The Dallas Cowboys almost ruined the Pittsburgh Steelers perfect season and a parlay card worth more than $440,000 in NFL Week 9 betting. An unidentified gambler at the Venetian in Las Vegas put down $4,000 on a seven-team parlay card, with six of his picks on college teams.
All were on the moneyline and included huge favorites Oklahoma (-15000), Ohio State (-15000), Appalachian State (-1000), and Iowa State (-600). Two large underdogs were what gave the bet its teeth. He had Liberty at +500, and Maryland at +1200.
Liberty got past Virginia Tech, and Maryland shocked Penn State. The four favorites won as well.
That left Sunday’s NFL contest between the 2-6 Cowboys and the 7-0 Steelers. Pittsburgh was favored by 14 points, but the gambler took the -1000 moneyline.
Then he watched in horror as Dallas nearly pulled off the upset. The Cowboys led at the half 13-9, which cashed a +325 for anyone who took the NFC East team to be leading at halftime.
The sweat continued in the second half as Dallas increased its lead to 19-10 going into the fourth quarter.
Fortunately, for the bettor, the Steelers scored 15 points in the final quarter, including the game-winning touchdown with 2:14 remaining to allow the gambler to breathe again, and collect $442,643.40.
Though Dallas lost, 24-19, the Cowboys covered the spread. It was the first time this season, and the first time in eight games, the Cowboys covered. That broke a mark dating back to December 2019.
Pittsburgh, Baltimore Cost SportsBooks
The Steelers cost William Hill more than just the $442,643 parlay card. The book also lost a significant amount of money on spread bets. William Hill reported the Pittsburgh-Dallas game was its biggest liability by far.
Bettors had 88% of the tickets and 93% of the money on the Steelers. The next highest for William Hill was the Baltimore-Indianapolis game. Bettors had 85% of the tickets on the Ravens along with 88% of the money. Baltimore was a one-point favorite and easily covered, winning 24-10.
Dave Mason at BetOnline said his sportsbook needed Indianapolis as well, as 83% of bettors were backing the Ravens. One gambler plunked down $222,000 on Baltimore at DraftKings.
One win for the sportsbooks was Seattle. The Seahawks got the majority of the action against Buffalo, but the Bills, who were three-point underdogs, covered easily, winning 44-34.
Dumb Bet of the Week
One bettor at Bet America put down $8,000 on the moneyline with Pittsburgh against Dallas. He had to sweat out a victory, and what did he get for his anxiety attack? A windfall of $780.
No Sweat Bet
Another bettor at MGM got an easy win when he wagered $500,000 on New Orleans against Tampa Bay on Sunday night. The gambler got +155 odds and walked away with a $775,000 profit when the Saints manhandled the Bucs, 38-3.
Stat of the Week
Jacksonville quarterback Jake Luton threw a 73-yard touchdown pass for his first NFL completion. According to Elias Sports, that’s the fourth-longest TD pass on a player’s first NFL completion since 1970.
Luton replaced Gardner Minshew, who was out with a thumb injury. The rookie finished the game with 304 passing yards, including the touchdown and an interception.