The Circa Survivor NFL pick ‘em contest, run by Las Vegas-based Circa Sports, has a record
number of entrants yet to be eliminated going into the final weeks of the NFL season.
18 entrants out of 14,266 remain as the NFL season enters its final fortnight. Each contestant paid $1,000 to be part of the contest, meaning the winner-take-all prize is $14.266 million.
The record number of remaining entrants at this stage of the season managed to beat the crowd, which saw a huge knockout rate in the opening weeks. More than 10,000 entries were eliminated in week one and two, with a series of upset results.
Festive Dropouts
The Circa Survivor contest challenges players to pick one winning team each week of the NFL season. Each player can only pick each team once. Pick incorrectly once, and you’re out. It is run exclusively through the large Circa Sportsbook at Circa Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The competition allowed only in-person entries, but players could use proxies to buy-in at the Circa Sportsbook on their behalf.
NFL Survivor comps are tough, as evidenced by the record number of just 18 players left in Circa Survivor with two NFL weeks remaining. More than 4,000 players picked the Cincinnati Bengals to beat the New England Patriots way back in week one, and were all dumped out when the Bengals lost, 16-10, at home.
Half of the 45 contestants remaining going into Christmas were eliminated over the festive period, leaving just 18 entries.
Some 16 entrants picked the Indianapolis Colts to beat the New York Giants, which they did not. Six entrants picked the Chicago Bears to beat the Detroit Lions shortly before Christmas. That saw them dumped out when the Bears were brushed aside by the visiting Lions.
Spare a thought for the solitary Houston Texans pick in week 17, who saw their survivor go down the drain without even a sliver of hope. The Texans lost, 31-2, to the Baltimore Ravens, and barely sniffed a touchdown the whole game.
However, this year’s cohort can at least say nobody paid $1,000 to not bother filing a single pick. In the 2023 Circa Survivor, no less than three entrants paid up the $1K and then didn’t make a pick before week 1.
Successful Picks
The Seattle Seahawks were the most-picked team for Circa Survivor players in Week 17, and they delivered with a cagey victory over the Chicago Bears. The Ravens were the second-most picked team, rewarding the faithful with that blowout victory over the Texans.
As the final two weeks play out, Circa Survivor contestants now have far fewer teams to pick from.
Despite losing over Christmas, the Colts could be the most popular pick going into the final fortnight, with 33 of the 34 players yet to choose the Indianapolis team. Around half the field have yet to pick the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
