What is a Bad Beat in Sports Betting? What does Bad Beat Mean?

Bad beats don’t originate from questionable gardening practices. They leave a bad taste in bettors’ mouths when a conclusion nobody reasonably sees coming stunts profit growth.

Bad beats bring the worst out of all gamblers, whether the action hinges on Phil Helmuth or Phil Mickelson. This article highlights (or rather lowlights) some of the worst beats in sports betting history and showcases how live betting can save people from indefinite nightmares.

Famous Bad Beats in Sports Betting

28-3: More Than a Score

The bloodcurdling screams rivaling Judas Priest’s Rob Halford reverberate from the red clay of Georgia up through the less aesthetic flat prairies of this author’s Midwestern area. Falcon fans and neutral bettors basking in self-assured glory upon the conclusion of a 28-3 lead at halftime of Super Bowl LI had another thing coming.

A comeback would’ve been the biggest in Super Bowl history. Even if Tom Brady hurdled the seemingly insurmountable obstacle, the Falcons closed at +4.5 underdogs and most NFL analysts hail then-offensive coordinator Kyle Shannahan as an offensive genius, surely slamming the door shut on that bet not paying off.

Even geniuses suffer brain farts. Kyle Shannahan failed to run the ball enough to run out the clock on Tom Brady. Even Father Time struggles to time out that man, so of course, the Patriots clawed back to a spread-covering six-point victory, in large thanks to Julian Edelman making one of the most improbable catches in football history.

Bad Beat: The Music City Miracle

The Falcons franchise merely adopted the shadows of shocking scrutiny. The Bills were molded by it, holding the dubious distinction of being the only team to lose four straight Super Bowls in the early ‘90s. The bane of younger Bills fans’ existence and many sports bettors is the Music City Miracle during the 1999 AFC Wild Card game.

The Bills appeared to cover the spread and the Titans’ run-and-gun offense, winning by one with 16 seconds left. Desperation laterals worked for once, with the assistance of a seemingly illegal forward lateral by tight end Frank Wycheck that didn’t get penalized and directly led to a surprise touchdown and the Titans covering the -5 spread with a last-second 22-16 victory.

Bad Beat: The Fail Mary  

Remember the Replacement Refs? Packers fans and bettors won’t forget anytime soon. Russell Wilson lobbed a Hail Mary from beyond the 50-yard line on the last play of an infamous Monday Night Football game that was scored 12-7 at the time. Defender M.D. Jennings clearly intercepted the heave, controlling the ball while receiver Golden Tate put part of an arm under it after what Jon Gruden called “the most blatant offensive pass interference I’ve ever seen.”

Regardless, there were no flags and one official ruled a touchdown, while the other beside him waved off the game with time expired, signifying an interception. The nature of the play couldn’t be reviewed and the Seahawks were declared the winner by refs that were replacements due to an ongoing labor strike. 

The botched call impacted over $300 million in sports bets.

Bad Beat: Raptors vs. Wizards 2007

Bad beats strike any sport at any time. A considerably less-noted one occurred in an otherwise-regular NBA game with the Raptors down three with 3.3 seconds remaining. The Raptors tried chucking the ball to star center Chris Bosh. Forward Michael Ruffin for the Wizards caught the pass. His reflexes were quicker than his thinking. Ruffin sent the ball the wrong way. Raptors’ role player  Morris Peterson got the ball at midcourt and made a 3-pointer  in his first shot of the entire game (only playing the closing 10 seconds). The Raptors covered the -4.5 spread in overtime with a deflating 123-118 victory.

How Live Sports Betting Mitigates Bad Beats

Bad beats stink. Live sports betting repels the smell by allowing bettors to see in real-time both strategic trends and how fresh players look for the remainder of the time. The odds shift to reflect the reality of a situation, as opposed to betting on what ‘should’ have happened. The ability to bet with developing information on a game that has shown patterns occurring in front of bettors softens the blow should an impossibility suddenly arise. When it comes to profitable long-term sports betting strategies, the more information, the better. 

Albeit there’s arguably no bad beat (aside from corrupt judging) in boxing or MMA since the event can end in seconds with two highly trained human beings angling to exact damage on each other at any time and flash knockouts are scientifically proven, live betting proves particularly useful when watching UFC or boxing matches.

A fighter ahead on the overall scorecards might be suffering fatigue in later rounds, leaving his defenses and reflexes more susceptible to a knockout. Similarly, some fighters, such as former UFC Middleweight title challenger Yoel Romero are known for conserving energy early on to explode in powerful bursts later in fights when the opponent is tired and settled into a false sense of security. These situations might present attractive odds for live bets.