Eagles And 49ers Both Lose: How Sportsbooks Graded Last NFL Unbeaten Team

The Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers both lost on Sunday, leaving no more unbeaten teams. For bettors who took action on one of these teams in NFL last unbeaten team odds, we explain how sportsbooks graded those wagers.

Dead Heat Reduction Rules Apply For Last Unbeaten Team Odds

With both the 49ers and Eagles losing, the wagers were settled with the dead heat reduction rules. Representatives from DraftKings and FanDuel confirmed with TheLines.com that this rule applied to bettors who wagered on either team. BetMGM also confirmed that the market was a dead heat (tie).

Dead heat reduction applies if two or more competitors are tied for the same winning position. The sportsbook will then divide the odds proportionally among the number of winners. This is based on the initial odds wagered on.

Bettors will see half of their potential payout instead of a loss, splitting the difference. Niners and Eagles bettors managed to cash in something despite their team losing this weekend.

What Other Bets Could Qualify For Dead Heat Reduction

Another wager that could run into a similar result as NFL last unbeaten team could be best record bets. If two teams finish with the same record, and there is no tiebreaker between the teams, then dead heat reduction rules apply.

The same can be applied to seasonal awards.

If multiple players are voted MVP in a single season, dead heat reduction will be applied in that instance. While this is rare and unlikely, it has happened twice before in the NFL. In 1997, Green Bay Packers’ Brett Favre split his MVP with Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders.

It happened again in 2003 with Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning and Tennessee Titans QB Steve McNair. Co-MVPs are rare, but sportsbooks have a plan in place in case it happens again.

This is how sportsbooks deal with tie situations unless a “draw” option exists on the betting line. Fans will see half of their winnings if their wager ends in a dead-heat situation.