Unlucky 7: Worst betting bad beats of 2019
Not a major.
Utter those three words to any Golden Knights fan and it’s a safe bet they’ll shake their head in disgust.
So will any bettor who wagered on Vegas in its controversial 5-4 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks in Game 7 of the first-round NHL playoff series.
For the sheer amount of pain and suffering it caused in Las Vegas, the Knights’ bitter defeat to the Sharks on April 23 is No. 1 on our list of the top seven betting bad beats of 2019.
Vegas appeared to be cruising to a victory with a 3-0 lead midway through the third period when Cody Eakin was given a five-minute major penalty for game misconduct for a cross-check to Joe Pavelski.
The NHL later apologized to the Knights for the incorrect call. But the damage was done.
The Sharks scored four goals during the power play and took the lead. The Knights tied it in the final minute on a goal by Jonathan Marchessault. But San Jose prevailed at 18:19 of OT on a goal by Barclay Goodrow.
The bad call not only cost Knights bettors the game but killed all futures wagers on Vegas to win the series, Western Conference and Stanley Cup.
That was the worst bad beat of the year. Here are the rest of the top seven that will have you tearing up tickets:
2. Jan. 20: Rams 26, Saints 23 (OT), NFC championship
New Orleans fans and bettors can relate to the Knights’ misfortune as a missed call probably cost the Saints a trip to the Super Bowl.
With 1:49 left in a 20-20 game and New Orleans facing third-and-10 at the Rams’ 13-yard line, Drew Brees threw a pass to Tommylee Lewis. Nickell Robey-Coleman clearly hit Lewis before the ball arrived but officials didn’t call the blatant pass interference penalty, forcing the Saints (-3) to settle for a field goal.
The Rams tied it on Greg Zuerlein’s 48-yard field goal with 15 seconds left and won 26-23 in overtime on Zuerlein’s 57-yarder.
3. March 30: Virginia 80, Purdue 75 (OT), NCAA Tournament
The Boilermakers led in the final seconds of regulation and overtime but still failed to cover as 4½-point underdogs.
The Cavaliers trailed 70-68 with five seconds left in regulation when Ty Jerome missed a free throw. The ball was tapped into the backcourt, where Kihei Clark came up with it and fired a pass to Mamadi Diakite, who made a jumper at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
Purdue led by one in OT before De’Andre Hunter scored a go-ahead layup for Virginia with 29 seconds left. The Cavaliers then made four free throws in the final five seconds to cover.
After Carsen Edwards (42 points, 10 3s) missed a 3, Kyle Guy hit two free throws to make it 78-75. Following an Edwards turnover, Clark was fouled with one second left and made two free throws, with the second one hitting the rim and backboard before dropping through the net.
4. Dec. 7: Pacers 104, Knicks 103
Bettors who had Over 209 might never recover. Indiana led 104-100 with 5:05 left. The final score was 104-103.
The teams combined to make only 1 of 21 shots in the final 5:05 and Myles Turner blocked three point-blank attempts in the final 72 seconds.
Over bettors still had a chance to win when Julius Randle was fouled with 0.1 seconds left and New York trailing 104-102. Two made free throws meant overtime and a guaranteed over. Randle made the first one but missed the second.
5. Dec. 15: Falcons 29, 49ers 22
Bettors who had Under 47½ in the Falcons-49ers game were probably counting their winnings with three seconds left in a 22-17 game. But then Atlanta scored two TDs in two seconds to push the game over the total in a stunning 29-22 triumph.
First, Julio Jones caught a 5-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan with two seconds left. Then, following the kickoff and three Niners laterals, the ball rolled into the end zone and Falcons receiver Olamide Zaccheaus scooped it up for a score.
6. Dec. 15: Eagles 37, Redskins 27
Washington, a 6½-point home underdog, appeared headed for a cover after Philadelphia went ahead 31-27 on a TD with 26 seconds left.
But on the game’s final play, Redskins QB Dwayne Haskins was wrapped up at midfield and flipped the ball backward. Philadelphia linebacker Nigel Bradham picked it up in stride and returned it 47 yards for a TD and cover.
Incredibly, a CG Technology bettor had the Eagles and Falcons-49ers Over in a $100 10-team parlay that paid $80,000 and in a $200 nine-teamer that paid $75,000.
7. Nov. 4: Cowboys 37, Giants 18
A black cat ran on the field during the first half of a Dallas-New York matchup on “Monday Night Football.” The feline turned out to be bad luck for bettors who had Under 48½.
The Giants trailed 30-18 when QB Daniel Jones fumbled and Jourdan Lewis returned it 63 yards for a score to push the game over the total with six seconds left.
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Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.
