The Cincinnati Bengals stunned the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers as two-touchdown underdogs on Monday, capping a historic week for NFL upsets.
The Bengals, who closed as consensus 14.5-point home underdogs, beat the Steelers 24-17 in the second-largest upset, point spread-wise, in Monday Night Football history, according to ESPN Stats and Information research. The Baltimore Colts defeated the New England Patriots as 17-point underdogs in 1978.
The Bengals are the largest home underdogs to win outright on Monday Night Football.
The New York Jets also pulled off a big upset in Week 15, knocking off the Los Angeles Rams as 17-point underdogs Sunday. It's the first time two underdogs of 14 points or more have won outright in the same week since Week 13 of the 1973 season.
A $100 money-line parlay on the Bengals (+750) and Jets (+1,000) would've paid around $10,200.
The Bengals' win over the Steelers was expensive for some bettors. A customer with William Hill's sportsbook in Iowa on Monday placed a $51,371.21 money-line bet on Pittsburgh to beat Cincinnati straight-up at -1,100 odds. The bet would've paid a net $4,670.11.
Prior to kickoff, 86% of the money bet on the point spread was on the Steelers at William Hill sportsbooks around the nation, and 90% of the dollars wagered on the money-line was riding on Pittsburgh. That money will be staying with the sportsbooks.