| 100% | OUTSIDE | 7 | Surface is unacceptable to team |
| 54% | OUTSET | 6 | Start is unacceptable to group |
| 50% | COALFACE | 8 | Surface being worked to remove bituminous lumps |
| 45% | UNDERDOGS | 9 | Teams that are least likely to win matches |
| 45% | SMOOTH | 6 | Surface which is even and easy to glide through |
| 44% | FINALISTS | 9 | Two teams vying to be the winner |
| 44% | DISINFECT | 9 | To clean a surface until it is free of germs |
| 44% | LANDMINES | 9 | Explosives designed to be buried under the surface |
| 44% | CANVAS | 6 | Blank __, art surface waiting to be painted on |
| 43% | CHOOSESIDES | 11 | "Pick which team you want to be on!" |
| 43% | EGOS | 4 | They might have to be managed on a team |
| 43% | UNDERDOGS | 9 | The teams that are considered least likely to win |
| 42% | FINALIST | 8 | One of two teams vying to be the ultimate winner |
| 41% | NETHERLANDS | 11 | Team that was runner-up to the USA in the 2019 World Cup |
| 41% | PAR | 3 | "He is on ___ with everyone else in the team." (equal to) |
| 41% | PELE | 4 | Only player to be part of three World Cup-winning teams |
| 40% | THEPACERS | 9 | NBA team whose name is a nod to auto and horse racing |
| 40% | WAVELENGTH | 10 | It's good for team members to be on the same one |
| 39% | REP | 3 | Player ___ (NFLer chosen to be a team's liaison to the players' union) |
| 39% | TROJANS | 7 | Their women's team is often referred to as the "Women of Troy" |
| 39% | LAA | 3 | A.L. West team whose name is redundant when translated to Spanish: Abbr. |
| 39% | NAT | 3 | Member of the baseball team that used to be the Expos, for short |
| 39% | WONTDO | 6 | Is unacceptable |
| 38% | FLOOR | 5 | Tiled or concrete surface that is perfect for disco enthusiasts to boogie down on |
| 38% | RAM | 3 | NFL player whose team is moving from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 2016 |
| 38% | PADRES | 6 | Dave Winfield is the only Hall of Famer to wear this team's cap |
| 38% | TENNESSEETITANS | 15 | Football team whose logo’s flames are a nod to the myth of Prometheus |
| 38% | RAMS | 4 | Los Angeles NFL team that was based in St. Louis from 1995 to 2015 |
| 38% | TEXASRANGERS | 12 | MLB team whose starting shortstop was Elvis Andrus from 2009 to 2020 (2 wds.) |
| 38% | UNDERDOG | 8 | Team or person that is expected to lose |