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A 3rd-Straight Week with a Tie in the NFL Would Pay Out Pretty Well

Cory Huybregts

by Cory Huybregts in NFL Football

Updated Apr 22, 2020 · 10:48 AM PDT

Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins
Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins could produce the third tie of the 2018 NFL season. Photo by Keith Allison (Flickr).
  • Books have released odds on whether there will be a tie in Week 3
  • We’ve already seen ties in the first two weeks of the 2018 NFL season
  • There has never been three consecutive weeks of ties in the modern NFL

The first two weeks of the NFL season saw the rare occurrence of two consecutive ties. Books have released odds on whether there will be a tie in Week 3.

Will There Be a Tie in Week 3?

Yes No
+1400 -10000

In Week 1 we saw the Pittsburgh Steelers tie the Cleveland Browns as both kickers missed field goals in the final minutes of overtime.  The tie resulted in the Browns ending their 17-game losing streak but also resulted in kicker Zane Gonzalez losing his job.

In Week 2 the Minnesota Vikings iced Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby as time expired. Crosby’s second attempt to win the game was a miss, sending the game into overtime. Vikings kicker Daniel Carlson missed two field goal attempts to win the game, resulting in his immediate firing.

Is the Third Time a Charm?

This was the fourth time since 1974 that two games in the same season ended in a tie, with the latter three occurring in consecutive weeks.

The most recent occurrence was in 2016 when the Seattle Seahawks tied the Arizona Cardinals 6-6 (the lowest scoring game in NFL history to end in a tie). Both kickers missed short field goals attempts in overtime to win the game.

The following week the Washington Redskins tied the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley stadium in London. Washington kicker Dustin Hopkins missed a 34-yard field goal in overtime to win the game.

The most ties we have ever seen in a single season is two, so what is the likelihood that we will see a third tie in 2018?

Well, first, out of the 494 games that have gone into overtime since single overtime was introduced, only 17 (3.4%) have ended in a tie. However, the payout on “yes” is very enticing.

Keep an Eye on Dolphins vs Raiders

When looking at Week 3 games the Miami Dolphins vs Oakland Raiders catches my eye as a matchup that has the makings of a tie.

Sportsbooks are saying this game will go down to the wire giving the Dolphins a slight 3.0 point lead. The last time these two teams met, the Raiders won by a field goal. Both offense’s have yet to show high efficiency, and this game will feature rookie Dolphin kicker Jason Sanders and Oakland’s fill-in journeyman Mike Nugent.

The weather forecast for Sunday’s game is humid with the high probability of rain and wind: the perfect mix for bad kicking conditions.

The chance of the third consecutive tie is low, but there are many bad offenses and questionable kickers in the NFL.

Betting on a third consecutive tie may be worth the bet, especially with the great payout.

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