Chiefs miraculously cover, Redskins bettors suffer epic bad beat on MNF

By Todd Dewey Las Vegas Review-Journal

7 years ago

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) tries to avoid Washington Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (91) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, Oct. 2, 2017. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marcus Kemp (7) kicks a field goal with punter Dustin Colquitt (2) holding, during the second half of an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, Oct. 2, 2017. The Kansas City Chiefs won 29-20. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid talks to a player during the second half of an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, Oct. 2, 2017. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) runs away from Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Terrance Mitchell (39) during the second half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, Oct. 2, 2017. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Scott Van Pelt should add the ending of Kansas City’s 29-20 win over Washington on Monday night to the montage of highlights that open his popular “Bad Beats” segment on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

It was one for the ages and decided the side and total.

The Chiefs were 7-point favorites over the Redskins and the total was 48.

Harrison Butker kicked a tiebreaking 43-yard field goal with eight seconds left to give Kansas City a 23-20 lead.

Washington took over at its own 25 with four seconds left. Rather than throw it deep, the Redskins tried to lateral the ball and fumbled. The Chiefs’ Justin Houston picked up the ball at the 13 and rumbled into the end zone for a touchdown with no time remaining.

The improbable ending gave Kansas City bettors a miracle cover and also pushed the number over the total. Redskins and under bettors suffered an epic bad beat.

Las Vegas sports books also lost on the play as the betting public backed the Chiefs and over.

“That was a huge four-second swing,” Westgate sports book director Jay Kornegay said. “On ‘Monday Night Football,’ we needed the ‘dog and under and that’s exactly what we had with four seconds to go.

“It was one of those fluky bounces. I still don’t understand why teams don’t just try the Hail Mary instead of eight laterals. The odds of doing that are probably a lot better than doing eight laterals.”

Kornegay certainly wasn’t complaining after the books won on the NFL for the second straight week as underdogs went 9-7 against the spread with seven outright wins.

It also was easy to put Monday night’s loss in perspective the day after the mass shooting in Las Vegas.

“Considering what has gone on in our city, it’s not a big concern at all,” Kornegay said of the bad beat. “It certainly made a lot of people happy. I wasn’t in the book for the game, but I wish I was in the book to see the change of emotion. I’m sure we’ve got a lot of happy people in line.

“I think a lot of people need winners like that tonight, so good for them.”

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.