Rob Nelson, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Weekend's worst bad beats

null, College Football, NFL

Rob Nelson of ESPN Stats & Information revisits the worst bad beats from the weekend's gambling action.


Friday

Oklahoma Sooners vs USC Trojans

Line: Oklahoma -3

USC actually opened as the favorite in this one, before the line ended up closing at Oklahoma -3. Those who took the Sooners after the line movement are still shaking their heads at what happened in the final seconds.

Oklahoma dominated the first 24 minutes, and seemingly justified the fact that the Sooners were an unranked team favored over No. 25 USC in Los Angeles. The Sooners led 59-41 early in the second half and looked like they would run away with a blowout win. The Trojans did fight back, but still trailed 85-78 with less than 30 seconds left.

This set up a final sequence that could not have gone worse for those on Oklahoma -3. USC's Jordan McLaughlin scored five points while the Sooners combined to go 0-for-4 from the free throw line, including a pair of misses by Trae Young with three seconds left. Yes, Oklahoma held on to win by two, but that was not quite enough for some unlucky bettors.

Final score: Oklahoma 85, USC 83 (USC covers)


Saturday

UCLA Bruins at Michigan Wolverines

Line: Michigan -7.5

How UCLA lost this game, let alone didn't cover as 7.5-point underdogs, is pretty astonishing. Those who bet the Bruins would likely describe it using a "saltier" adjective.

UCLA never trailed in the second half and led by as many as 15 points before a late Michigan rally forced overtime. After closing regulation on a 34-19 run, the Wolverines kept things rolling in the overtime period, jumping out to a quick six-point lead. Michigan would stretch its lead to nine with less than a minute left before the Bruins had one last chance to reward their backers.

UCLA guard Aaron Holiday stole the ball while the Wolverines were running out the clock and had a clear path to a layup to cut the deficit to seven. He missed. The end result was a terrible bad beat for those on the underdog.

Final score: Michigan 78, UCLA 69 (Michigan covers)

Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks

Line: Atlanta -5.5

It sometimes seems that no bet is ever safe in the NBA. Those who took the Magic on Saturday night would likely agree with that statement.

Orlando led 110-108 as 5.5-point underdogs with less than a minute left. At that point, it looked like overtime was the only thing that could doom those who bet the Magic. Well, those folks would avoid an extra period, but were nevertheless doomed by a late Atlanta run.

The Hawks ended the game by scoring the final nine points and won by seven after Orlando's Jonathon Simmons missed a 3-pointer as time expired that would have covered the spread.

Final score: Atlanta 117, Orlando 110 (Atlanta covers)


Sunday

Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns

Line: Green Bay -2.5

The Browns, as they seem to do every week, find themselves among the weekend's worst bad beats. Cleveland opened as a 6-point underdog, before it was bet all the way down to 2.5 by kickoff. So, unless you got the Browns on the opening line, you walked away from this game wondering why you even bothered wasting money on a team that is now 1-28 under Hue Jackson.

Cleveland led 21-7 entering the fourth quarter and it seemed like the Browns might finally win a game in 2017. However, the Packers rallied to force overtime behind a pair of 1-yard touchdowns, including a Brett Hundley-to-Davante Adams score with just 17 seconds left.

On the third play of overtime, DeShone Kizer threw an inexplicable pass that was picked off by Josh Jones. While any bettors who took the Browns at +3.5 or higher would have still covered with a Green Bay field goal, all Cleveland supporters would become losers after another touchdown by Adams -- this time coming on a 25-yard play to end the game.

Final score: Green Bay 27, Cleveland 21, OT (Green Bay covers)

Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills

Line: Buffalo -3.5

This was a fun game to watch, as the Colts and Bills played in a blizzard. For those who bet Indianapolis, however, there was not much fun to be had after the football was over.

Trailing 7-0 late in the fourth quarter, the Colts capped off a 19-play drive with a Jacoby Brissett-to-Jack Doyle 3-yard touchdown with 1:16 left. Indianapolis elected to go for two, which was a great decision for both bettors who took the points and everyone in the stadium who had already withstood brutal conditions for three-plus hours.

On the two-point conversion, Brissett found Doyle in the end zone to give the Colts an 8-7 lead. However, nearly a full minute later, a late (and questionable) flag was thrown for offensive pass interference to negate the play. So, instead of taking the lead, Indianapolis settled for a long Adam Vinatieri extra point that somehow managed to find its way through the uprights. After Buffalo's Joe Webb was picked off, Vinatieri had a chance to win it in regulation with a 43-yard field goal, but he missed just wide left.

The heartbreak for bettors on the Colts continued in overtime. Just when a tie or a three-point Bills' win looked to be the likeliest scenarios, LeSean McCoy suddenly broke loose for a 21-yard touchdown, to win the game by six.

Final score: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7, OT (Buffalo covers)

Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams

Line: Philadelphia -2

This game certainly lived up the hype, but left many with a sour taste in their mouth. Despite the win, the Eagles lost Carson Wentz to a knee injury. Bettors were hurt pretty badly as well, specifically those who took either the Rams at the closing line of +2, the second-half line of -2.5, or had them in a teaser.

All of those wagers were losers after a wild play to end the game. Trailing 37-35 with just one second left on the clock, the Rams tried to play the lateral game, which actually led to a touchdown -- only not for Los Angeles. Philadelphia's Brandon Graham scooped up the loose ball and ran it into the end zone to give the Eagles an eight-point win.

Final score: Philadelphia 43, Los Angeles 35 (Philadelphia covers)

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