Worst bad beats: Inexplicable endings for under bettors
Life is too short to bet unders.
Here are the worst bad beats of the sports betting week:
3. Under 216½ Nuggets-Suns
Total bettors are used to losing unders in overtime. It happens. But double overtime?
Denver and Phoenix were tied at 98 at the end of regulation Saturday, leaving under bettors with 20 points to work with. The Nuggets led 106-103 in the final seconds, but the Suns’ Jae Crowder made a 27-footer with 1.3 seconds left to force double OT.
Goodbye, under. The Nuggets ended up winning 120-112.
2. Under 26½ 1H Bucs-Packers
The Packers greatly damaged their chances of winning the NFC championship game in the final seconds of the first half Sunday, and they took under bettors with them.
Trailing 14-10, Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw an interception at midfield with 25 seconds remaining. A field goal would kill the under, but Tampa Bay gained only six yards and appeared set to punt with 13 seconds left.
The Buccaneers reconsidered, and Tom Brady hit Leonard Fournette for six yards to pick up a first down at the Green Bay 39 with eight seconds left in the half. With no timeouts, the Bucs could try to work the sideline, but it looked like they would have to settle for a long field goal attempt.
Inexplicably, Packers cornerback Kevin King let Bucs receiver Scotty Miller run right by him and catch a 39-yard TD with one second left. Tampa Bay led 21-10 en route to a 31-26 victory. Over bettors rejoiced.
1. Under 105 2H Knicks-Blazers
The ends of basketball games can seemingly take forever with the foul-and-free-throw cycle. Then there’s Sunday’s New York-Portland game.
The Trail Blazers led 106-99 with 1:33 left in the fourth quarter. A total of 85 points had been scored in the second half. An unlikely rally to force overtime seemed like the only way the second-half under could lose.
But the Knicks kept making shots, and the Blazers kept making free throws, bouncing the deficit from six points to four and back.
When the frenzy was over, Portland held on for a 116-113 victory. The teams scored 24 points in the final 1:33 — yes, 24 — combining to make all 16 of their free-throw attempts.
And second-half over bettors won with room at spare at 109.
Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.