The 58th Super Bowl will be here before you know it. This year it will be in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium. Before the big game, we thought we would take a look back at a few of the most memorable Super Bowls that ended up being bad beats or unexpected victories for players at the NFL betting sites.
In reviewing the past, there were a lot of blowouts in the early years of the Super Bowl, and from a wagering perspective, the real intrigue has occurred in the past 15 years when it comes to this sports betting topic.
2017 – New England (-3) vs Atlanta, Total 58
If you were watching this Super Bowl, your interest had gone away from the game to the commercials and enjoying food and drink.
Everyone watching was stunned to see New England trailing 28-9 after three quarters. Atlanta’s Matt Ryan had carved up the Patriots secondary for 45 minutes and coach Dan Quinn’s defense had kept Tom Brady’s vaunted offense completely under wraps.
Then Brady and the New England offense went to work. Tom Terrific just took what the Falcons were giving him and the Pats got what seemed like a harmless field goal from 33 yards to make it 28-12.
When the Patriots got the ball back, they scored a touchdown and got the two-point conversion to make it 28-20. Atlanta was now feeling the pressure, the offense was tight and gave the ball right back to New England.
At this point, the Falcons’ defense was gassed and Brady led his team into the end zone and converted the two for a 28-28 score with 57 seconds left.
The Patriots won the toss, took the ball, and for a third straight time drove for a TD, to win the game, cover the spread, and take the total OVER. Falcons’ backers and Under bettors were left stunned.
2015 – New England (-1) vs Seattle
Pete Carroll and Seattle were after history to become back-to-back Super Bowl champions and took a 24-14 lead into the final quarter against Bill Belichick’s crew. But once again the brilliance of Brady shined through and his teammates scored a pair of touchdowns against the Legion of Boom, that latter with just 2:02 remaining in the contest.
Seattle and Russell Wilson were not done and got to the Pats’ 5-yard line with over a minute left. The first play was a four-yard run by Marshawn Lynch to the one and every Seahawks fan and backer knew this was their game now.
Oddly, Belichick did not take a time out to preserve time. Instead of handing the pigskin again to Lynch, inexplicably, Seattle decided to pass and Pats cornerback Malcolm Butler jumped inside of receiver Ricardo Lockette and intercepted the pass to close the game.
To this day, ask any Seahawks fan or bettor if they thought throwing the ball on that play and they just look away shaking their head.
2009 – Pittsburgh vs Arizona Total 46
Pittsburgh was at the top of their game and took on upstart Arizona who got hot late in the season with Q Kurt Warner. The Steelers’ defense was in control of the Cardinals’ offense for more than 50 minutes of the contest, held them to seven points and holding a 20-7 lead.
Those on the Under 46 points were feeling as comfortable as a Steelers fan when everything started crumbling halfway through the fourth quarter.
Warner hit Larry Fitzgerald for a short TD pass to make it 20-14 Steelers with 7.32 on the clock. A subsequent Pittsburgh safety made it 20-16. The Cardinals went for the kill shot after the kick and Warner connected with Fitzgerald for 64 yards and unbelievably, the Redbirds were leading 23-20 as seven-point underdogs with 2:37 on the clock.
Under bettors put down the alcohol and reached for the Tums knowing a Steelers field goal would send the contest to OT, which means a loss. Ben Roethlisberger was in his prime and he skillfully led his Steelers down the gridiron and hit Santonio Holmes with a six-yard pass with 35 seconds left to secure a Super Bowl victory and the fate of Under bettors around the world.
