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2018 Ultimate Football Challenge Week 1: 307 Entries and $118,800 Top Prize

The Ultimate Football Challenge from Golden Nugget Las Vegas is quickly gaining notoriety in the world of sports betting. Whereas the Las Vegas SuperContest from Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino’s SuperBook is the king of handicapping contests, the Ultimate Football Challenge is narrowing the gap.

Both contests involve handicapping football games, but the Ultimate Football Challenge expands beyond just the NFL and includes college football in addition to NFL.

How the Ultimate Football Challenge Works

Many who follow the world of sports betting are familiar with Golden Nugget’s Friday Football Showdown that featured a $2,000 buy-in and a unique head-to-head bracket format involving college and NFL bets. The Ultimate Football Challenge replaced the Friday Football Showdown, with a few key changes.

The first change was out with the bracket format. The Ultimate Football Challenge has a tournament leaderboard format similar to the Las Vegas SuperContest. In the SuperContest, contestants pick five games against the contest spread each week in an attempt to earn points throughout the 17-week NFL season. In the Ultimate Football Challenge, with both college and professional football games included, contestants select seven picks each week during the 17-week NFL season. Another change was with the buy-in.

Another big change was with the buy-in. The Friday Football Showdown had a buy-in of $2,000, but the Ultimate Football Challenge has a more accessible price point of $1,000. The top 20 finishers get paid and 100% of the entry fees are paid out.

2018 Ultimate Football Challenge Prizes

The 2018 Ultimate Football Challenge attracted a field of 307 entries. First place will take home a winning share of $118,800. Second place will earn $59,400, and third place is set at $29,700. In the case of a tie, the total amount allotted for the tied positions will be distributed equally to those contestants that are tied.

1st: $118,800
2nd: $59,400
3rd: $29,700
4th-5th: $20,790
6th-7th: $14,850
8th-10th: $5,940
11th-20th: $1,000

Four Teams Tied for First After Week 1

After Week 1 of the Ultimate Football Challenge, four teams were tied for first place with perfect 7-0 records. Those four contestants were “CORBIN BERNSEN-1,” “MONSTERLOC-1,” “PREPAY PENALTY-1,” and “BINNMAN1-1.” One team booked a 6-0-1 record and is alone in fifth place, and then 15 teams went 6-1 to be tied for sixth place.

On the other end of the spectrum, the end you don’t want to be on, only one team went 0-7 during the opening week. That was “LUCKY OCEANS-1.” Nine contestants went 1-6.

As the season rolls on, so will the Ultimate Football Challenge. Be sure to stay tuned to SharpSide.com for continued coverage of the Ultimate Football Challenge, and don’t forget to follow SharpSide.com on Twitter at @SharpSideApp.

About the Author

DonniePeters
Donnie Peters (DonniePeters)

Donnie Peters began his career in the gambling industry in 2008, starting in poker before applying his skills to the world of sports betting. He was named Media Person of the Year at the American Poker Awards in 2016 and co-founded the Gridiron Gamble podcast in 2015. Donnie’s passion for poker and sports betting has led him to a role as Operations and Project Manager of SharpSide.com and ScoresAndOdds.com. Donnie previously held roles as the Editor-in-Chief of PokerNews.com, Marketing Manager of the World Poker Tour, and Managing Editor of PocketFives.com. You can find Donnie on Twitter @Donnie_Peters.