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Browns gift-wrap miraculous cover for Jaguars bettors

Updated November 20, 2017 - 5:58 pm

The Browns have got nothing on the Dolphins when it comes to dealing bettors a bad beat.

Cleveland, a 7-point underdog to Jacksonville, handed Jaguars backers a miracle cover Sunday when quarterback DeShone Kizer fumbled and the Jaguars recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown with 1:14 left in a 19-7 win.

Miami burned under bettors in its 30-20 loss to Tampa Bay in brutal fashion. The total, which closed at 44, appeared to be a lock to go under when Patrick Murray kicked a 35-yard field goal to put the Buccaneers ahead 23-20 with four seconds left. But on the ensuing kickoff return, the Dolphins tried to lateral the ball and fumbled. Tampa Bay’s Adarius Glanton recovered it in the end zone for a TD to send the number over the total with no time left.

Redskins-Chiefs revisited

It brought to mind the epic bad beat suffered by Redskins bettors and under bettors alike earlier this season in Washington’s 29-20 loss to the Chiefs on “Monday Night Football.”

Bettors who had a Redskins-and-under parlay are probably still undergoing therapy after Washington tried to lateral the ball with four seconds left and Kansas City’s Justin Houston picked up a fumble at the 13 and returned it for a TD with no time left. The score enabled the Chiefs to cover the 7-point spread and pushed the number over the total of 48.

Florida State still winless ATS

The Seminoles entered Saturday as the nation’s only Football Bowl Subdivision school that hadn’t covered the spread this season. They’re still 0-8-1 ATS despite drilling Football Championship Series member Delaware State 77-6 as a 52-point favorite. After the Seminoles took a 56-6 halftime lead, the schools agreed to play 10-minute quarters in the second half, shortening the game to 50 minutes. Under Las Vegas sports book rules, games lasting under 55 minutes constitute “no action” and all money is refunded.

Florida State is a 5-point favorite Saturday at rival Florida.

NFL favorites on a roll

Heading into Monday night, NFL favorites were 9-3-1 ATS in Week 11 and riding a 41-20-7 ATS (67.2 percent) run the past five weeks.

Underdogs were profitable picks the first six weeks of the NFL season, going 53-36-1 ATS.

SuperContest update

Grand Dragon leads the Westgate SuperContest with a 38-17 (69.1 percent) ATS mark after going 5-0 in Week 11. The entry split the $15,000 eight-week leader bonus with PHD Sports with a 28-12 record.

BioSoft Sports and Schematic Advantage are tied for second at 37-17-1.

BKSF leads the winner-take-all SuperContest Gold with a 36-19 (65.5) ATS mark and Michael Peffercorn is second at 33-22-1.

The top five consensus picks in the SuperContest Gold went 5-0 with the Eagles, Patriots, Lions, Vikings and Texans. The top five in the SuperContest went 4-1 with the same picks except for the Saints in place of the Texans.

NBA trends

Entering Monday, the Celtics had the NBA’s best ATS record at 14-2-1, the 76ers were second (12-3) and the Pistons third (11-4-1).

The Cavaliers had the worst spread mark (4-11-1) and were followed by the Warriors (6-11) and Mavericks (6-11).

Cleveland had the best over-under mark at 10-6, the Suns were 11-7 and the 76ers were 9-6.

The best under teams were the Trail Blazers (12-4), Magic (11-5), Wizards (11-5), Thunder (10-5) and Celtics (11-6).

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.

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