5 Biggest Point Spreads in NFL History

When football fans review the record books, attention usually centers on postseason triumphs, scoring records, or undefeated runs. Yet, sports wagering history tells its own story about the perceived balance of power between franchises. When it comes to betting on point spreads in the NFL, a lot of people tend to only bet the favorites when the numbers are closer to zero. Very rarely do people place big money on teams that are favored to win by three or more touchdowns, and for good reason.

Those types of spreads are insanely hard to cover, but they do still pop up from time to time. Throughout NFL history, there are five largest point spreads that looked more like ones you would see in college games. These massive lines occur when one franchise represents the absolute pinnacle of league dominance while their opponent sits in complete disarray. Examining these rare historical contests provides insight into how oddsmakers evaluate competitive extremes and how professional athletes react when faced with historic deficits on paper.

Historic NFL Point Spreads at a Glance

Massive lines in professional football reflect moments where the perceived gap between two rosters reaches historic proportions. While double-digit spreads are commonplace across college football, the talent parity enforced by the NFL draft, salary structures, and scheduling makes a three-touchdown margin an extreme anomaly. The table below outlines the six games that produced the five largest point spreads in league history.

Matchup	Season	Point Spread	Final Score	Favorite Margin	Cover Result
Denver Broncos vs. Jacksonville Jaguars	2013 (Week 6)	-28	35-19	+16	Did Not Cover
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1976	-27	42-0	+42	Covered
New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles	2007 (Week 12)	-25	31-28	+3	Did Not Cover
San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons	1987	-24	35-7	+28	Covered
San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals	1993	-24	21-8	+13	Did Not Cover
Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1977 (Week 3)	-23	23-7	+16	Did Not Cover

The 5 Biggest Point Spreads in NFL History

The historical games featured below represent the most extreme lines ever posted by oddsmakers, starting from the twenty-three-point threshold and rising to the largest spread ever recorded in professional football history.

Denver Broncos (-28 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

The largest line in NFL history opened up at 28 points when the 5-0 Denver Broncos hosted the 0-5 Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6 of the 2013 NFL season. The Broncos were riding high and Peyton Manning was having one of the greatest quarterback seasons in NFL history, setting scoring records while leading an explosive offensive attack. By contrast, the winless Jaguars were going nowhere fast, struggling to establish consistency on either side of the ball.

In the first quarter, it appeared as if the Broncos were going to cover with ease after hopping out to an immediate 14-0 lead. However, the Jaguars displayed surprising resolve, scoring all 12 points of the second quarter to trim the deficit and dash the hopes of anyone who bet on Denver to cover the four-touchdown margin. Although the Broncos outscored the Jaguars 21-7 throughout the second half to secure a comfortable 35-19 victory, their 16-point winning margin fell well short of the historic 28-point requirement.

Pittsburgh Steelers (-27 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers played their first NFL season in 1976, and their expansion debut did not perform quite the way that the organization wanted. The team carried an 0-12 record heading into Pittsburgh to take on a battle-tested Steelers squad destined for the playoffs. Facing an offense that could not sustain drives and an inexperienced roster, oddsmakers gave the Steelers a 27-point advantage coming into the ballgame, as nobody knew if the Buccaneers would even be able to score on the legendary Steel Curtain defense.

Unlike other heavy favorites who eased off the gas after establishing control, the Steelers showed little mercy toward the winless Buccaneers. Pittsburgh systematically dismantled Tampa Bay, scoring four touchdowns in the second half alone. It was not until the Steelers built an insurmountable 42-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter that they finally slowed down. That 42-0 shutout held as the final score, allowing Pittsburgh to easily cover the massive 27-point spread in dominant fashion.

New England Patriots (-25 vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

The 2007 New England Patriots are considered to be among the best teams of all time, marching toward an undefeated regular season when they hosted the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12. New England entered the contest with a pristine 10-0 record, having regularly dismantled opponents by multiple scores. While the visiting Eagles held a respectable 5-5 record, oddsmakers anticipated an unmitigated blowout and installed the Patriots as 25-point home favorites.

The Eagles gave New England everything they could handle from the opening whistle. At halftime, the Patriots clung to a narrow 24-21 lead, but Philadelphia refused to fold, surging ahead in the third quarter to send New England into the fourth quarter trailing 28-24. Facing an upset, the Patriots mounted a comeback drive capped by a four-yard touchdown run from Laurence Maroney with 7:20 left on the clock. New England regained a 31-28 lead and held on for the win, but they came nowhere close to covering the 25-point expectation.

San Francisco 49ers (-24, Twice)

The San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s and 1990s were an incredible dynasty, frequently favored by wide margins due to their innovative offensive schemes and championship pedigree. On two separate occasions, oddsmakers set the 49ers as massive 24-point favorites against severely outmatched opponents. The first instance occurred in 1987 against the Atlanta Falcons, while the second took place in 1993 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Coming into those matchups, the Falcons and Bengals held a combined record of 4-20.

The outcomes of the two contests showed both sides of betting heavy favorites. In the 1987 matchup at Candlestick Park, San Francisco took total control, defeating the Falcons 35-7 to clear the 24-point threshold with a 28-point victory. However, six years later in 1993, the 49ers faced unexpected resistance from Cincinnati. San Francisco actually trailed at halftime before rallying to win comfortably by a score of 21-8. Despite earning a 13-point victory on the field, the 49ers fell 11 points short of covering the bloated line.

Dallas Cowboys (-23 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Things were incredibly difficult for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their first couple of seasons in the NFL, and they were still searching for the franchise's first victory in Week 3 of the 1977 NFL season. Their quest for an elusive win hit a major obstacle when they traveled to face the Dallas Cowboys, who were installed as heavy 23-point favorites. The game appeared destined for an early rout when the Cowboys exploded out of the gate to take a commanding 17-0 lead in the opening quarter.

The Buccaneers fought back in the second quarter, putting together a scoring drive to cut the margin to 20-7 at halftime. Once the second half began, Dallas chose to control the tempo, maintain possession, and show mercy rather than aggressively pursuing trick plays or downfield shots. The Cowboys secured a 23-7 victory to improve to 3-0 on the year, but the 16-point margin left Dallas backers without a cover.

How Point Spreads Work

A point spread is a foundational tool designed by oddsmakers to level the playing field between two unequal teams. Rather than simply picking which team will win outright, the point spread requires the favored team to win by a designated number of points, while the underdog must either win the game outright or lose by fewer points than the posted number.

A minus sign (-) placed in front of a number designates the favorite. For instance, when Denver was listed at -28 against Jacksonville, Denver needed to win by 29 points or more to cover the spread. Because Denver won by 16 points (35-19), they failed to cover. Conversely, a plus sign (+) indicates the underdog. An underdog covers if they win the match outright or lose by less than the assigned line. When Philadelphia took the field as a 25-point underdog against the Patriots, their three-point defeat (31-28) comfortably covered the number.

Covering the spread represents an entirely separate result from winning the actual game on the field.

Because oddsmakers seek to balance betting action on both sides of a contest, extreme lines reflect public consensus regarding team quality rather than guaranteed scoring outputs. A dominant team can walk off the field with a comfortable victory while leaving their financial backers with an outright loss.

Practical Steps for Evaluating Heavy Favorites

When massive spreads appear on the schedule, analyzing the matchup requires a different approach than evaluating standard, close-margin games. Bettors and analysts can organize their evaluations using the following sequential steps:

1. Review the historical record of both franchises entering the week: Extreme numbers usually emerge from severe record disparities, such as an undefeated contender facing a winless opponent, as was the case with the 10-0 Patriots facing the Eagles or the 5-0 Broncos meeting the 0-5 Jaguars.
2. Assess how the favorite handles large leads: Some dominant teams choose to control the ball and show mercy once an advantage is established—much like the Cowboys did when leading Tampa Bay 20-7 at the half in 1977—rather than relentlessly running up the score.
3. Look for potential fourth-quarter adjustments: Teams holding massive leads late in the game frequently pull starters or play conservative defense. When Pittsburgh built a 42-0 lead against Tampa Bay heading into the fourth quarter, they finally slowed down, whereas the Patriots had to fight from behind in the fourth quarter against Philadelphia.
4. Evaluate the underdog's capacity to score points: A severe underdog can spoil a huge spread with just a few scoring drives, similar to the Jaguars putting up all 12 points in the second quarter against Denver to ruin the favorite's early 14-0 advantage.

Common Mistakes When Dealing with Huge Spreads

Historical results demonstrate why betting big money on massive favorites is considered so risky. Several frequent errors trip up observers when these spreads appear:

• Assuming an elite offense guarantees a blowout cover: The 2013 Broncos boasted Peyton Manning during a historic campaign, yet Jacksonville remained close enough to prevent a 28-point cover.
• Disregarding professional pride on the underdog's sideline: Even winless rosters consist of professional athletes. Tampa Bay put up a fight in the second quarter against Dallas in 1977, and Philadelphia held a lead over the undefeated 2007 Patriots late into the fourth quarter.
• Overestimating how often favorites cover massive margins: Across the games detailed above, only two heavy favorites covered their numbers: the 1976 Steelers (-27) in their 42-0 win and the 1987 49ers (-24) in their 35-7 victory. The other four instances failed to cover.
• Confusing comfortable wins with covered spreads: San Francisco won by 13 points over Cincinnati (21-8), Denver won by 16 over Jacksonville (35-19), and Dallas won by 16 over Tampa Bay (23-7), yet every one of those favorites failed to clear their historically bloated lines.

What to Consider Next

As you reflect on the history of the NFL's largest point spreads, several angles can provide further context into how professional football lines have evolved:

• Analyze whether modern NFL parity makes 20-point spreads rarer today: Review whether current roster rules, free agency, and the salary cap limit the severe talent imbalances seen when the expansion Buccaneers faced Pittsburgh and Dallas in the late 1970s.
• Track oddsmaker adjustments throughout game week: Monitor how betting volume moves lines when an undefeated powerhouse is scheduled to meet a struggling squad.
• Examine game-flow patterns in multi-touchdown spreads: Study how second-half play-calling, clock management, and defensive substitutions alter final scoring margins.
• Monitor late-season mismatches: Keep an eye on late-season matchups between top playoff seeds and tanking teams to see if any modern franchise approaches the record 28-point spread set by Denver and Jacksonville.

Frequently asked questions

What is the largest point spread in NFL history?

The largest point spread in NFL history occurred in Week 6 of the 2013 season, when the Denver Broncos were favored by 28 points against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Denver won the game 35-19, failing to cover the historic line.

Did the 2007 New England Patriots cover their 25-point spread against the Eagles?

No, the Patriots did not cover the 25-point spread. Despite entering the game 10-0, New England trailed 28-24 in the fourth quarter before securing a 31-28 win courtesy of a Laurence Maroney touchdown run with 7:20 remaining.

Which teams successfully covered historic point spreads of 23 points or more?

Only two teams in NFL history covered spreads of 23 or more points: the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers (-27), who shut out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 42-0, and the 1987 San Francisco 49ers (-24), who defeated the Atlanta Falcons 35-7.

Why did the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear multiple times on this list?

The Buccaneers joined the NFL as an expansion franchise in 1976 and endured severe early struggles, starting their inaugural season 0-12 before facing Pittsburgh (-27) and searching for their first win in Week 3 of 1977 against Dallas (-23).

How many times were the San Francisco 49ers favored by 24 points?

The 49ers were favored by 24 points twice: first in 1987 against the Atlanta Falcons, which they covered with a 35-7 win, and again in 1993 against the Cincinnati Bengals, which they failed to cover despite winning 21-8.

The bottom line

The largest point spreads in NFL history serve as fascinating markers of perceived dominance, capturing rare moments where oddsmakers felt a professional contest resembled an uneven exhibition. From the winless expansion woes of the 1970s Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the record-breaking offenses of the 2007 Patriots and 2013 Broncos, these matchups generated astronomical lines of 23 points or greater.

However, the historical record offers a clear lesson about the difficulty of covering massive numbers in professional football. With heavy favorites covering in only two out of six historic opportunities, even the most dominant squads often ease off the throttle, substitute key players, or encounter fierce underdog pride once a comfortable victory is in hand. In the NFL, winning by three or four touchdowns remains one of the rarest feats in sports.