Let’s just assume there are a few smashed television sets littered across the country Tuesday, courtesy of the final seconds of the Monday Night Football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks.
The betting line before the game listed Seattle at -6.5, meaning anyone who bet on the “over” for the game would need Seattle to win by 7 or more points in order to collect their winnings.
That sounded so good to one bettor with a big bankroll that he put $500K on the over for the game, fully confident that the Seahawks would roll over the pretty lousy Eagles.
It looked good too – until the final 12 seconds of the fourth quarter. With Philly trailing 23-9, and being basically inept all evening on offense, they had moved the ball to the Seattle 35-yard line. With nothing to lose, they decided to take a shot in the end zone.
Carson Wentz fired a pass into the end zone that was tipped and caught by a Philly receiver, cutting the lead to 8, at 23-15. If the Eagles simply kicked the extra point, they would lose by 7 points, ensuring that the man who bet half a million would walk away very happy.
Instead, the Eagles went for a two-point conversion – and wouldn’t you know it, they were successful, making the final score 23-17. A six-point win for Seattle, making that $500K ticket nothing more than a piece of trash.
The story had a happy ending, though. Wait – no, it didn’t. Some poor sucker lost half a million dollars on a lucky Hail Mary pass from a quarterback who’s had nothing but bad luck and lousy play all season long.
Add comment