Worst gambling ‘bad beats’ of the weekend
Note: Closing lines are courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook and pick percentages are via Wunderdog sports.
Temple Owls at SMU Mustangs Closing line: Temple -12.5
One might look at the final score of this game and just assume it was an easy win for No. 22 Temple. That was not the case. With less than five minutes to go, SMU was down 45-40 and had the ball with a chance to pull the outright win.
SMU would end up turning it over on downs, giving Temple the ball back. The Owls proceeded to score three plays later on a P.J. Walker 36-yard touchdown (on 3rd-and-14) with 1:45 left. That put Temple up 11 pending the extra point, which meant that bettors who took SMU plus-12.5 were still in good shape. Until Owls’ head coach Matt Rhule decided to go for two — which Temple converted — pushing the margin to 13. Any hopes of a backdoor cover by SMU went away when Temple’s Sean Chandler returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown. That made sure even those who got SMU at plus-14 earlier in the week were on the wrong side of this bad beat.
Final score: Temple 60, SMU 40 (Temple covers)
TCU Horned Frogs at Oklahoma State Cowboys Closing line: Over/under 77.5
It’s tough to take the under in a Big 12 game (the conference boasts five of seven highest scoring teams in the FBS) but it looked like the smart play with a few minutes left in Saturday’s TCU/Oklahoma State game. The Cowboys led 42-23, 12.5 points short of the closing over/under.
With 2:28 remaining, TCU’s Aaron Green punched it in from a yard out, cutting Oklahoma State’s lead down to 42-29 (failed two-point conversion). The Horned Frogs would get the ball back with a chance to push the total over with another touchdown. TCU didn’t score but Trevone Boykin was picked off by Chad Whitener, who eventually returned it for a touchdown after running along the goal line for a few seconds, teasing those who were hopeful he would go down. That pick-six was Boykin’s fourth interception of the game (a career high), and just like the total on Saturday, his Heisman chances might be over as well.
Final Score: Oklahoma State 49, TCU 29 (Game goes over)
LSU Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide Closing line: Over/under 46.5
No game had more action on it than this SEC West tilt, and it turned out to be a fourth quarter to forget for the 49 percent of bettors on the over.
After Alabama’s Adam Griffith nailed a 30-yard field goal to give Alabama a 30-10 lead with 12:45 remaining, those on the over just needed seven more points to win their bet. A few minutes later, Leonard Fournette‘s one-yard touchdown run made the score 30-16 pending the extra point. LSU’s Trent Domingue was a perfect 42-42 on PATs in his career, but his kick was blocked and the total remained at 46. Alabama responded with a 13-play, 78-yard drive that killed the final 9:18 of the game. The drive was the longest (in terms of time) that LSU has ever allowed under Les Miles, and unfortunately for those on the over, the final play was a kneel-down.
Final Score: Alabama 30, LSU 16 (Game goes under)
New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Closing line: Over/under 49
Only 25 percent of the action was on the under, but you have to feel bad for those folks after this one.
With 23 seconds left in the game, Josh Brown‘s field goal put the Giants up 26-18 and the total at a comfortable 44. With the Bucs having no timeouts and starting deep in their own territory, it was going to be almost impossible for Jameis Winston to lead a game-tying touchdown drive (seemingly the only way the total could go over). On the final play of the game, Tampa Bay tried to lateral its way down the field. In a play that will haunt those on the under for a long time, Mike Evans‘ “overthrow” on a lateral turned into a Trevin Wade fumble recovery that led to a touchdown, resulting in the total going over by one point.
Final Score: Giants 32, Buccaneers 18 (Game goes over)