Alabama -35 among weekend’s worst bad beats
It was also, once again, the same story for those who bet Alabama, but as you’ll read below, there might be a profitable solution for folks who want to keep betting on college football’s best team.
Here are the weekend’s worst bad beats:
Alabama Crimson Tide at Arkansas Razorbacks
Line: Alabama -35
Alabama looked unbeatable again on Saturday, cruising to a blowout win. There was no stopping the Crimson Tide offense, as Heisman favorite Tua Tagovailoa had more passing touchdowns (four) than incompletions (three) in the game.
But for the third time in three weeks, Alabama failed to cover after allowing a late touchdown.
This time, that late score came real late. After the Tide went up 65-24 with less than two minutes left, Arkansas’ De’Vion Warren returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards to the Alabama 22-yard line. Five plays later, Cole Kelley‘s 1-yard touchdown and Connor Limpert‘s extra point cut the margin to 34 with 13 seconds left. Those who took the favorite lost by one.
Here’s a secret for you gamblers out there who don’t want to stop betting on the Tide: Alabama is 6-0 against the spread on the first half line, and the over is 6-0 on its team total this season.
Final score: Alabama 65, Arkansas 31 (Arkansas covers)
Boston College Eagles at NC State Wolfpack
Line: NC State -6.5
Sometimes, life isn’t fair. You take a 6.5-point favorite that outgains its opponent by 215 yards, has 22 more first downs, possesses the ball for nearly the entire game (41:30 to 18:30 TOP advantage) and builds a 25-point lead late in the third quarter. But somehow, you still fail to cover.
Really, NC State?
With less than 17 minutes left, the Wolfpack led 28-3 before it all fell apart for the home team. Boston College would proceed to score 20 unanswered points, with the final score coming on a blocked punt for a touchdown with 3:33 left. It was yet another mistake by NC State, which also had four turnovers and a field goal blocked earlier in the game. The Wolfpack gave bettors one last glimmer of hope on their final drive, but after getting down to the Boston College 12-yard line, they ended the game with a pair of kneel downs and won by just five.
Final score: NC State 28, Boston College 23 (Boston College covers)
Clemson Tigers at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Over/under: 61.5
If you told those who bet the under that Clemson would do most of its damage on the ground offensively and hold Wake Forest to three points, they would have liked their chances.
Big plays, however, left those on the under shaking their heads after this one. Of Clemson’s six rushing touchdowns, five were more than 50 yards, including the final score of the game. With the Tigers leading 56-3 with less than a minute left, Lyn-J Dixon‘s 52-yard touchdown on third-and-5 sent the total over.
Final score: Clemson 63, Wake Forest 3 (total goes over)
Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals
Line: Bengals -6
If you take a six-point underdog in the NFL and that team leads 17-0 with just over 20 minutes left, you expect to cover that spread. A late collapse by the Dolphins left bettors who backed them with a losing ticket and a bad beat story to tell.
The Bengals scored the game’s final 27 points and, incredibly, did so by scoring just one offensive touchdown. A pick-six by Michael Johnson tied the game early in the fourth quarter, and after Randy Bullock‘s field goal with 3:30 left gave Cincinnati the lead, Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill made yet another mistake. After getting strip-sacked by Carlos Dunlap, the worst-case scenario happened for those who bet the Dolphins, as Sam Hubbard scooped the ball and ran it in from 19 yards out for the score.
Miami actually had two more possessions to try to get a backdoor cover, but one ended with another Tannehill interception and the other with Kenyan Drake sliding down at the Cincinnati 17-yard line on the game’s final play.
Final score: Bengals 27, Dolphins 17 (Bengals cover)
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers
Over/under: 40.5
No offense to either of these teams, but this was probably the least intriguing game of Sunday’s NFL slate. In a game with Josh Rosen and C.J. Beathard as the starting quarterbacks, the thought for some bettors was probably to take the under. That thought appeared to be a profitable one.
Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Cardinals led 14-6, with the total combined points well below the closing over/under of 40.5. But there would somehow be four touchdowns scored in the final 6:51, capped off by Beathard’s 1-yard quarterback sneak to send the total over with 89 seconds left.
Final score: Cardinals 28, 49ers 18 (total goes over)