Moose Tracking: Buzzer-Beater Bad Beats in Full Swing
Welcome to March, where it seems like the "mooses" quadruple in volume. I mean THIS happened to Washington -3 backers on the first day of March. Sorry, Big Cat!
For those of you not familiar with the term "Moose," it has been used for years within the sports betting world to reference a bad beat. It originated within the old-school gambling forums more than 15 years ago and has stuck ever since.
This past weekend featured as many bad beats over a three day stretch as I can ever remember. I normally highlight the weekend's five most horrific bad beats, but I simply couldn't narrow it down. I had to make a top ten list. Be careful out there betting in March, especially if you have a third period lead agains the Predators.
10. Liberty +2.5
Radford punched its ticket to the dance in epic fashion with this three at the buzzer. Not so epic for those (including myself) who bet the Flames +2.5. Go the rim, kid! Hooked.
9. North Carolina +8
This just couldn't have been any fun for Heels backers, especially against Duke. Carolina led by ten at the half, but the Blue Devils eventually took over in the second half, outscoring UNC by 20 en route to a 2-point cover.
8. SIU/Illinois State Under 138
Illinois State trailed Southern Illinois by a score of 56-55 with 1:59 left in regulation. From that point on, the Redbirds outscored the Salukis 1-0 to force overtime, thanks to three missed free throws. Under bettors were actually still in good shape headed into the extra frame (with a 26-point cushion), but then the teams combined to score 32 points in the extra five minutes. ISU went on to win 76-68. Brutal.
7. Penn -1
After two Penn free throws, Yale trailed 79-76 in the final seconds. The Quakers wisely fouled with three seconds remaining, preventing a three point attempt. Yale made the first and then accidentally made the second after trying to miss it on purpose. Yale now had to foul, but the inbounds pass was deflected. After a review, Yale got possession and then hit a buzzer beater to win by 1. That sequence of events ultimately cost Penn the top seed in this weekend's Ivy League conference tourney.
6. Boston College +8.5
I'm still not sure how BC didn't cover. The Eagles had the ball down two with under 40 seconds left before everything possible went wrong. They capped off this moose with a flagrant foul down by six with 12 seconds left that gave FSU four free throws. The Noles (a horrendous free throw shooting team) made 3/4 to cover by a half-point. BC shot 0-10 from the floor over the final 6:13. Hooked.
5. Cornell +9
More Ivy. Cornell lost by 10 points in double overtime. Don't need to say much else, but Cornell forced the first overtime with an and-1 in the final seconds. In the second overtime, Harvard split free throws in the final seconds of a tie game before Cornell missed a game winning three point attempt at the bell. Harvard then outscored Cornell 11-1 in the second OT. The Crimson finished the game on a 9-0 run over the final 1:12 to cover by a point.
4. Phoenix Suns +7.5
I had to sneak this NBA moose in here. Who fouls in an NBA game down six with one second left? Elfrid Payton, apparently. I mean I know the Suns are tanking, but the loss was already in the books! Carmello Anthony would sink both to give the Thunder a half-point cover. Hooked.
The Suns actually led by two with 90 seconds left before the Thunder finished on a 10-0 run. Watch the final sequence below.
3. Oral Roberts +1.5
It's never fun losing a bet on an underdog in double OT, especially when the favorite needed a banked in 3-point running prayer in the final seconds to even get to the first OT. Oral Roberts eventually lost by two in the second overtime, failing to even get a shot off on its final possession.
ICYMI: We had some MADNESS happen last night…in March…in Sioux Falls ?
Joe Freaking Buckets folks #DUGAMEDAY@joe_Rosga33pic.twitter.com/ykv5d1Jl31
— Denver Men's Hoops (@DU_MHoops) March 5, 2018
2. Purdue -8.5
If you backed the Boilers, hopefully you got the early number of -7/7.5. If not, my thoughts are with you. Purdue, which led by 17 points with 2:45 left, had the ball up 14 with under 30 seconds left before the following sequence of events transpired:
- Purdue's Carsen Edwards missed layup (23 seconds left)
- PSU's Shep Garner makes a three (15 seconds left)
- Shep Garner steal (8 seconds left)
- Shep Garner makes a three (6 seconds left)
Time then runs out on the Purdue 8-point win. Hooked.
Shep happens, I guess.
1. Rhode Island +1.5
This one still stings, as I backed the Rams on the road in Davidson on Friday night.
Rhode Island took a 61-54 lead with 2:47 left, but never scored again. In fact, it still held that same seven point lead with 1:45 left and even a 61-57 lead with 16 seconds left. Davidson cut it to 61-60 on a layup and-1 before winning the game 63-61 in the final seconds on another layup and-1. It was the first time Davidson had a lead of more than 1 since it led 3-0.
I left out the best part. Rhode Island missed all three front ends of its 1-and-1 attempts over the final 41 seconds. The Rams player who missed two of the three shoots over 83% from the line and the player who missed the other shoots over 76%.
You can watch the final play below that capped off the improbable Davidson 9-0 run to close out the game for the 2-point victory. Hooked.
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