Nothing brings sports gamblers together quite like the shared heartbreak of a bad beat.
With 2023 coming to a close, let’s take a look at some of the worst sports betting bad beats of the year. For the uninitiated, the Sports Handle staff has a high bar when it comes to what qualifies as a “bad beat.”
A close call doesn’t make for a bad beat, but rather a tough loss. For these five sports betting bad beats, we zeroed in on truly heartbreaking losing wagers with unique reasons for disappointment that will be ed by bettors for years to come.
Wizards go cold 4a3p1s
The Washington Wizards played the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 13, and the Wizards were +280 on the moneyline across BetMGM. The Wizards’ team total was around 110 points across sportsbooks.
With 7:25 left, the Wizards led 106-90. They were not only well on their way to cashing in as a moneyline underdog, but the team’s point total seemed like a lock to go over.
Instead, the Wizards inexplicably scored just one point over the final seven minutes, losing the game 111-107. This may stretch the Sports Handle staff’s definition of bad beat — it is the lowly Wizards, after all, and there wasn’t one shocking individual play that led to the bad beat — but scoring one point over seven minutes of an NBA game takes a rare and abysmal offensive effort.
I am literally staring at the WORST BAD BEAT of my life. I played the #Wizards team total over 109.5.
Washington had 106 points with 7:25 left in the 4th quarter.
They scored 1 point the rest of the game. How in the hell does that happen????
I am literally in shock. The most…
— Mark Zinno (@MarkZinno) November 14, 2023
Prior to the final seven minutes, Washington was averaging 2.6 points per minute. If the Wizards maintained that pace over the final seven minutes, they would’ve finished with 124 points. Instead, they ended with 107.
Buzzer beater stuns Gonzaga bettors 2b1u3m
Gonzaga men’s basketball was a 4.5-point betting favorite over TCU in the 2023 FanDuel. The Bulldogs pulled ahead in the competitive second-round game, taking an 84-78 lead with 0.7 seconds left.
TCU’s Damion Baugh then allowed the ball to slowly bounce past half court before scooping it up and firing a 3-point shot toward the rim. Baugh swished the long-range jumper at the buzzer, giving TCU a cover in the process.
The Zags advance to the Sweet 16! @ZagMBB pic.twitter.com/TzwkHtR94O
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 20, 2023
The final five seconds of the game were particularly eventful. Gonzaga led by seven points with five seconds left and hit a pair of free throws in those final five seconds. Still, TCU made a pair of 3-pointers in that time to cover the spread. Baugh’s jumper was a heartbreaker for Gonzaga bettors.
Sadly, Baugh received other states are expected to consider similar legislation in 2024.
Mississippi State’s late-game heroics 2b1g1u
On Jan. 2 in the ReliaQuest Bowl, Illinois (+3.5) led 10-3 in the fourth quarter until Mississippi State rallied to take a 13-10 lead with four seconds left.
While a disappointment for Illinois moneyline bettors, the 3.5-point cover looked safe.
The Illini made an effort to lateral the ball on the final play of the game to score the game-winning touchdown. Impressively, Illinois got the ball well into Mississippi State territory until an inaccurate lateral attempt bounced into the arms of a Bulldog defender. Instead of falling down and ending the game, Mississippi State’s defender raced more than 50 yards for a game-ending touchdown.
The Bulldogs won 19-10, and Illinois failed to cover. Mississippi State scored nine points in the final 10 seconds of game time.
One of the worst beats you’ll ever see for Illinois (+3.5) bettors 🤮
📞 Call us at 959-BAD-BEAT and let it all out pic.twitter.com/xc0J1Yep8R
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) January 2, 2023
Injured kicker burns Houston bettors 5w33d
This isn’t as devastating a bad beat as others on this list, but the circumstances surrounding the lost bet bring a unique reason for disappointment. On Nov. 5, the Houston Texas defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a 2.5-point favorite.
Houston scored a go-ahead touchdown with less than 10 seconds left, taking a 39-37 lead. Instead of kicking the extra point, however, the Texans took a knee with kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn injured earlier in the game. With Fairbairn healthy, an extra point attempt was likely. With him injured, the Texans didn’t want the risk of having a replacement kicker’s attempt blocked and returned for a two-point conversion to tie the game.
Texans -3 bettors watching the Kneel Down pic.twitter.com/kFgWpttmGx
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 5, 2023
Adding insult to injury for Houston bettors, Fairbairn is a perfect 17-17 on extra point attempts this season. He also hasn’t missed a field goal inside of 50 yards. In other words, he’s automatic when available.
Miami’s mental miscue 386n3
The Miami Hurricanes hosted Georgia Tech on Oct. 7, and the Hurricanes were roughly 20-point favorites. They never came close to covering that spread, but Miami (-1400) was a popular moneyline pick for bettors placing college football parlays that weekend.
Mario Cristobal’s brain fart will be on the list of bad beats. Incredible. pic.twitter.com/1mSPvhWAy7 https://t.co/tJuy3gM2qw
— Bennett Conlin (@BennettConlin) December 26, 2023
Miami led 20-17 with less than 40 seconds left and possession of the football. Georgia Tech had no timeouts, meaning one quarterback kneel would’ve ended the game. ESPN gave Miami a 99.9% chance of winning the game prior to the snap. Inexplicably, the Hurricanes decided to run the ball instead of taking a knee. They fumbled, and Georgia Tech recovered. Miami fans will argue that it appears the running back’s arm hits the ground before the fumble. Regardless, the play was ruled a fumble.
The Yellow Jackets then drove 74 yards in 25 seconds to pull out the win on an equally absurd series of plays. It was a gutting loss for previously undefeated Miami and a head-scratching game management decision from Miami head coach Mario Cristobal.
