If you've ever watched an NFL game at a sportsbook, you've seen the reaction – half the room cheers, and the other half screams in exasperation after a particular play.
Welcome to the world of wacky wins and bad beats in sports betting.
Each week, we'll recap the betting plays that had some people cashing in and others tearing up their tickets in frustration. To paraphrase famed broadcaster Al Michaels, "those plays are significant to some."
Let's dive into this week's craziness!
Underdog Colts overtake Chiefs
The Chiefs led the Colts (+4.5 at FOX Bet) 17-13 midway through the fourth quarter. Indianapolis had third-and-6 from its own 39 when Matt Ryan was sacked for an 8-yard loss, but Kansas City was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Colts a first down at their 46.
Seven plays later, Jelani Woods caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Ryan with 24 seconds to go to give the Colts a three-point lead.
The Chiefs, with help from an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, got to the Colts' 46 with 8 seconds remaining but Patrick Mahomes threw an interception on the final play.
The Colts pulled the upset and won as +175 moneyline underdogs.
Giant first-half bad beats
VSIN's Ben Fawkes tweeted a bettor placed a pair of big bets on the Giants' first-half line ($110,000) and the moneyline ($115,000 at minus-115 to get back $215,000 total).
Halftime score: Cowboys 6, Giants 3
Bettors love this QB
Dallas backup quarterback Cooper Rush is 3-0 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) in his three career NFL starts after Monday's 23-16 victory over the Giants.
New York's Daniel Jones, on the other hand, is 0-9 in prime-time games.
Dolphins hand Bills first loss
Buffalo came into this matchup undefeated and as 4.5-point favorites at FOX Bet. The game went back and forth until the very last snap, becoming an instant classic.
Things got dicey at the end for Miami. With the Dolphins leading 21-17 with less than two minutes to go, the Fins suffered through a "butt punt."
The Bills then got the ball back trailing 21-19, but the clock ran out on Josh Allen & Co. before they could even attempt a game-winning field goal — also causing a meltdown of epic proportions by Buffalo offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.
Miami won outright +175 moneyline underdogs, handing Buffalo its first L of the season.
Scoreless fourth quarter sinks over bettors
The Bengals led the Jets 27-12 late in the third quarter with the over/under (O/U) at 45.5, but the teams were scoreless in the final period.
The Jets got to the Bengals' 14 early in the final period but failed to score. Cincinnati missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt (NFL kickers make that kick more than 80% of the time) with 2:15 to go. The Jets drove to the Bengals' 17 with a minute to go but threw an interception near the goal line, breaking the hearts of bettors holding over tickets.
Wild betting finish in Steelers-Browns game
– The O/U for total points started at 40.5 at some sports books. Trailing 22-17 (39 total), Pittsburgh took over at its own 4-yard line after a punt with 9 seconds to go. Then it happened. A short pass completion, a lateral, a fumble and recovery in the end zone after time expired made the final score 29-17.
– The pregame passing O/U total for Steelers quarterback Mitchell Trubisky on Thursday against the Browns was 207.5 yards. Trubisky finished 20-for-32 passing (62.5%) for … 207 yards.
– Caesars Sports had Trubisky's O/U for interceptions thrown during the game at 0.5. Max Meyer of Caesars Sports tweeted that 100% of the bets at Caesars were on the over. Trubisky did not throw an interception. This means Trubisky likely will get consideration for Caesars Sports unofficial player of the week.
– Trubisky's prop bet for completions was 19.5. That short pass completion on the final play mentioned above made winners of not only those who bet the over on the passing yards but also for the bettors who backed the over for his completions.
– The O/U for Steelers receiver Chase Claypool's receiving yards was 35.5. Claypool had 41 receiving yards prior to the final play but was credited with a 6-yard loss to finish with 35 yards.
– The final touchdown also had a huge impact on DFS contests:
Bad beat from college football
Ducks backers who laid the seven points suffered a bad beat at the end of the game.
No. 15 Oregon trailed Washington State 34-22 midway through the fourth quarter before rallying for a 44-41 victory. Oregon scored 22 unanswered points in a span of 2:47 late in the fourth quarter to take a 44-34 lead with 1:01 to go. But, the Cougars kept battling and marched 75 yards in seven plays, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run with one second remaining as WSU bettors cashed in with the seven points.
Stay tuned for more of the wackiness!
And if you want to join in on the fun (or madness), head over to FOX Bet for all your wagers.
Download the FOX Super 6 app for your chance to win thousands of dollars on the biggest sporting events each and every week! Just make your picks and you could win the grand prize. Download and play today!
