NFL Week 5 Bad Beats: No Dancing for Dirty Birds Bettors
In what was a relatively straightforward week for NFL game results, there weren’t too many bad beats to note. Most bettors knew where they stood as early as halftime. But one game in particular was a bad beat for a group of backers: the Falcons. Atlanta edged Houston 20-18 in what was a come-from-behind win. Unfortunately, most bettors had Atlanta with a -2½ spread thus it still counts as a big fat ‘L’.
Butterfingers for the Lose
Boy, we do not envy folks who are either betting or cheering for the Falcons. That gutsy albeit stressful victory took weeks off of their supporters’ lifespans. Spread bettors still fell short as Atlanta won by a measly two points. And we can pinpoint this team’s struggles to a few things. But a pair of fumbles proved to be the most costly.
One fumble saw running back Bijan Robinson cough up the ball to Dylan Horton in Atlanta’s own 30. This led to a Texans field goal that pushed them to a 12-7 lead with 9:39 left in the third period. And in the following possession, the Falcons lost the ball yet again.
.@HoustonTexans D comes up with another huge turnover 😤
📺: #HOUvsATL on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/LxW25sxi72 pic.twitter.com/CcadQ4hELH— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2023
While this did not immediately lead to points for Houston, Atlanta was in scoring position. The team could have kept the ball and hit a field goal, which would have altered this NFL Week 5 result.
These pair of fumbles proved to be too crucial here. And the nail in the coffin for Falcons’ spread bettors was Houston’s late fourth-quarter touchdown that put them ahead 19-18. Atlanta managed to overcome that and kicking a game-winning field goal did not matter.
‘Over’ Bettors Caught Strays Too
Joining the Atlanta -2½ bettors on the weepers’ circle were those who bet online on the total to go over 42 points. Had Smith not fumbled that ball away, Atlanta could have scored. A field goal would have pushed the total to exactly 42. Any more than that and those who bet the ‘over’ would have cashed.
This isn’t so much a bad beat as a missed opportunity or a “shoulda woulda coulda” scenario. The same can be said for the Giants-Dolphins bettors who had the over. Our sportsbook had it at 47½ and the final score was a 31-16 win for Miami.
This was a slow burn for over-bettors looking for that one field goal (or even a safety) to push the total over. New York got the ball back with 6:25 left on the clock. This was enough time to score. Unfortunately, Tyrod Taylor and the offense could not get it done and turned the ball over on downs.
Dishonorable Mention to Stat Corrections
We turn to player props for what could be the worst beat this Week 5. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco had a rushing prop set at 55½ yards. Many folks had him going over that against the Vikings. And the running back indeed appeared to hit 56 yards with a three-yard gain with 2:46 left in the game.
Unfortunately, the NFL corrected his stat to 55 yards, which fell just short. Oof. We’d hate to be anyone betting online on the over here.
