Weird safety at end of Ravens-Browns game was bad beat for bettors, fantasy players
Where to begin when talking about the Baltimore Ravens’ 47-42 win over the Browns in Cleveland?
The teams combined for nine rushing touchdowns, matching an NFL mark set in 1922, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson left the game because of what he said was cramping, but even his teammates thought he had to run to the bathroom.
There were 35 points scored in the fourth quarter, but for many people watching the game the final two points were crushing.
Justin Tucker’s 55-yard field goal with 2 seconds to play gave the Ravens a 45-42 lead. That was great news for people who picked the Ravens to win and for those who had the Browns, because they were 3-point underdogs.
So it seemed the game would be a push. Then this happened:
That safety meant the Browns didn’t cover and in the world of gambling, it’s known as a bad beat.
Patrick Eichner, Director of Communications for PointsBet, told the Action Network it was one of the biggest swings of the year.
“It was huge for us,” Eichner said. “We had substantial liability on CLE +3. We needed the Ravens in a tight, low-scoring affair — missed out on the low-scoring part — but the final play was a big swing for the book.”
A number of fantasy football players also took an unexpected, and agonizingly close, loss.
This story was originally published December 15, 2020 at 8:56 AM.
