Weekend's worst bad beats
Rob Nelson
9/25/17
It's early in the football season, but that doesn't mean that bad beats aren't in midseason form.
Rob Nelson of ESPN Stats & Information revisits the worst ones from the weekend's gambling action.
Note: Lines are courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.
Thursday
Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers
Line: Rams -3
In a game that saw the Rams and 49ers combine for nearly double the over/under of 40.5, a late rally by the home team cost bettors on Los Angeles.
Twelve seconds into the game, Todd Gurley put the Rams up 7-0 with his first of three touchdowns before halftime. After taking an 11-point lead into the halftime locker room, Los Angeles led 41-26 in the fourth quarter and looked like it would easily cover as three-point favorites. But a crazy sequence of events that included a pair of San Francisco touchdowns in less than a three-minute span, thanks to a fumbled kickoff return in between, cut the Rams lead down to 41-39. The 49ers would get the ball right back after recovering an onside kick, but turned it over on downs.
Gurley would make a run for his fourth touchdown of the game but got tackled at the San Francisco 11-yard line in the final seconds. Jared Goff kneeled down on the next play and the game, along with hopes of a Rams' cover, was over.
Final score: Rams 41, 49ers 39 (49ers cover)
Saturday
Ball State Cardinals at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Line: Western Kentucky -11.5, Over/under 50.5
It's tough to decide which bad beat was worse in this one -- Ball State plus-11.5 or under 50.5?
Those on Ball State would tell you that the Cardinals were covering for the first 58:47 of the game and somehow lost by 12 despite leading outright with less than two minutes left. Those on the under would tell you that three touchdowns in the final five minutes, including two in the final 1:38, wasn't exactly "lucky" either. It's safe to say both were on the wrong end of arguably this season's worst bad beat.
So what exactly happened? With 4:50 left in the game, Ball State took a 21-20 lead and was minutes from pulling the upset. Western Kentucky would then respond with a go-ahead touchdown that put the Hilltoppers up 26-21. It all led to Joe Brown's pick-six with 1:13 left that sealed the win for Western Kentucky, along with the misery for those on Ball State and the under.
Final score: Western Kentucky 33, Ball State 21 (Western Kentucky covers and game goes over)
San Diego State Aztecs at Air Force Falcons
Line: Over/under 48.5
Heavy rain and storms is usually a thing of beauty for bettors on the under. That looked to be the case in Colorado Springs on Saturday before a lightning delay changed the course of the game.
Air Force led 9-0 with 7:56 remaining in the second quarter when the teams were sent to the locker room. After an 88-minute delay, San Diego State would start to find its offensive groove. A pair of Rashaad Penny touchdowns gave the Aztecs a 14-9 lead entering the fourth, with the under still looking good. But the teams combined for four touchdowns in less than a seven-minute span, capped off by Penny's third score of the game with 5:39 left that not only put San Diego State up for good, but cost those on the under a winning bet.
Final score: San Diego State 28, Air Force 24 (Game goes over)
Miami (OH) RedHawks at Central Michigan Chippewas
Line: Over/under 51
Despite a pair of missed field goals in the first half, those who took the over were looking good at halftime. Miami (OH) led 28-14 as the 42 combined points were nine shy of the closing over/under of 51.
The second half however, saw a total of three points as missed opportunities cost both Central Michigan and folks who bet the over. The Chippewas got inside the RedHawks' five-yard on two different occasions, but failed to score both times. Central Michigan would get shutout in the second half despite running 18 plays in Miami (OH) territory, something that bettors who came up a touchdown short of hitting their over won't want to hear.
Final score: Miami (OH) 31, Central Michigan 14 (Game goes under)
Florida Atlantic Owls at Buffalo Bulls
Line: Over/under 59
Those who took under 59 in this one might not have known something about Buffalo this season; it entered Saturday as one of 11 FBS teams without a fourth-quarter touchdown. The Bulls, unfortunately for some bettors, would get off that list against Florida Atlantic.
With less than three minutes left in the game, Buffalo led 27-24 before backup quarterback Drew Anderson threw his first career touchdown, a 20-yarder to Anthony Johnson. Now with the Bulls' lead at 34-24, bettors on the under needed a scoreless 2:37 to end the game. They wouldn't get it however, as Devin Singletary's one-yard score with 73 seconds left sent the total over.
Final score: Buffalo 34, Florida Atlantic 31 (Game goes over)
Syracuse Orange at LSU Tigers
Line: Over/under 56.5
It would have been hard to imagine this game going over 56.5 points at halftime. LSU led 14-3 as bettors on the under just needed to avoid a 40-point second half.
The teams combined for 30 points in the third quarter and all of sudden the under was in serious jeopardy entering the fourth. Two touchdowns in the final six minutes, capped off by D.J. Chark's 20-yard score with 1:52 left, made this game one to forget if you took the under.
Final score: LSU 35, Syracuse 26 (Game goes over)
Rob Nelson
9/25/17
It's early in the football season, but that doesn't mean that bad beats aren't in midseason form.
Rob Nelson of ESPN Stats & Information revisits the worst ones from the weekend's gambling action.
Note: Lines are courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.
Thursday
Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers
Line: Rams -3
In a game that saw the Rams and 49ers combine for nearly double the over/under of 40.5, a late rally by the home team cost bettors on Los Angeles.
Twelve seconds into the game, Todd Gurley put the Rams up 7-0 with his first of three touchdowns before halftime. After taking an 11-point lead into the halftime locker room, Los Angeles led 41-26 in the fourth quarter and looked like it would easily cover as three-point favorites. But a crazy sequence of events that included a pair of San Francisco touchdowns in less than a three-minute span, thanks to a fumbled kickoff return in between, cut the Rams lead down to 41-39. The 49ers would get the ball right back after recovering an onside kick, but turned it over on downs.
Gurley would make a run for his fourth touchdown of the game but got tackled at the San Francisco 11-yard line in the final seconds. Jared Goff kneeled down on the next play and the game, along with hopes of a Rams' cover, was over.
Final score: Rams 41, 49ers 39 (49ers cover)
Saturday
Ball State Cardinals at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Line: Western Kentucky -11.5, Over/under 50.5
It's tough to decide which bad beat was worse in this one -- Ball State plus-11.5 or under 50.5?
Those on Ball State would tell you that the Cardinals were covering for the first 58:47 of the game and somehow lost by 12 despite leading outright with less than two minutes left. Those on the under would tell you that three touchdowns in the final five minutes, including two in the final 1:38, wasn't exactly "lucky" either. It's safe to say both were on the wrong end of arguably this season's worst bad beat.
So what exactly happened? With 4:50 left in the game, Ball State took a 21-20 lead and was minutes from pulling the upset. Western Kentucky would then respond with a go-ahead touchdown that put the Hilltoppers up 26-21. It all led to Joe Brown's pick-six with 1:13 left that sealed the win for Western Kentucky, along with the misery for those on Ball State and the under.
Final score: Western Kentucky 33, Ball State 21 (Western Kentucky covers and game goes over)
San Diego State Aztecs at Air Force Falcons
Line: Over/under 48.5
Heavy rain and storms is usually a thing of beauty for bettors on the under. That looked to be the case in Colorado Springs on Saturday before a lightning delay changed the course of the game.
Air Force led 9-0 with 7:56 remaining in the second quarter when the teams were sent to the locker room. After an 88-minute delay, San Diego State would start to find its offensive groove. A pair of Rashaad Penny touchdowns gave the Aztecs a 14-9 lead entering the fourth, with the under still looking good. But the teams combined for four touchdowns in less than a seven-minute span, capped off by Penny's third score of the game with 5:39 left that not only put San Diego State up for good, but cost those on the under a winning bet.
Final score: San Diego State 28, Air Force 24 (Game goes over)
Miami (OH) RedHawks at Central Michigan Chippewas
Line: Over/under 51
Despite a pair of missed field goals in the first half, those who took the over were looking good at halftime. Miami (OH) led 28-14 as the 42 combined points were nine shy of the closing over/under of 51.
The second half however, saw a total of three points as missed opportunities cost both Central Michigan and folks who bet the over. The Chippewas got inside the RedHawks' five-yard on two different occasions, but failed to score both times. Central Michigan would get shutout in the second half despite running 18 plays in Miami (OH) territory, something that bettors who came up a touchdown short of hitting their over won't want to hear.
Final score: Miami (OH) 31, Central Michigan 14 (Game goes under)
Florida Atlantic Owls at Buffalo Bulls
Line: Over/under 59
Those who took under 59 in this one might not have known something about Buffalo this season; it entered Saturday as one of 11 FBS teams without a fourth-quarter touchdown. The Bulls, unfortunately for some bettors, would get off that list against Florida Atlantic.
With less than three minutes left in the game, Buffalo led 27-24 before backup quarterback Drew Anderson threw his first career touchdown, a 20-yarder to Anthony Johnson. Now with the Bulls' lead at 34-24, bettors on the under needed a scoreless 2:37 to end the game. They wouldn't get it however, as Devin Singletary's one-yard score with 73 seconds left sent the total over.
Final score: Buffalo 34, Florida Atlantic 31 (Game goes over)
Syracuse Orange at LSU Tigers
Line: Over/under 56.5
It would have been hard to imagine this game going over 56.5 points at halftime. LSU led 14-3 as bettors on the under just needed to avoid a 40-point second half.
The teams combined for 30 points in the third quarter and all of sudden the under was in serious jeopardy entering the fourth. Two touchdowns in the final six minutes, capped off by D.J. Chark's 20-yard score with 1:52 left, made this game one to forget if you took the under.
Final score: LSU 35, Syracuse 26 (Game goes over)
