Most Common Football Scores (All The Data Inside)
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There have been some weird and wonderful scores posted from NFL games throughout history, and while some may defy imagination and the odds, did you ever wonder what the most common score in football is?
The most common football score is 20-17, as this result has occurred more than any other scoring margin throughout football history. Over the history of the NFL, 1072 different final scores have been recorded, and 20-17, as a result, has been achieved 274 times.
Let’s look at the ten most common scores, some rather odd ones that have occurred during the NFL’s history, and six scores that happened in the 2021 season that had not occurred before until that season.
The Top Ten Most Common Scores In Football
We know that 20-17 is the most common score result in the NFL, but there have been some very common scores seen over the years, so let’s look at the top 10 most common football scores, starting with number 1.
- 20-17 – 274 times (3 points)
- 27-24 – 224 times (3 points)
- 17-14 – 198 times (3 points)
- 23-20 – 193 times (3 points)
- 24-17 – 170 times (7 points)
- 13-10 – 166 times (3 points)
- 24-21 – 156 times (3 points)
- 17-10 – 141 times (7 points)
- 16-13 – 141 times (3 points)
- 24-14 – 139 times (10 points)
Some very interesting stats appear in these results: out of the top 10, seven out of 10 have been won with a margin of three points, two results won with seven points, and one has a 10-point margin!
One of the reasons for these consistent results could be that in most of those games, the scores were tied into the final few minutes, and the side on offense would advance to field goal range and look to win the game by three points.
As a betting person, if you look at these results, there are 1802 scores recorded here, and out of that, 1352 scores have ended with a three-point deficit. That’s 75% of the results having the same scoring deficit!
While the betting odds may not be as high on that points spread as a 7-pointer or a ten-pointer, you have a good chance of coming out a winner betting on a three-point spread.
The 7-point spread has occurred only 17% or 311 times out of the 1802 scores, and the 10-point spread has only happened 139 times or under 8% of all these recorded scores.
On the seven-point spread, this has almost certainly occurred when both teams were tied, and one scored the winning touchdown to achieve the 7-point winning score. While this is the dream finish to a game, it doesn’t happen that often.
What Unique Scores Were Achieved In 2021
While the scores above represent the top ten most common scores, the NFL’s Scorigami website has an archive of every score achieved to date and scores that have not been recorded.
In 2021, some new and to date ‘unscored’ final score results were achieved, so let’s look at what some of those scores were.
In week 6 of the 2021 NFL football season, the Rams beat the Giants by 38-11, while in week 7, a 31-5 final scored ended the game between the Cardinals and the Texans. Two weeks later, in week 9, the Jets went down to the Colts 45-30, and five weeks after that, the Bears lost by that same scoreline to the Green Bay Packers.
In week 11, the Colts hammered the Bills by 45-11, and another new score was set with a 48-9 result as the Chiefs annihilated the Raiders. Finally, in week 18, another new and unique final score was established with a 51-26 win for the Cowboys over the Eagles.
What Is The Lowest Possible Score In Football
With any game, the lowest possible score is a 0-0 result where neither team scores any points. This has happened 73 times in NFL history, but the last time it happened was way back in 1943, and there has not been a zero-tied game since.
The lowest score achieved in an NFL game in the post-merger era is 3-0, and this has happened a total of six times, with the first result seen in 1971 as the Vikings defeated the Packers with a field goal in the fourth quarter.
The most recent 3-0 result was in 2007, as the Steelers ‘swam’ their way to a win playing in a torrential downpour over the Dolphins.
What Were The Highest Shut-Out Games In Football
On the other end of the scoring scale, the highest shut-out score ever achieved was 73-0 when the Bears demolished the Redskins in a game in December of 1940. The second highest shut-out was a 66-0 result in 1920 when the Rochester Jeffersons put a number over Fort Porter, and in 1934, the Eagles beat the Cincinnati Reds by 64-0.
As far as points scored go, the highest-scoring game in history recorded 113 points when the Redskins beat the Giants by 72-41 in 1966.
The second was a 97-point game when the Rams beat the Colts by 70-27 in October 1950. Each is unique and has only happened once throughout the NFL’s scoring history.
Have There Ever Been 100-Point Games In The NFL
This feat has been achieved six times, with two results before the merger and four afterward. In 1948, the San Francisco 49’ers defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 63-40 for a total of 103 points. The other occasion was in 1963 when the Raiders narrowly beat the Oilers by 52-49 ( another three-point spread) for a total of 101 points scored in the game.
It was some time before another 100-point game was seen, but it happened in 2004 when the Bengals beat the Cleveland Browns by 58-48 for a total of 106 points.
Eleven years after that, the New Orlean Saints defeated the Giants by 52-49 for 101 points in the game- another three-point deficit!
Conclusion
The most common score is the 20-17 result, and the chances of a three-point win are the highest odds in the NFL, with more than 75% of games played having this result – but don’t be surprised with a few previously unseen scores being posted in the current and coming seasons.
