The Kansas City Chiefs were favored by as many as 9.5 points ahead of their clash vs. the New York Jets. Notably, Sunday Night Football is usually the game with the most betting action in all of the NFL slate.
That means plenty of people had their hopes set on this game. According to reports, over 90% of the tickets were on the Chiefs to cover the spread, with over 80% of the money also backing them up.
That’s why, according to David Purdum of ESPN, bettors lost ‘tens of millions’ when Patrick Mahomes decided to run out the clock instead of scoring another touchdown.
Patrick Mahomes’ Slide Saved Sportsbooks Millions
On third and eight and with two minutes left to go, Mahomes scrambled his way out of the Jets’ 11-yard line. He could’ve scored but slid just short of the goal line to secure the win.
The Jets didn’t have timeouts left, so it was the right play to make from a football perspective. Scoring would’ve given them a 10-point lead, but the Jets could still, theoretically, even things up.
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NFL 2023: Patrick Mahomes got statistically outplayed by Zach Wilson
Still, not many NFL fans might be happy about that decision, especially considering the fact that the Chiefs were up 17-0 at some point in the game. Talking about bad beats.
