Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff pitched the ball to Todd Gurley on third-and-10 from the Green Bay 21-yard line with about one-minute to play and a two point lead. What happened next infuriated gamblers and fantasy football players alike.
Rather than trotting into the endzone with a chance to put the Rams up by nine, Gurley opted to give himself up so Goff could close out the game with a kneel down. It all worked out in favor of the Rams, as they secured a 29-27 victory to improve to 8-0 on the season.
However, Gurley's decision had much bigger implications at sportsbooks and fantasy leagues across the country. Prior to kickoff, the Rams were favored by 7.5 points and the over/under point total was set at around 57.5. As a result of Gurley's unwillingness to score, gamblers who had the Rams and/or the over were therefore left with losing tickets in what has to be the worst beat of the season.
According to Todd Dewey, a sports betting reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Gurley's decision swung $1 million in bets across Vegas from those who bet on Rams cover to those who bet on Packers cover. Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading for William Hill U.S., told ESPN in a text message, "We needed him to score in the worst way."
"If Gurley goes in there," a Caesars Palace sportsbook manager said, per ESPN, "we lose a ton of teasers, get middled on the game, and the over crushes us. We're fans of his smart play."
Gurley made it clear that he doesn't give a damn about any of that, though. "Man, forget fantasy and forget Vegas," Gurley said after the game, per ESPN. "We got the win, so that's all that matters."
Check out some of the other reactions in the tweets embedded below.
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