Hawaii and Air Force among worst ‘bad beats’ of the weekend
Oklahoma State Cowboys at Kansas Jayhawks
Closing line: Oklahoma State -23
Kansas was again a big underdog in conference play, but it looked competitive in this one. The Jayhawks trailed by just four at halftime, and were easily covering the 23-point spread.
Turnovers would ultimately cost those who bet Kansas. The home underdogs turned it over on three of their first four possessions in the second half, as Oklahoma State scored 17 points off those mistakes. Despite those giveaways, the Jayhawks were still down just 17 late in the fourth — but Chris Carson put an exclamation point on the Cowboys’ win with a 16-yard touchdown run. That was a costly exclamation point for those who bet Kansas, as it gave the Cowboys a 24-point win.
Final score: Oklahoma State 44, Kansas 20 (Oklahoma State covers)
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Air Force Falcons
Closing over/under: 58.5
It seems there is one of these bad beats every week — a college football game that goes over the total after multiple overtimes. But the fact that it’s happened before doesn’t make it easier for those who took the under in this one.
Hawaii led 10-7 at halftime, with the total points nowhere near the closing over/under of 58.5. The scoring picked up a little in the second half, but it was still just 20-20 late in the fourth. Air Force proceeded to go on a 19-play drive that killed the final 8:18 of regulation, and had a 32-yard field goal to win it. But Luke Stregel missed it wide right, sending the game into overtime. If it was decided after just one overtime, those on the under would win. But a pair of touchdowns sent the game into double overtime, where Hawaii’s Marcus Kemp caught a 25-yard touchdown on the first play to push the total over.
Final score: Hawaii 34, Air Force 27 in 2OT (Game goes over)
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals
Closing first half line: Bengals -7
The Bengals closed as an 11.5-point favorite and were favored by a touchdown on the first-half line, but the most memorable play from this game was one to forget if you took Browns +7 for the first half.
A.J. Green‘s 48-yard touchdown on the final play in the second quarter turned a four-point Bengals lead to a 21-10 advantage at halftime, and first-half wagers on the Browns from winners to losers. It was a tough loss for those who took the underdog, as Cleveland actually led 10-7 late in the second quarter. A quick Bengals scoring drive capped by a Brandon LaFell 44-yard touchdown and a Browns punt — on their first drive after losing Cody Kessler to injury — set up the potential for a Hail Mary. Then A.J. Green did the rest.
Halftime score: Bengals 21, Browns 10 (Bengals cover)
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
Closing line: Cardinals -2.5
In a game that ended after midnight on the East Coast, those who took the Cardinals as a small favorite are wishing they took the under instead.
With less than five minutes left in regulation, Arizona led 3-0 and hadn’t allowed Seattle to cross midfield all night. But the Seahawks blocked Ryan Quigley‘s punt and took over at the Cardinals 22-yard line. Seattle settled for a Steven Hauschka field goal to tie it, and that score would hold until overtime.
The teams exchanged field goals on their first possessions in overtime and were now in sudden death. Arizona proceeded to drive down to the Seattle 1-yard line, and those who bet the Cardinals were going to be winners. According to ESPN’s win probability model, the Cardinals had a 99.6 percent of winning with 4:13 left in overtime — but Arizona couldn’t punch it in and Chandler Catanzaro somehow missed a game-winning 24-yard field goal. Hauschka would later miss a chip shot to win it, costing those on the Seattle moneyline a winning bet as well (those bets pushed).
Neither team scored a touchdown on Sunday night, but it was clear that Arizona had the edge. The Cardinals had 186 more yards of total offense, more than twice as many first downs and had the ball for nearly 18 minutes longer than Seattle.
Final score: Seahawks 6, Cardinals 6 in OT (Seahawks cover)