up to lead the Commanders to a thrilling 33-31 upset over the Seattle Seahawks. 

With surgery ruled out for Daniels’ dislocated elbow, it appears unlikely that Daniels will spend time on injured reserve. So, if he doesn’t return to action in Week 4, that could mean Daniels will come back for either the Commanders’ game against the New York Giants in Week 5 or their Week 6 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. 

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Monday Night Football closes out Week 3 with two NFC teams between the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears. New users on Underdog can use the promo code FOXSPORTS to claim a $1,000 deposit match and take part in the Keep Your Millions promo ahead of this Week 3 finale.

Jalen Hurts leads the Eagles into another primetime matchup, while Chicago will turn to Case Keenum after Caleb Williams went down last week. The Bears are hoping for a better performance in front of their home crowd after only scoring points last week, while the Eagles look to start 3-0 for the fourth straight season.

Don’t miss a chance to get a $1,000 deposit match and take part in the Keep Your Millions promo with Underdog’s promo code FOXSPORTS ahead of Eagles-Bears. 

How to Sign Up and Claim the Underdog Promo Code

1. Click here to go directly to Underdog (bonus code FOXSPORTS applied automatically).
2. Register your account: provide full name, email, date of birth, address, and last 4 of SSN to verify eligibility.
3. Enter promo code FOXSPORTS to lock in the welcome offer.
4. Make your first deposit, and Underdog applies a 50 percent match up to $1,000 in bonus funds.
5. Jump into Keep Your Million to start with a virtual $1,000,000 pot and play through the season.
6. $25 in trading credit.

How to Watch Eagles vs. Bears

• When: Monday, September 28, 2026 at 8:15 p.m. ET
• Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
• TV: ABC, ESPN
• Stream: ESPN Unlimited – Get the FOX One / ESPN Bundle

Players To Watch

Philadelphia’s offense has tilted toward the pass through two weeks, and Hurts is the one making it work. He has thrown for 467 yards and 5 touchdowns across the Eagles’ two wins, completing 26 of 37 passes for 264 yards and 2 scores in last week’s 24-20 win over Tennessee.

Chicago’s defense has already recorded 5 sacks in two games, and Hurts has been taken down 6 times himself. Staying clean against that pressure will go a long way toward keeping Philadelphia’s 2-0 start intact.

Nobody in Chicago’s offense has done more with two games than Swift. He has carried 34 times for 169 yards and 3 touchdowns, powering a Bears rushing attack that leads the NFL at 212.5 yards per game.

Philadelphia’s run defense has been generous so far, allowing 254 yards on 61 carries, and that gives Swift a clear runway to keep piling up chunk gains on Monday night.

Early volume in Philadelphia’s passing game has gone through one receiver more than any other. Smith leads the Eagles with 13 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown, well ahead of every other target in the offense.

Chicago’s secondary has allowed 504 passing yards over its first two games, an average of 252 per contest, and that leaky mark makes Smith a central figure in how much Hurts can push the ball down the field. If the Bears can’t tighten that up, Smith should keep piling up targets.

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We’re in store for the next chapter of the storied rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

The Yankees and Red Sox posted the second- and third-best regular season records in the American League in 2026, and will now face off in the AL Wild Card round beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 29. 

The pitching matchups for the three-game series were revealed on Monday, and feature a likely Cy Young winner as well as a past recipient, multiple impressive young pitchers and 15 combined All-Star nods among the six starters.

The series, which will go to three games if necessary, will be played in its entirety at Yankee Stadium as New York was the top AL wild-card team. The winner will face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series.

Wild Card Series G1

Schlittler vs. Tolle

Game 1 features Yankees’ starter Cam Schlittler, the favorite for the 2026 AL Cy Young Award thanks to an AL-leading 1.95 ERA and 215 ERA+ over 33 starts and 193 ⅔ innings. Schlittler struck out 239 batters – 11.1 per nine – in his sophomore campaign, nearly five times as many punch outs as free passes. Schlittler was behind only Brewers’ ace Jacob Misiorowski in ERA, second in wins above replacement (7.0), tied for third in strikeouts, fourth in innings and second in adjusted ERA+.

There wasn’t a better starting pitcher in the AL in 2026 than Cam Schlittler. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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Opposing the Massachusetts native on the mound is another second-year starter, Payton Tolle. The 6-foot-6 left-hander made 26 starts and threw 148 ⅔ innings, striking out 10.4 batters per nine with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.3. By wins above replacement, Tolle was the second-most valuable pitcher on Boston’s staff; part of that is due to injuries – not a single Red Sox starter made 30 starts – but Tolle’s own accomplishments played a role as well.

Wild Card Series G2

Fried vs. Gray

Max Fried will take the mound for New York in Game 2, and manage to be worth 3.7 WAR in just 112 ⅔ innings and 20 starts: Fried was placed on the IL twice in 2026 with a bone bruise in his throwing elbow. He’s looked as dominant as usual since his return on Aug. 29, posting a 2.73 ERA across five starts while holding opponents to a single run in four of those.

Sonny Gray has been solid in his first year in Boston. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

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Sonny Gray, in his first year with the Red Sox, was the team’s best starter. He led the majors with 18 wins and the AL in winning percentage, but these stats were not inflated by Boston’s success: Gray led the team in WAR (4.7) and posted a 2.72 ERA over 29 starts and 169 innings. While his strikeout-to-walk ratio dipped from 2025’s NL-leading mark of 5.3, Gray made up for the additional free passes and lost strikeouts by limiting opponents to 7.9 hits per nine. The result? An ERA+ of 150 and Gray’s best season since 2023.

Wild Card Series G3

Cole vs. Suarez

Gerrit Cole didn’t return to the Yankees until May 22, following the Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire 2025 season. Cole was not his past Cy Young-caliber self – he won the AL award in 2023 with New York – but still produced a 3.61 ERA over 127 innings. The only issue with Cole is that he has been homer-prone once again – it’s an issue that occasionally pops up for the righty, who is now 36 and post-Tommy John.

Ranger Suarez, in his first season with the Red Sox after signing a five-year, $130 million deal with Boston this past offseason, made 28 starts and produced a 3.22 ERA. His 126 ERA+ was right along his career line that earned him that contract in the first place – the big question is whether that will be enough against Cole, if he’s at his finest … or if it will be necessary at all, since Boston has to win one of the first two games on the road to force a Game 3 in the first place.

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