Texans Bettors Might Be Sick After Ending Of Buccaneers Game

A kicker still found a way to ruin a bet

by

Nov 5, 2023

C.J. Stroud had a coming-out party in Houston when he led a game-winning drive over the Buccaneers, but those who bet the Texans aren't celebrating that hard.

It seemed over for moneyline bettors when Tampa Bay went up after a Baker Mayfield touchdown pass to Cade Otton with 46 seconds left in the matchup. But Stroud drove down the field and connected with Tank Dell for the rookie's second touchdown of the game.

The Texans were up 39-37 with six seconds left. Normally, teams kick a field goal to go up three and that should be the end of the game. But kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn suffered a quad injury during the game and was ruled out for the second half. Emergency kicker and running back Dare Ogunbowale performed kickoff duties, and he became the first non-kicker to make a field goal since Wes Welker in 2004.

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But Houston would have been foolish to roll out Ogunbowale for a field goal try at the risk of a block or a botched setup to give Tampa Bay a chance to return it for a score. The Texans came out for a two-point conversion, and Stroud simply took a knee.

The Texans recovered the onside kick and came out with the win, but Houston was favored by 2.5, which meant that kneel down was a killer for spread bettors.

At DraftKings, 54% of money was on the spread with 39% of people having the Texans to cover on their tickets. Those who took the Buccaneers moneyline also were frustrated with the result. At DraftKings, 63% of the handle was on Tampa Bay moneyline with 62% of tickets, according to VSiN.

It was a rough result for bettors, but neutrals received Scorigami -- the 1080th unique final score in NFL history.

Thumbnail photo via Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports Images

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