NFL Preseason Week 3: Packers-Raiders Point Spread Largest in Four Years
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Pictured: Oakland Raiders receiver Griff Whalen (13) and tight end Paul Butler (84)
- The Oakland Raiders are 7-point favorites against the Green Bay Packers in Friday's preseason Week 3 matchup (10:30 p.m. ET).
- This marks the largest preseason point spread since 2011.
- A 2011 matchup between the New York Giants and New England Patriots closed at -9, the largest preseason point spread we've ever tracked.
Week 3 of the 2018 NFL preseason is making betting history on multiple fronts.
Earlier this week, we noted that Saturday's Kansas City Chiefs-Chicago Bears (1 p.m. ET) over/under is flirting with the highest preseason total we've ever tracked.
Not to be outdone, the spread for Friday's Green Bay Packers-Oakland Raiders (10:30 p.m. ET) matchup is also moving into rarefied air.
After opening at a relatively standard Raiders -3, bettors have pounded Oakland up to a 7-point favorite. According to The Action Network's public betting data, 89% of spread dollars have taken the Raiders.
>> All odds as of 10 a.m. ET. Download The Action Network App or check out our NFL odds page for real-time data and to track your bets.
To put this in perspective, an NFL preseason game hasn't closed with a spread of seven points since the Houston Texans played the Denver Broncos during the 2014 preseason, according to the Bet Labs database.
A 2011 matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins (-7.5) marks the last time a preseason point spread crept above a touchdown.
The 2011 preseason also included games with closing lines of -8.5 and -9. Here's a look at the three preseason point spreads in our database, which dates back to 2004, that closed higher than 7.5:
While the sample is very small, NFL preseason favorites of a touchdown or greater are just 9-13 (40.9%) against the spread since 2004.
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