Circa Survivor Pool Further Pared Thanks to Bungling Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns

Posted on: September 19, 2022, 05:06h. 

Last updated on: September 19, 2022, 05:32h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

Thanks to upsets that victimized a trio of AFC North teams, the roster of Circa Survivor participants still “on the island” following week two of the 2022 NFL season is significantly lower than it was at the start of Sunday’s games.

Circa Survivor
A list of week two picks in Circa Survivor, above. AFC North teams hurt contestants. (Image: VSiN)

After 56.2% of contestants were eliminated in week one, whittling the remaining roster to 2,685 from the original 6,133, another 550 departed following losses by the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Matched up against the New York Jets and backup quarterback Joe Flacco, the Browns were the third-most selected team in Circa Survivor last week, trailing only the Denver Broncos and the San Francisco 49ers. At one point during their game, the Browns had a 99.9% win probability.

In fact, that point was with 1:55 remaining in the game. But they proceeded to give up 14 points in that span, losing 31-30.

That made the Jets the first team in 21 years to win when facing a 13-point deficit in the final two minutes.

Bengals, Raiders Among Other Circa Survivor Offenders

The Bengals — last year’s Super Bowl runner-up — were a logical pick heading into the week. That’s because they faced the Dallas Cowboys without starting quarterback Dak Prescott. Dallas eked out a three-point victory, resulting in 192 Circa Survivor contestants waiting until next year for a  chance at glory.

The Baltimore Ravens, another AFC North team, lost to the Miami Dolphins spectacularly, but just five Survivor participants chose the Ravens. Speaking of dramatic, gut-wrenching losses, the Las Vegas Raiders snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, losing to the Arizona Cardinals 29-23 in overtime. That after the Raiders led 20-0 at halftime.

In week one, no Survivor contestants picked Las Vegas’s home team. But the week two result resulted in the departure of 77 participants.

Overall, 12 of the NFL’s 32 teams weren’t chosen by Circa Survivor contestants in the second week of the season, and 21 participants were eliminated because they failed to get a pick in.

Other Circa Survivor Odds and Ends

Monday Night Football is a doubleheader tonight, with the Buffalo Bills welcoming the Tennessee Titans to upstate New York. The Minnesota Vikings travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in the second game.

In terms of Survivor implications, 40 contestants will be cheering for the Bills, while two need the Eagles to win. The Titans and Vikings are among the dozen teams not used in week two.

Another interesting footnote is that in week two, 304 contestants, or 11.3% of entries, used the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. That means that if those contestants continue surviving, they won’t be eligible for a year-end $1 million bonus Circa Sports awards to contestants that avoid using the prior year’s Super Bowl teams until the final weeks of the season. It’s possible some of those participants could use the Bengals in the final of the week, making them eligible for the bonus if that team wins its last game of the season.

In other NFL/sports wagering-related news, PointsBet is refunding all its clients that bet on Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson to win MVP before the start of the season. It’s using his slow start as a customer acquisition tool. The Australian bookmaker, which is operational in select US states, gives prospective customers free bets that can prove they bet on Wilson to win the MVP award at rival sportsbooks.