Bad beats of the year: NFL and college football edition

Every week in both the NFL and college football, bettors, sportsbooks or both bemoan some form of a bad beat. 

Whether it's a spread pick, a moneyline bet, or a wager on the total points scored — there's always one occurrence that affects a few bets. 

Throughout the course of an entire season, a plethora of these unfortunate breaks pile up.

That's why we've decided to break down the most eye-popping bad beats of the year in both sports. Let's take a look:

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Wisconsin at USC, Week 5

Badgers +13.5

Wisconsin entered this game as a 13.5-point underdog, and the cover was looking strong early in the game. The Badgers led 14-10 with 6:40 left in the second quarter and then scored less than ten seconds later to go up 21-10. 

The Trojans would answer back with a nine-play touchdown drive to make the score 21-17 with 9:18 left in the third. Luke Fickell's squad would get the ball back but then be stopped on fourth-and-short with just under six minutes left. Lincoln Riley took advantage of this, with his offense engineering a drive that went 67 yards for a touchdown— now giving USC the lead at 24-21 with 1:28 left in the third.

Still, with a 13.5-point spread— Wisconsin was fine right? 

Wrong.

After another Badger drive that resulted in a punt, the Trojans scored another touchdown on fourth down to go up 31-21. What's even tougher to swallow is that it came on a fourth-and-one. At this point, there were eight minutes left in the game.

After drives resulting in punts from both teams, Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke threw a pic-six to put USC up 38-21 with just over five minutes left. So at this point, the game was over.

Until Vinny Anthony II returned the ensuing kickoff for 74 yards.

Wisconsin had 4:45 to make it a 10-point game, which ultimately would've guaranteed the cover for +13.5 bettors as well— but they couldn't. Despite their drive starting on the 18, the Badgers failed to score and went on to lose 38-21. 

Duke at Miami, Week 10

Blue Devils +19.5 

Duke entered this game as 19.5-point underdogs against a then-No. 5 Miami team. With 10:08 left in the third quarter, the Blue Devils were up 21-17 before scoring on fourth-and-one in the red zone to make it 28-17. Blue Devils spread bettors were looking really good.

Until they weren't.

Cam Ward & Co. would go on to score in seven plays on the ensuing drive and convert on the two-point conversion to make it 28-25. Still, 19.5 points seemed quite reassuring. However, Maalik Murphy would throw an interception immediately after which was returned 30 yards. The Hurricanes would only need 38 yards to make it 32-28, which they did.

But Manny Diaz's squad answered back with a field goal to make it a one-point game at 32-31 with just under 14 minutes left in the fourth, which seemed to be a big win for the spread in the moment. 

But then the Heisman finalist decided to flex his muscles. Just take a look at the ensuring drives below:

• Miami: touchdown (39-31)
• Duke: punt
• Miami: interception
• Duke: punt
• Miami: touchdown (46-31)
• Duke: interception
• Miami: touchdown (53-31)
• Duke: fumble
• Miami: fumble
• Duke: punt
• Miami: runs clock out

That's right, despite being a one-point game in the fourth quarter— Miami would score 21 unanswered points despite committing two turnovers in that span. Duke punted three times and gave the ball up twice on their final five drives. Truly an unthinkable bad beat. Ward finished the game with 400 pass yards and five pass touchdowns.

Oklahoma at Missouri, Week 11

Sooners -3

In what was an absolute barn-burner between two SEC teams, Oklahoma entered this game as three-point favorites against 24th ranked Missouri. With 3:29 left in the game, the Sooners were down 16-9 before scoring on a clever trick play in which quarterback Jackson Arnold caught a pass and took it in for an 18-yard touchdown to tie the game at 16 apiece.

On the following drive, with just 2:12 left in the game— Oklahoma forced a fumble and recovered it, with Billy Bowman Jr. taking it back 43 yards for the score to make it 23-16.

So -3 was a lock at this point, right? Wrong.

With exactly two minutes left, backup quarterback Drew Pyne engineered an eight-play drive that went 75 yards and resulted in a Theo Wease Jr. touchdown to make it 23-23 with just 1:03 left to play. Still, Oklahoma had the ball and just needed a field goal to win and help -3 bettors at least push.

Well, on just the second play of the drive— Arnold was strip sacked, with Zion Young returning it 17 yards for a touchdown to ice the game at 30-23 for the Tigers.

Maryland at Penn State, Week 14

Over-Under: 50.5

The Over-Under in this Big Ten matchup was 50.5, and it sat at 45 with 1:20 left in the game (score was 38-7). With so little time left and the game all but over, the Nittany Lions would just run the clock out— right?

Wrong.

After intercepting Maryland and returning it for 54 yards to the Maryland 13, James Franklin decided to use all of the 1:04 left in the game to score again. He called two run plays before attempting a shot at the end-zone on third down. 

At this point, it was fourth-and-twelve and there were just four seconds left in the game. So what does Franklin do?

He calls another pass play, and it results in a 15-yard touchdown— pushing the point total to 51 and causing sorrow for bettors who took under 50.5. This is possibly the worst bad beat on this list, as it was truly unnecessary.

NFL

Giants at Browns, Week 3

Over-Under: 38.5

Over bettors in the Giants-Browns game in Week 3 saw victory flash before their eyes. Then, in a poof, it was gone.

With 2:23 to go in the fourth quarter, and the Giants leading 21-15, New York was looking to close things out against Cleveland on the road. 

Giants running back Devin Singletary took a pitch from quarterback Daniel Jones near the 50-yard line, charged down the right side of the field and broke a few tackles before it was clear daylight to the end zone. However, looking to drain the clock, Singletary decided to slide at the 1-yard line and not score the touchdown. 

Jones and the G-Men proceeded to kneel the ball on three consecutive snaps, and the game ended at 21-15. 

The Over/Under coming into that game? A smooth 38.5. 

That means Under bettors jumped for joy while Over bettors jumped in anger. In addition, the Browns were 6.5-point favorites (-265 favorites) at DraftKings Sportsbook entering the game, meaning New York (+215 underdogs) was able to cover by winning outright.

Chiefs at Falcons, Week 3

Patrick Mahomes OVER 19.5 rush yards

In another Week 3 game, the Chiefs barely edged the Falcons 22-17. Things all but ended when Kansas City got a fourth-down stop at its own 13-yard line with just under a minute to go, forcing a turnover on downs. 

However, the night was not over for Over bettors. 

K.C. QB Patrick Mahomes came into the night with an Over/Under rushing total of 19.5 yards. And entering the final possession of the game, he had 30 rushing yards to his name. 

But then, the kneel-down came into play.

After three consecutive kneel-downs, Mahomes lost 13 yards off of his rushing total, meaning Under bettors got the win, while Over backers were sent packing. 

Cowboys at Giants, Week 4

Dallas -5

Bettors who wagered on the Cowboys to cover a 5.5-point spread saw victory flash before their eyes. With 2:28 to go in the fourth quarter, and the Cowboys leading 20-15, Dallas was looking to close things out against New York on the road.

Mike McCarthy's squad ran the ball three plays in a row to drain as much clock as possible, with the drive resulting in a fourth down with 32 seconds left to go.

Brandon Aubrey, who was 12-for-12 on field goals this season and 48-for-50 in his career, trotted onto the field to kick what everyone expected to be an automatic make. 

For context, Aubrey had nailed a 60-yard field goal earlier in the third quarter, and the week before had made a 65-yard kick to set the record for the second-longest field goal in NFL history.

What's even more incredible about his 60-yarder is that it moved him to 16-for-16 on field goals of 50-plus yards for his career, extending his record for the longest such streak to start a career by any kicker in NFL history.

So what's a 51-yard attempt to him, especially with the game basically over?

Apparently, it was a lot.

Aubrey missed the FG, snapping his streak of 50-plus-yard makes, and more importantly, bettors who took the Cowboys to cover the 5.5-point spread lost. 

The field goal would have also won for bettors who wagered on the spread when it was six points.

Daniel Jones would go on to throw an interception in a last-ditch effort to win the game, and the final score would remain 20-15. 

With three career 60-yard field goals, Aubrey needs just one more to tie the NFL record set by Brett Maher. He is now tied with Greg Zuerlein, Matt Prater and Maher as the only kickers in NFL history with three or more field goals of 60-plus yards.

Broncos at Saints, Week 7

Over-Under: 37

From the start of the game, Denver dominated this matchup. Sean Payton's squad jumped out to a 16-3 lead at the end of the first half, and would make it 26-3 heading into the fourth.

With two rookie quarterbacks starting in a Thursday night game, several bettors took the Under on the point total, closing at 37. The score was still 26-3 with just over six minutes left in the game, meaning the total sat at 29 points.

But then, just six plays into that drive, Spencer Rattler was sacked, causing him to fumble. Cody Barton would recover it and take it to the house for a touchdown. After the extra point, the score was now 33-3— pushing the total to 36.

Suddenly, it was a sweat.

The Saints recorded seven plays by the time the two-minute warning hit, and were at Denver's 48-yard line. Backup quarterback (and third-string to the injured Derek Carr) Jake Haener was thrust into action due to an injury sustained by Rattler. He'd go under center for four plays before the Saints called their first timeout, with just 1:25 left in the game.

On the very next play, Haener threw a touchdown to Cedric Wilson Jr. Not only was it their only touchdown of the game, but it doomed Under bettors— pushing the total from 36 points to 43.

The final score would remain 33-10, causing consecutive home losses by 20+ points for the Saints— the first time that had happened since Weeks 16 and 17 of the 2001 season. 

Bills at Dolphins, Week 9

Tua Tagovailoa OVER 248.5 pass yards

Entering the game, Tua Tagovailoa had a passing prop of 248.5 yards. The Alabama product was the league's leader in pass yards last season, totaling 4,624 in 17 games played (272 per game). He missed four games this season, making his return last week against the Cardinals.

The Miami signal caller had been dialed-in all game, leading the Dolphins on an 11-play scoring drive that went 81 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. That drive tied the game up at 27 with just 1:38 left in the game. Tagovailoa had 255 yards at that point, hitting the Over on his passing prop for the game.

However, Josh Allen and the Bills would engineer a nine-play drive that went 27 yards to set up Tyler Bass for a whopping 61-yard field goal. The Buffalo kicker drilled it, setting the record for the longest-made field goal in franchise history.

But, there were still five seconds left on the clock after Bass made the field goal.

The Dolphins had enough time for just one play, having to reach the end-zone. Tagovailoa dropped back, surveyed the field, and dumped it off to DeVon Achane. Achane would run forward and then proceed to lateral the ball to Jaylen Waddle.

In an effort to escape defenders and find open space, Waddle would run 24 yards backward and ultimately be tackled for a loss. That resulted in Tagovailoa's passing total dropping from 255 to 231 at the conclusion of the game.

It was the most negative yards on a completed pass this century, and Over bettors on Tagovailoa's passing total would take a loss on what seemed like a done deal. Even bettors who took an alternate line ranging from 240 to 245 yards were losers. 

Browns at Broncos, Week 13

Cleveland +6.5

Entering the game, the Browns were 6.5-point underdogs against the Broncos. At halftime, Denver led 21-17 — meaning Browns spread bettors were looking good. 

However, the second-half was madness.

Thirty-five second-half points were scored, and the score kept flip-flopping. Denver would go up 31-25 with 1:52 left in the third quarter, until Jameis Winston led a nine-play drive for 72 yards to put the Browns up 32-31. 

On the following possession, Bo Nix and Co. would end their drive with a field goal to make it 34-32 with 2:54 left in the fourth quarter. 

The Browns were still covering at this point, and even had a chance to win the game. But Winston would be intercepted for a touchdown on the fourth play of the ensuing drive, putting Denver up 41-32.

At this point, the cover looked impossible. But with 1:44 left, Winston drove the Browns down the field and gained 37 yards in six plays. On the seventh play, Cleveland got a huge break.

Winston heaved a deep ball to Michael Woods and defensive pass interference was called on the play, a 36-yard penalty that would put the Browns on the Denver two-yard line. Two yards was all they needed to give Browns spread-bettors the cover.

And then, Winston did the unthinkable. He threw a goal-line interception, also his third pick of the night.

Prior to Winston's game-ending interception, Kevin Stefanski and Co. had 44 seconds with two timeouts to score a touchdown, which would have ultimately caused Browns bettors to cover.