National Football League

NFL conference championship odds: Wacky wins and bad beats

Updated Jan. 29, 2023 11:22 p.m. ET

A fumble where the player simply dropped the ball ended up being a critical blow for Under bettors in the San Francisco 49ers-Philadelphia Eagles NFC Championship Game on Sunday.

Two touchdowns in an 80-second span late in the first half, sandwiched around the fumble, caused Under bettors in the Over/Under (O/U) to rip up their tickets.

Speaking of the Under, a bettor won a cool million after betting the Under in the AFC Championship Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs.

Welcome to the world of wacky wins and bad beats in sports betting.

Each week, we'll recap the betting plays that had some people cashing in and others tearing up their tickets in frustration. To paraphrase famed broadcaster Al Michaels, "those plays are significant to some."

Let's dive into this week's craziness!

Under quickly turns into Over, done Roger

Gamblers who bet on the first half Under 22.5 combined points of the San Francisco-Philadelphia game were in good shape early in the second quarter as teams punted on five consecutive possessions as the Eagles led 7-0.

The 49ers tied it at 7 midway through the second quarter. Under still comfortably covering.

The Eagles nabbed a 14-7 lead with 96 seconds remaining until halftime. As long as nothing disastrous happens, Under bettors will cash.

You know what's coming next – disaster for gamblers holding Under tickets.

San Francisco backup quarterback Josh Johnson – the 49ers' fourth-string QB! – made a costly fumble when he plain dropped the snap in the shotgun. Hassan Reddick recovered at the 49ers' 30 with 1:11 to go.

A costly face mask penalty with 21 seconds to go gave the Eagles first and goal from the 10.

Boston Scott ran around the right end on the next play for the TD, making it 21-7 with 16 seconds left.

Two touchdowns in an 80-second span after the teams combined for seven points in the game's opening 21 ½ minutes.

Under bettors were toasted.

But Scott's TD paid off nicely for bettors who backed him at +550 to score an anytime TD.

Kelce backs up bettors

Kansas City star tight end Travis Kelce is Mr. Reliable for the Chiefs, but his status against Cincinnati was in question.

FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reported Kelce got injured in practice and received anti-inflammatory treatments on Friday and Saturday. But that didn't stop bettors from wagering on him.

Kelce paid off for first touchdown scorer (+650) and anytime TD scorer (-120) bettors when he hauled in a 14-yard TD pass from QB Patrick Mahomes with 3:53 remaining in the first half to extend Kansas City's lead to 13-3.

49ers-Eagles parlay bettor hits it big

Congratulation to a four-way parlay bettor on the 49ers-Eagles game who turned $25 into a $3,525 profit.

The bettor cashed in their parlay at +14101 as his four-leg parlay hit – Eagles moneyline, Philadelphia's Miles Sanders first TD scorer, San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey anytime first-half TD scorer and Hurts anytime TD scorer.

Pacheco backers sing blues

While Kelce bettors cashed in, Kansas City rookie running back Isiah Pacheco backers are signing the blues. The running back appeared to score the game's first touchdown, but the yellow handkerchief ruined things for Pacheco first TD bettors (+850).

It looked like he scored on a 14-yard TD pass with less than a minute to go in the first quarter but hold everything … yep, a holding penalty wiped out the play, much to the joy of Kelce backers.

The Chiefs ended up kicking a field goal for a 6-0 lead.

Hurts so good for TD bettors

It wasn't much of a surprise when Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scored a rushing touchdown in the third quarter.

Hurts was just +100 (bet $10 to win $20 total) to score an anytime TD, but, as wise bettors say, 'tis better as a bettor to collect a small win than lose a potentially bigger payout.

Big Under bettor cashes in

Kudos to a gambler who put down $1.2 million on the Bengals-Chiefs O/U of 49 points scored combined. The bettor bought the hook just to be safe.

The bettor profited a cool $1 million when the Chiefs beat the Bengals 23-20.

Stay tuned for more of the wackiness!

And if you want to join in on the fun (or madness), head over to FOX Bet for all your wagers.

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