It’s the worst way to lose.
A victory that seems relatively safe suddenly vaporizes. Profits become losses. Excitement becomes disbelief. And anger. And annoyance.
It’s the infamous bad beat.
And some players experienced it firsthand at the end of the Browns vs. Ravens game on Monday Night Football.
According to an ESPN article, Baltimore closed as a consensus 3-point road favorite. At some PA sportsbooks, Cleveland was getting 3.5 points. Then the game got crazy.
The Ravens and Browns went back and forth, scoring points in bunches. It was tied 42-42 deep in the fourth quarter when Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker lined up for a 55-yard field goal. The kick went through, giving the Ravens a 45-42 lead with two seconds left.
FanDuel refunding Browns vs. Ravens bad beat bets
Browns +3 seemed like a safe push. Any Cleveland wagers with more points seemed like a safe win.
Until it happened — the bad beat.
The Browns were scrambling on their last play, and the last lateral went into their own endzone. And there was nowhere else to go.
The Ravens got a safety and two more points. Baltimore won by five, 47-42.
Some wagers that were winning just one play earlier were now bitter losses.
But thankfully, FanDuel Sportsbook is stepping in to take some of the sting away. FanDuel is refunding all pre-live, straight spread bets placed on the Browns +3, +3.5 and +4.5 from last night’s game.
The refund will cost an estimated $750,000, an extremely generous gesture from the sportsbook. Affected customers should have received the refund on Monday.
DraftKings also offering solace to Browns bettors
DraftKings Sportsbook is also offering a form of bad beat refund for those who bet Browns on the spread.
Those bettors must opt in within 72 hours of the deal to find out whether they get a minimum $50 free bet or up to 25,000 DK dollars.
Monday’s game was the most-bet game of the weekend
Monday night’s game had the biggest handle of any NFL Week 14 game. The final play at the end of the game was a seven-figure negative swing for FanDuel, going from a potential push at +3 to paying out Baltimore winners.
Some other noteworthy events from the MNF game were a couple of same-game parlay wagers that produced massive payouts. A FanDuel user in Colorado hit all eight legs of a parlay that paid out $275,808 on a $525 ticket.
In addition, a New Jersey player hit all eight legs on another same-game parlay for a payout of $104,626 on a $500 bet.
Eagles, Jalen Hurts look for second-straight victory
This week, the NFL begins hosting some Saturday games, with Buffalo (-7) visiting Denver and Carolina (+8.5) playing in Green Bay on Saturday night at 8:15 p.m.
On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles and new quarterback Jalen Hurts travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals at 4:05 p.m.
FanDuel Sportsbook has Arizona as a 6.5-point favorite in the matchup. Philadelphia is +220 on the moneyline, while the Cardinals are -270. The game’s total is 49.5. For a full, updated betting preview, see this article.
A day later, the Pittsburgh Steelers look to end their two-game losing streak against the lowly Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. The Steelers are 12.5-point favorites in that contest with a moneyline price of -700. The game’s over/under is 40.5.
Anything can happen on MNF
Few people expect that this week’s Monday Night Football game will be close enough to produce any theatrics.
But sports betting can often end with surprising results. And they can arrive quickly.
Monday night certainly proved that.
Thankfully, FanDuel and DraftKings stepped up to save some of their players.
And the worst way to lose got a whole lot better.
Lead image credit: AP Photo/David Richard
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