Significant bets: Miami Hurricanes loss delivers a ruthless bad beat

• David Purdum, ESPN Staff WriterOct 9, 2023, 10:30 AM ET

  Close

  • Joined ESPN in 2014
  • Journalist covering gaming industry because 2008

The race for the worst bad beat of the college football season ended Saturday in Miami Gardens. It’s over, and it was ruthless for wagerers who take part in an increasing popular type of long-shot wager.In recent

years, bookies have observed an uptick in parlays made up of all huge favorites not to cover the spread, but just to win the game straight up. For instance, a bettor might position a $100, five-leg parlay including some huge college football favorites, like Michigan over Maryland and Miami over Georgia Tech and get better than 18-1 chances. They ‘d remain in position to win simply over $1,800 if all 5 of the heavy favorites win as expected.What took place in Miami late Saturday night wasn’t anticipated. The Hurricanes, undefeated and with growing expectations, were around a -1,400 favorite to beat Georgia Tech, meaning you ‘d have to risk$1,400 to win a$100. The underdog Yellow Jackets hung hard, however, with 33 seconds left, Miami led 20-17 and was in position to take a knee to run out the staying seconds and protect the win. With Georgia Tech out of timeouts, the Hurricanes ‘win likelihood peaked at 99.4%late in the game. However something unlikely happened.Instead of taking a knee and heading to the locker space, the Hurricanes chose to hand ball off to running back Donald Chaney Jr. on what, disallowing disaster, would’ve been the last play. Chaney fumbled, Georgia Tech recovered and, four plays later, scored the winning touchdown on a 44-yard pass with one second to play.”I know it’s the coach’s call,”said RL Watters, a 32-year-old food supplier from outside of Indianapolis, who included Miami on his money-line parlay.”But if I was the quarterback, I would’ve just taken a knee. “Watters required a Miami win to complete his $100, five-leg parlay that would’ve won

just over $1,830, among his greatest current wagering ratings. The other 4 legs– Colorado over Arizona State, Georgia over Kentucky, Michigan over Maryland, and Louisville at an enhanced point spread of +14.5 over Notre Dame– had actually already come through. Watters got home in the 4th quarter of Georgia Tech-Miami and enjoyed the ending on his phone, in bed. He couldn’t think what took place. He said it was by far the worst bad beat of his betting profession, “because it didn’t make good sense. “” I have actually never been beat like that, “Watters stated.” It’s overwhelming, due to the fact that the game’s over, entirely

over. “It could’ve been worse. A FanDuel betting slip of a$7,000, 12-leg parlay full of heavy favorites, consisting of Miami, circulated online. The other 11 legs struck, but the Hurricanes prevented a$45,450 score.Miami’s reversal of fortune caused combined results for bettors at Caesars Sportsbook. All the money-line parlays that included the Hurricanes were rushed, but gamblers put enough on the underdog Yellow Jackets during the game, including when at 10-1 odds, to cut into the book’s revenues, Caesars ‘vice president of trading Craig Mucklow stated.”Our pre-match group enjoyed, but our in-play team resembled, ‘ugh,'”Mucklow said.Money-line parlays, as they’re understood, including big favorites have ended up being a significant part of the

weekend accounting for sportsbooks over the last decade. Bookies say their most-lucrative days generally consist of a few straight-out upsets by huge underdogs, because those squash the chalk-heavy money-line parlays.Dave Sharapan, a long time previous bookie in Las Vegas, said money-line parlays ended up being more popular than teaser bets– a kind of wager where wagerers are enabled to move the point spread in their favor– over the previous decade. “They’re a big part of the formula,” Sharapan, co-host of The Bostonian vs. the Book podcast, said.” They’re a larger part of the equation now than they ever have been.”Georgia Tech’s upset of the Miami was its third win as an underdog of a minimum of 19 points considering that

last season, the most of any group in the FBS. They Yellow Coats had two such wins in the previous 40 years. Miami is the only group in the FBS to lose two times as at least 19-point favorites since the start of last season.NFL Notables – NFL underdogs went 7-6 versus the spread Sunday, with six straight-out upsets. The Jaguars’ upset of the Expenses in London was best result for Caesars Sportsbook, while wagerers did well on the Dolphins and Lions covering huge spreads in wins over the Giants and Panthers respectively. Gamblers also

did well on the 49ers ‘primetime blowout of the Cowboys.Professional wagerers at Caesars Sportsbook backed the underdog Jaguars against the Bills, possibly because of Buffalo’s choice not to travel to London until later in the week.”I could not believe that,”Adam Pullen, assistant director of trading, said. “It absolutely was a surprise to us that they didn’t leave up until Friday.

“Overall, Pullen described Sunday’s outcomes for the book as”good, however absolutely nothing incredible.”Other sportsbooks didn’t fare in addition to Caesars, though.”Sunday will not decrease as a good day, “John Murray, executive director of the SuperBook, informed ESPN on Sunday.”[ The] Giants and Vikings were our two greatest needs of

the day before the night game. We did get a little cash on the Falcons, in this morning but otherwise it’s been a day to forget. – The Steelers improved to 52-29-3 against the spread as underdogs under coach Mike Tomlin with Sunday’s resurgence win over the Ravens. It’s the best record against the spread as an underdog of any coach over the last 16 seasons.Tomlin is 44-40 straight-up as an underdog in his career, the best such record in the Super Bowl period(min. 25 games ). – The Broncos, who lost to the Jets as two-point favorites, fell to

0-9-1 against the spread as favorites with quarterback Russell Wilson. – All 5 games involving the Bears have reviewed the total. All five games including the Saints have remained under the table.Week 6 lines College football notables – A gambler with DraftKings hit a$

93 two-leg same-game parlay on the Michigan-Minnesota game Saturday that paid $116,343. The wagerer parlayed Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy to score two-plus goals and Michigan’s defense at 1,250-1 odds. McCarthy scored on a set of brief touchdown runs in the 2nd half, and the

Wolverines returned two interceptions for goals in a 52-10 blowout win over the Gophers. – Caesars opened Notre Dame as a 1-point favorite over USC in Saturday’s face-off and took early action on the preferred Irish, driving the line to -2.5 as of Sunday night.Notable opening lines by means of Circa Sports ESPN Stats and Details researcher Mackenzie Kraemer provided info for this column.