Brutal Beat By Barkley! Bettors Lose Big On Saquon Barkley Goal-Line Slide
The Over would have hit if Barkley crossed into the end zone untouched
Countless fantasy football managers and NFL bettors were left cursing their television sets Sunday afternoon in the final minutes of the Week 6 game between the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens.
Giants star running back Saquon Barkley took a handoff on second-and-5 from the Baltimore eight-yard line, gained six yards and then promptly slid to the ground so New York could run out remaining 1:18 left in the contest. Sure, the Giants earned another surprising win with the 24-20 verdict, but the final result probably wasn't met fondly by all.
Given that the total for Sunday's game opened at over/under 44 points and crept up to over/under 45.5 before kickoff, according to consensus data, those who took the Over were dealt a brutal beat because of the slide. If Barkley crossed the goal line to give New York a 30-20 advantage, as he was certainly able to do, it would have cashed tickets for Over bettors -- and there were a lot of them.
Seventy-two percent of the handle and 60% of bets on the total were on the Over at PointsBet Sportsbook. Similarly, 63% of the tickets at DraftKings Sportsbook also were on the Over 46, which would have been eclipsed as well.
As far as fantasy managers, it certainly will be one specific play they remember should they lose their Week 6 matchups by six or fewer points.