More than half of the remaining entries in the Circa Survivor contest were eliminated during the challenging, two-part Week 17 in the NFL.
The two-day period of games during Christmas week knocked out 11 contestants before Sunday’s slate sent another 16 packing when the Indianapolis Colts failed to beat the New York Giants.
❌ 16 Colts#CircaSurvivor 🏈🏆 https://t.co/UB7L01nP3G
— Circa Sports (@CircaSports) December 29, 2024
With 60% of the field coming into Week 17 gone, 18 entries are left competing for Circa Sports’ $14.26 million prize pool. The implied value for each entry went from $317,022 before Week 17 to $891,625 after Sunday’s games.
No entry in the contest picked a winner for the Monday Night Football game between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers.
The contest began with 14,266 contestants paying $1,000 per entry. The prize pool will be split among however many entries are left after Saturday and Sunday, the final week of the NFL season.
Unlikely loss
The Colts faced a must-win scenario on Sunday. They needed to win their final two games to have a shot at making the NFL playoffs.
However, they stubbed their toe against a Giants team that had not won a game since Oct. 6 and started backup Drew Lock at quarterback. The Colts were a 7.5-point favorite but lost 45-33, and it was the Giants’ first home win of the year.
It wasn’t surprising that Indianapolis got so many picks in the Circa Survivor contest. Once you use a team, it is no longer available, so the decisions get dicey late in the year.
They were the most-available team selected during Week 17b.
Cashing in on being out
A Circa Survivor player said on social media site X that he was eliminated by the Colts’ loss but made a considerable wager on the other side.
Ryan Mackey placed $60,000 on the Giants’ moneyline with odds of +280. Getting knocked out of the contest still netted him $168,000, according to the ticket he posted.
It was a great ride!!! Thank you for the entertainment this season. I am looking forward to next year's contest already! I am glad I put a hefty ML pick on the Giants to make it a very profitable contest!
— Ryan Mackey (@PaperHandedHodl) December 29, 2024
— Ryan Mackey (@PaperHandedHodl) December 29, 2024
Other disappointments
The Colts weren’t the only disappointment during Week 17a and 17b, they were just the only ones on Sunday.
Six entries were eliminated when the Chicago Bears failed to rally late in an ugly 6-3 loss to Seattle on Day 2 of 17a.
Week 17a #CircaSurvivor Results
— Circa Sports (@CircaSports) December 27, 2024
❌ 11 entries eliminated (6 Bears, 4 Steelers, 1 Texans)
✅ 34 of 14,266 total entries survive to Week 17b
🤑 Winner-Take-All Prize: $14,266,000
Implied Value Per Entry: $419,588
📄 Week 17b Team Availability: https://t.co/1JQO4VHp1I pic.twitter.com/unsyw4ASNn
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ third consecutive loss at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day doomed another four entries while Houston Texans, who didn’t score a touchdown in a 31-2 loss to Baltimore, knocked out one.
The right picks
The Seahawks’ narrow victory did get 20 contestants into the Circa Survivor’s final week. That was the most-picked team in Week 17a. The Ravens helped 11 survive.
The Los Angeles Rams squeaking out a close one on Saturday night against the Arizona Cardinals kept eight contestants alive in 17b. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills helped a total of eight (four each) advance with blowout wins on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles got one contestant each through with no-sweat victories over the weekend.
