Penalty on Bears’ trick return treats Pack bettors

As a brilliant trick play unfolded, Johnny Knox put a major scare into everyone who bet against the Chicago Bears. A last-minute punt return for a touchdown appeared to produce a miracle point-spread cover.

"I couldn’t believe what I was seeing," said Mike Colbert, the M Resort sports book director for Cantor Gaming.

But it was only a near-miracle. Knox was delivering fool’s gold for underdog bettors and bookmakers. A flag was on the field, wiping out the 89-yard return and a potential back-door cover.

On this Sunday, there were few cries of conspiracies or crooked officiating, though, because the betting public got the right end of the call as Green Bay beat Chicago, 27-17. The Packers opened as 3½-point favorites and the line closed at 4½ and 5.

"I’m pretty sure all the books needed that return," Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay said.

The nullified return by Knox also kept the score under the total of 45½. Two decisions were decided by one big nonplay, and for a moment we were fooled.

"I still don’t know where the holding penalty came from. I really believe the referees were confused with what happened," Colbert said. "We needed the Bears. We took all Packers money at minus-5. But I’m not going to complain about it."

Was it a phantom penalty? No. Television replays didn’t show it, but the Bears’ Corey Graham, who was flagged, admitted to reporters he briefly grabbed a Green Bay player. It was far from an obvious hold, and the shame is it happened about 25 yards from where Knox fielded the punt.

I bet the Packers, so I’m not whining, but the trick play was admirable because it was so cleverly conceived. As the Green Bay coverage team was faked into converging on Devin Hester on the left half of the field, Knox was catching the directional punt on the right sideline.

Knox had a clear path to the end zone and coasted all the way to pull Chicago within 27-24, assuming the point-after kick. Of course, when you wager on the NFL, assume nothing.

The Packers led the whole way and probably deserved to cover anyway. Aaron Rodgers passed for 297 yards and three touchdowns while predictably outplaying the Bears’ Jay Cutler, who threw two interceptions.

The unthinkable became reality in Buffalo, where Ryan Fitzpatrick overshadowed an imploding Tom Brady in the Bills’ 34-31 win. Brady was intercepted four times and blew a 21-0 lead as the Patriots, who closed as 7-point favorites, trashed countless parlays and teasers.

A delirious Buffalo bettor, holding a winning ticket and a beer at the Hilton, asked: "Brady loses with a 21-0 lead. What were the odds, about 150-1?"

The odds were not that high; it just seemed like it. It also seemed highly unlikely the Oakland Raiders could be 3-0 against the spread, yet the Raiders represent the league’s most reliable cash machine.

Darren McFadden, an impressive combination of power and speed, ran for 171 yards and two touchdowns to help Oakland, a 2½- to 3-point underdog, manhandle the New York Jets, 34-24.

"We took some big Jets bets," said Colbert, who summed up the day for his book as "break even to a small winner."

Underdogs are 9-5-1 ATS in Week 3, counting Cleveland, and six were outright winners. The ugliest ‘dogs, Indianapolis and Kansas City, nearly pulled off stunning upsets.

The Browns opened as 2½-point home favorites over the Miami Dolphins. But the line moved to Miami minus-1½ after Cleveland running back Peyton Hillis was ruled out a couple of hours before kickoff. The points mattered, as the Browns pulled out a 17-16 win.

A half-point made all the difference in Detroit’s 26-23 overtime win at Minnesota. The Lions, who overcame a 20-0 halftime deficit, closed as 3-point favorites after the number was 3½ all week.

For the second straight week, Michael Vick was knocked out and the "Dream Team" from Philadelphia was upset. The New York Giants, 8-point ‘dogs and plus-330 on the money line, pounded the Eagles, 29-16.

The New Orleans Saints scored 23 points in the fourth quarter — more than 18 other teams had in all four quarters — in a wild 40-33 victory over Houston. The Saints, 3½-point favorites, got a lucky cover.

No luck was required for those who bet the Baltimore Ravens as 6-point favorites in their 37-7 slaughter of St. Louis. The Ravens were one of the biggest winners for the betting public.

The Packers were another, thanks to a questionable penalty flag on a trick play that briefly fooled us all.

Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts the "Las Vegas Sportsline" weeknights at midnight on KDWN-AM (720) and thelasvegassportsline.com.