NFL Bad Beat of the Week: Rams Get the Last Laugh as 49ers Bettors Weep

Point Spread Bettors in Shambles Thanks To Rams

The Los Angeles Rams lost the game. But did they win the war? If the team could not beat the San Francisco 49ers, its nemesis, it would take as many bettors down with it. The Rams had kicker Brett Maher score a pointless field goal in the dying seconds. This would complete what would become the NFL Bad Beat of the Week for Niners backers everywhere.

Unlucky Number Seven: Rams Force “Push” With Last-Second FG

Just picture yourself in this situation. You have a ticket on 49ers -7.0 on the NFL spreads. Kyle Shanahan’s crew manages a frisky Rams team and ends up with a 30-20 lead with just over three minutes left in the game. The Rams get the ball back with just over 90 seconds left. Then Matthew Stafford spikes the ball in the San Francisco 20. Uh oh.

Time slows. The bar falls eerily silent. Your fellow 49ers fan (or backer) has his eyes glued to the TV like in a trance. Brett Maher and the field goal unit come out. “Is this really happening?” is screaming in your head – and likely in every other Niners bettor.

Maher kicks the field goal as time expires and it sails right in between the uprights. The referees blow the whistle. That’s the game: 30-23 San Francisco. You look down at your ticket: -7.0. The 49ers won by seven. It’s a push. There is no winnings here. Nada. None. Zero. Zilch.

“Bad beat,” commentator Mark Sanchez said. “Oh, man…”

Sean McVay and the entire Rams team just smoked that ticket in what was a pointless move from their end. What was it for? Somewhere, Rams bettors are breathing sighs of relief. Did he do it for them?

In the end, it shouldn’t have mattered. The Rams lost the game and the 49ers stand atop the NFL standings with a 2-0 record. That game was hardly in doubt even if the Rams did go on a few runs and led at some point.

An Unluckier Number: 7.5

But if you bet the Niners at -7.0, consider yourself not as unlucky as that poor sap who got them at -7.5. What could have been winnings turned into debt as the Rams destroyed the spread with that pointless field goal.

Sticking it to the Masses: The Money Train Fell Short

If you look at the history of this NFL Bad Beat of the Week, early bettors got away with one here. San Francisco opened as a four-point favorite. By kickoff, they were favored by around seven or 7.5 points. Anyone who caught San Francisco at six points or fewer must feel like they dodged a radioactive bullet right there.

The 49ers had covered in seven straight games against the Rams and in 10 of their 12 games heading to this game. Shanahan just likes to outcoach McVay as recent history has indicated. Both sharps and squares knew about this trend, hence why the action was mostly one-sided in San Francisco’s favor.

San Francisco still remains one of the best bets and an NFL leader in most categories. This is a stacked team with short Super Bowl odds (+700).

As for the Rams, they improved to 5-2-1 or 6-2 against the spread (ATS) following that backdoor cover. This team already proved the NFL odds wrong last week by trouncing Seattle as a 4.5-point underdog. Now, the Rams either pushed or covered the spread. They got the last laugh and author the NFL Bad Beat of the Week.

For NFL betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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