The Myth of the Monday Night Home Underdog
One of the very first NFL betting systems that became widely known was simply taking the home underdog on Monday night. In the 1970s and early 1980s, it was probably the most successful football betting system around.The success of the Monday Night Football home underdog was so great, that the system is still known today, even by bettors who had not been born when the system was at its peak.
When the home home underdogs performed so well was at the time when Monday Night Football was truly a spectacle. Back before ESPN, Sunday Ticket, the Internet and the NFL Network, Monday Night Football was the only place you would get to see highlights of the weekend games. There were no Sunday night games or Thursday night games and being on Monday night really meant something, both to the fans and to the players.
But many things in sports betting tend to run in cycles and the Monday Night Football home underdogs is certainly one of them.
Since 1985, home underdogs on Monday are 68-62 against the point spread, which is essentially break even. A closer look at that record shows many of the wins coming in the late 1980s, as the system is just 21-31 over the past 10 seasons and 12-18 during the past five seasons.
Change isn't always easy and many veteran bettors still find themselves taking the Monday night home underdog even though it's become a losing proposition.
Don't be afraid to take the visiting favorite on Monday night if your handicapping shows you that is the way to go. The time of the Monday night home underdog has come to an end.
