Pretty much every bettor has figured out that they’re going to run into a truly tragic beat sooner or later, but you really hope to avoid one during the first game of a team’s season.
Alas, those who bet on Rutgers against Howard in Week 1 are probably reeling after a crude ending that seemed to anger, well, just about everyone.
Here’s the deal: Rutgers (-38) had the ball deep in Howard territory with time expiring in the fourth quarter and nursing a 38-7 lead. The game was over. Everyone knew it. Yet for some reason, the Scarlet Knights decide to hand the ball off to Antwan Raymond on first down rather than kneel out the clock. At that point, you can’t really blame Raymond for barreling his way through a wide open gap for his first career touchdown.
First career TD for Antwan Raymond #B1GFootball on @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/8TzqwJcH03
— Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) August 30, 2024
The clock officially hit zeroes and Rutgers decided not to kick the PAT, which seems a little weird if you’re already clearly running up the score, but so it goes.
The real drama for bettors is that by declining to attempt the point after, Rutgers failed to cover the spread. Bettors who took the Scarlet Knights would’ve had a delightful push otherwise.
But it gets worse.
Had Rutgers converted the PAT, the over 51.5 would’ve cashed. Instead the under hit.
All this late drama was so avoidable. All Rutgers had to do was take a knee and this would’ve simply been an unfortunate loss for bettors. Instead it’s an unconscionable loss — a truly sickening bad beat.
Welcome back, college football.
