[h=1]Worst gambling 'bad beats' of the weekend[/h]
Rob NelsonESPN Staff Writer
ob Nelson of ESPN Stats & Information revisits the worst bad beats from the weekend's gambling action.
Note: Closing lines are courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook and pick percentages are via Wunderdog sports.
[h=2]Thursday[/h]
BYU Cougars at Loyola Marymount Lions
Closing line: BYU -9
In a game that tipped off at a little after 11 p.m. on the East Coast, Loyola Marymount -- playing as nine-point home underdogs -- led by 15 with less than four minutes left in the first half. BYU cut the lead down to 10 entering halftime, but the 23 percent of bettors who took the Lions were in good shape.
BYU, however, came out on fire after halftime. The Cougars scored 17 points in less than four minutes to cut Loyola Marymount's lead to two. The teams proceeded to go back and forth, and the Lions led 79-78 with less than five minutes left. Then it all fell apart for Loyola Marymount and the folks who bet them at +9. BYU closed the game on a 13-1 run that saw the Lions miss their final eight shots and lose by 11.
Final score: BYU 91, Loyola Marymount 80 (BYU covers)
[h=2]Saturday[/h]
West Virginia Mountaineers at Texas Tech Red Raiders
Closing line: West Virginia -3.5
Only 20 percent of the bets came in on Texas Tech, as the public was all over West Virginia in this one. If you told those bettors who took the Red Raiders that they would lead by four with less than a minute left, and that the game would end in regulation, they would have taken it in a second.
Unfortunately for Texas Tech backers, West Virginia's Tarik Phillip played out of his mind in the final minute. With his team down four, Phillip made a 3-pointer, stole the ball and got fouled while making a layup. He nailed the free throw to put West Virginia up two with just over 20 seconds left. As if Phillip hadn't already done enough, he stole the ball again with five seconds left, and instead of dribbling it out, he dunked it with 0.7 left on the clock. Just like that, Texas Tech lost by four, failing to cover by half a point.
Final score: West Virginia 80, Texas Tech 76 (West Virginia covers)
Seton Hall Pirates at Xavier Musketeers
Closing line: Xavier -8.5
The majority of bettors took Xavier -- a top-five team hosting unranked Seton Hall -- to cover the 8.5-point spread. The Musketeers led by double digits for most of the second half and were up by as much as 15 with five minutes left.
James Farr put Xavier up 84-72 with 2:41 left, but those would be the last points for the Musketeers. After a pair of Seton Hall free throws cut the deficit to 10, Farr missed a dunk. Xavier still led by 10 as the clock was running down, but a layup by Seton Hall's Isaiah Whitehead with three seconds left crushed the 59 percent of bettors on the Musketeers.
Final score: Xavier 84, Seton Hall 76 (Seton Hall covers)
[h=2]Sunday[/h]
Marquette Golden Eagles at St. John's Red Storm
Closing line: Marquette -5.5
Marquette was a popular pick in this one, as 71 percent of bettors sided with the Golden Eagles. They were playing a St. John's team that hadn't won a game since Dec. 13 and had lost each of its past two games by 20 points.
It looked like Marquette would be the latest team to blow out the Red Storm, as the Golden Eagles led by 20 four minutes into the second half. At that point, you had to think that Marquette was easily going to cover the 5.5-point spread. St. John's, however, went on a 21-7 run and made things interesting. Marquette responded and stretched the lead back to 11 with seven minutes left. But as was the story for the Golden Eagles all day, they let the Red Storm get back in it. St. John's hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute and lost by just five.
Final score: Marquette 78, St. John's 73 (St. John's covers)
Rob NelsonESPN Staff Writer
ob Nelson of ESPN Stats & Information revisits the worst bad beats from the weekend's gambling action.
Note: Closing lines are courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook and pick percentages are via Wunderdog sports.
[h=2]Thursday[/h]
BYU Cougars at Loyola Marymount Lions
Closing line: BYU -9
In a game that tipped off at a little after 11 p.m. on the East Coast, Loyola Marymount -- playing as nine-point home underdogs -- led by 15 with less than four minutes left in the first half. BYU cut the lead down to 10 entering halftime, but the 23 percent of bettors who took the Lions were in good shape.
BYU, however, came out on fire after halftime. The Cougars scored 17 points in less than four minutes to cut Loyola Marymount's lead to two. The teams proceeded to go back and forth, and the Lions led 79-78 with less than five minutes left. Then it all fell apart for Loyola Marymount and the folks who bet them at +9. BYU closed the game on a 13-1 run that saw the Lions miss their final eight shots and lose by 11.
Final score: BYU 91, Loyola Marymount 80 (BYU covers)
[h=2]Saturday[/h]
West Virginia Mountaineers at Texas Tech Red Raiders
Closing line: West Virginia -3.5
Only 20 percent of the bets came in on Texas Tech, as the public was all over West Virginia in this one. If you told those bettors who took the Red Raiders that they would lead by four with less than a minute left, and that the game would end in regulation, they would have taken it in a second.
Unfortunately for Texas Tech backers, West Virginia's Tarik Phillip played out of his mind in the final minute. With his team down four, Phillip made a 3-pointer, stole the ball and got fouled while making a layup. He nailed the free throw to put West Virginia up two with just over 20 seconds left. As if Phillip hadn't already done enough, he stole the ball again with five seconds left, and instead of dribbling it out, he dunked it with 0.7 left on the clock. Just like that, Texas Tech lost by four, failing to cover by half a point.
Final score: West Virginia 80, Texas Tech 76 (West Virginia covers)
Seton Hall Pirates at Xavier Musketeers
Closing line: Xavier -8.5
The majority of bettors took Xavier -- a top-five team hosting unranked Seton Hall -- to cover the 8.5-point spread. The Musketeers led by double digits for most of the second half and were up by as much as 15 with five minutes left.
James Farr put Xavier up 84-72 with 2:41 left, but those would be the last points for the Musketeers. After a pair of Seton Hall free throws cut the deficit to 10, Farr missed a dunk. Xavier still led by 10 as the clock was running down, but a layup by Seton Hall's Isaiah Whitehead with three seconds left crushed the 59 percent of bettors on the Musketeers.
Final score: Xavier 84, Seton Hall 76 (Seton Hall covers)
[h=2]Sunday[/h]
Marquette Golden Eagles at St. John's Red Storm
Closing line: Marquette -5.5
Marquette was a popular pick in this one, as 71 percent of bettors sided with the Golden Eagles. They were playing a St. John's team that hadn't won a game since Dec. 13 and had lost each of its past two games by 20 points.
It looked like Marquette would be the latest team to blow out the Red Storm, as the Golden Eagles led by 20 four minutes into the second half. At that point, you had to think that Marquette was easily going to cover the 5.5-point spread. St. John's, however, went on a 21-7 run and made things interesting. Marquette responded and stretched the lead back to 11 with seven minutes left. But as was the story for the Golden Eagles all day, they let the Red Storm get back in it. St. John's hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute and lost by just five.
Final score: Marquette 78, St. John's 73 (St. John's covers)
