Worst bad beats of the week: Vikings find way to lose

Some losses bettors can see coming, and some they don’t.

Here are the worst bad beats of the week:

5. Lakers -7½

Was it a bad beat or was it justice?

Game 5 of the NBA Finals was a classic and Game 6 marked the Lakers’ coronation, but Game 4 will stand out for bettors. The Lakers and Heat battled throughout, with Miami desperate to tie the series at 2.

Los Angeles wasn’t outside the number the entire game until the final minute. Anthony Davis gave the Lakers a nine-point lead with 39.5 seconds left, but Jimmy Butler answered with a dunk to get the deficit back to seven.

Miami got a stop, but Butler was blocked on the other end. The Heat then fouled LeBron James, who made both free throws to put the Lakers up nine with 10.9 seconds left and set up a classic gambling situation for bettors against the spread.

The actual competition is over, but the one in sportsbooks has come down to a final shot. Miami rookie Tyler Herro puts up a 3-pointer … bang!

The Lakers win 102-96, but Heat bettors go home happy. In the ATS NBA Finals, Miami won the title 4-2.

4. Over 59 Texas State-Troy

The math on this one was simple. The teams combined to miss four field goals, all 42 yards or shorter, and making two of them would have been enough for over bettors.

Troy rolled to a 37-17 win, but Evan Legassey missed 22- and 27-yard field goals in the fourth quarter that would have made over bettors happy.

3. Under 74 Oklahoma-Texas

The college football overtime rules have destroyed plenty of bets over the years, but you have to get to overtime first.

That’s why Saturday’s Red River Showdown stands out. Texas hadn’t scored a point in the second half and trailed Oklahoma 31-17 with less than four minutes to go.

So what happens? The Longhorns rip off two touchdowns in the final 3:28, including the tying score with 14 seconds remaining.

Under bettors still had hope that the 31-all game could still slide under in OT. … Just kidding, of course they didn’t.

By the time Oklahoma pulled out a 53-45 victory in four OTs, under tickets were safely in sportsbook trash cans.

2. Under 30 Miami-Clemson 1H

Points for originality. Leading 21-3, Clemson opted to try a 61-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. No problem for first-half under bettors. Make or miss, the score would still be safely under 30.

The kick was blocked, and under bettors seized up as soon as they saw the ball bounce cleanly into the hands of Miami’s DJ Ivey. He raced 48 yards for a TD, pushing the first-half total to a consequential 31.

1. Vikings ML +250

Minnesota fans have endured plenty of misery over the years, but Sunday’s 27-26 loss at Seattle was about as cruel as the regular season gets. (Falcons fans might disagree.)

The Vikings dominated the Seahawks from the start and led 13-0 at halftime. Seattle finally scored to cut the lead to 13-7, then Minnesota promptly turned the ball over on back-to-back plays. The Seahawks scored quickly both times to take a 21-13 lead.

OK, Vikings backers could say. This isn’t our year. We’re 1-3 and going nowhere. But then the game turned again. Minnesota played like it did in the first half, scoring back-to-back touchdowns to take a 26-21 lead.

After a Russell Wilson interception, Minnesota drove deep into Seahawks territory and faced a decision on fourth-and-1 at the 6 at the two-minute warning. Kick a field goal to go up eight and give Wilson a chance, or go for it and try to put the game away, with a running game that had been clicking all night?

They went for the win right there, and Alexander Mattison got stuffed.

Now Vikings fans were prepared to lose, but they got the full torture on the final drive, with Wilson converting fourth down twice, including for the winning TD with 15 seconds to go.

Minnesota dominated all but about five minutes of the game, and that was enough to get beat.

Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.