Worst bad beats: Nothing meaningless in Seahawks-49ers
New year, same sad stories.
Here are the worst bad beats of the sports betting week:
Honorable mention
There was little doubt that Alabama would win its College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame, especially after the Crimson Tide took a 14-0 first-quarter lead.
The point spread (Alabama -19) was another matter. The Tide extended their lead to 28-7 in the third quarter and 31-7 early in the fourth. Still, a Notre Dame touchdown would give Irish bettors the victory.
Finally, with 56 seconds left, Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book scored from a yard out to make the final score 31-14 and leave Alabama bettors shaking their heads.
5. Over 57½ Iowa State-Oregon
The Fiesta Bowl was a feast for over bettors in the first half Saturday, with Iowa State roaring out to a 28-17 lead over Oregon. Only two TDs were needed in the second half after six were scored in the first.
How about zero? The Cyclones managed only two field goals, and the Ducks didn’t score in a 34-17 defeat.
4. Cardinals +½ 1H
With quarterback Kyler Murray hobbled, Arizona turned to Chris Streveler to try to lead the Cardinals into the playoffs Sunday.
It wasn’t going great, but Arizona still led 7-5 and had the ball deep in Los Angeles Rams territory with 37 seconds left in the second quarter. If nothing else, the Cardinals would cover +½ in the first half.
Or perhaps not. Streveler threw a hopeless interception, and Troy Hill ran it back 84 yards for a touchdown. The Rams led 12-7 at halftime and won the game 18-7, and Arizona’s season is over.
3. Cincinnati +6½ 2H
The Peach Bowl proved to be the most competitive game of New Year’s Day, as undefeated Cincinnati took a 21-10 lead after three quarters against Georgia.
The Bulldogs rallied and eventually took a 22-21 lead on a 53-yard field goal with three seconds left. A mishandled kickoff return meant Cincinnati had one play from its 2, and Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder was promptly sacked for a safety on the last play to make the final score 24-21 Georgia.
Cincinnati +8½ still covered for the game, but Georgia covered -6½ in the second half (14-7) on those last two points.
2. North Carolina +10
The bowl season ended Saturday night with a gruesome blow to underdog bettors. The Tar Heels were never outside the number and led Texas A&M 27-20 with less than 11 minutes to play in the Orange Bowl.
The Aggies tied the game, then Devon Achane broke off a 76-yard TD run down the sideline to give A&M a 34-27 edge with 3:44 to go. North Carolina bettors’ blood pressure then spiked when the Tar Heels were stopped on fourth-and-1 at their 34 with 2:14 left.
Could North Carolina perhaps hold Texas A&M to one first down and have the clock run out? Achane had other ideas. He ripped off runs of 11 and 22 yards, leaving the Aggies at the 1 with 1:38 left. North Carolina still had two timeouts, so A&M couldn’t kneel on the ball.
Achane punched in a 1-yard score with 1:34 left to give the Aggies a 41-27 victory.
1. Under 45 Seahawks-49ers
Nothing was at stake in the final minutes Sunday, as Seattle was locked into the NFC’s No. 3 playoff seed, and San Francisco was eliminated.
The Seahawks scored with 2:20 left to take a 19-16 lead after trailing 16-6 early in the fourth quarter. The 49ers fumbled on their next drive, and Alex Collins scored on an 8-yard run with 1:49 left to put Seattle in front 26-16 and apparently deal a horrible beat to anyone with 49ers +7.
But the horror was yet to come. San Francisco went 75 yards in eight plays in the final minute-plus, capped by Jeff Wilson Jr.’s 3-yard TD reception with 23 seconds left in the 49ers’ season.
That was justice for 49ers +7 bettors in a 26-23 Seattle win, but it was an awful miscarriage of justice for bettors who had under 45 and watched three touchdowns in the final 2:20 sink their wagers.
Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.
