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NFL Week 2 betting roundup: Ravens' comeback over Chiefs costs bettor $572K payday

Late in the third quarter of Sunday night’s Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens game, one bettor at BetMGM thought a huge payday was coming their way.

The bettor put down a whopping $250,000 on a two-leg parlay in the game and needed the Chiefs -4 and the over 53.5 points. The over hit when Patrick Mahomes found Travis Kelce for a 46-yard touchdown with 6:50 left in the third, making the score 35-24.

All that was left between this bettor and a $572,000 payday was the Chiefs holding onto that lead. But it wouldn’t come through.

Mahomes was picked off on Kansas City’s next possession and the Ravens capitalized on the short field, scoring on a Lamar Jackson touchdown run. The two-point conversion, however, was no good, so the Chiefs led 35-30 and were still covering the spread.

That led to a ton of drama down the stretch. The Chiefs punted on the ensuing possession, putting the ball back in the hands of Jackson and the Ravens offense. This drive was far more methodical.

The Ravens marched 68 yards in 14 plays, taking 8:02 off the clock, and cashed in on another Jackson touchdown run, this time from a yard out. The two-point conversion try again failed, so Baltimore’s lead was 36-35 with 3:14 to play.

The Chiefs still had a chance, and this bettor was certainly praying for a touchdown. And when Mahomes quickly led his team into Ravens territory, it seemed possible (though a field goal try was more likely). Instead, the Ravens defense made a huge play. Rookie defensive end Odafe Oweh came crashing in off the end and stripped Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and recovered the fumble himself.

From there, the Ravens ran out the clock and sealed the victory by going for it on a dramatic fourth-and-1 from their own 43. Jackson picked it up with his legs, and that was the bow on a thrilling win for Baltimore.

And as great as it was for Ravens fans, it was a brutal outcome for the bettor with the Chiefs failing to cover the spread.

Chiefs' miserable ATS stretch continues

If you’ve been consistently fading the Chiefs since the middle of the 2020 season, you’ve won a lot of money.

The Chiefs failed to cover again on Sunday night, something that always is good for the sportsbook. The public consistently bets on KC as a favorite despite subpar results. Following Sunday night’s game, the Chiefs are 8-13 against the spread since the start of the 2020 season. The Chiefs were favored in all but two of those games.

Even worse, the Chiefs are now a miserable 1-11-1 against the spread in their last 13 games. The only time they covered the spread during that span was against the Buffalo Bills in last year’s AFC title game.

That’s a horrific stretch, and the sportsbooks are cashing in.

Jeff Stoneback, the director of trading for BetMGM, told Yahoo Sports that the Ravens pulling off the upset was “huge” for the books.

The Chiefs-Ravens game was the most-bet game of Week 2 at BetMGM.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Baltimore. Baltimore won 36-35. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Baltimore. Baltimore won 36-35. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Underdogs continue to shine

The Ravens capped off another excellent Sunday for underdogs. In Week 1, underdogs went 12-4 against the spread with nine outright winners.

Underdogs have had another strong showing in Week 2. Entering Monday Night Football, underdogs are 9-6 against the spread with five outright winners. Through two weeks, underdogs are now 21-10 against the spread and 14-17 straight-up.

In addition to the Ravens beating the Colts, the Dallas Cowboys beating the Los Angeles Chargers as three-point underdogs, the Minnesota Vikings covering the 3.5 vs. the Arizona Cardinals and the Indianapolis Colts covering 3.5 points at home vs. the Los Angeles Rams were all big winners for BetMGM.

Other than the Ravens and Cowboys, the underdogs who won outright on Sunday were the Las Vegas Raiders (+6.5 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers), the Carolina Panthers (+3.5 vs. the New Orleans Saints) and the Tennessee Titans (+6.5 vs. the Seattle Seahawks).

Unders hit early, overs come through late

There weren’t a lot of points scored early in the day on Sunday.

Of the nine games played in the 1 p.m. ET window, seven went under the total. Four of those games went under by double-digit points. The biggest discrepancy came in the San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles game. The total was 49 at BetMGM and the game ended with a 17-11 victory for the 49ers.

In the game, the Eagles had a first-and-goal from the 1 and failed to score. They also had a field goal blocked. The 49ers, meanwhile, had a second-half touchdown drive that took 8:59 off the clock. The two teams also combined for 67 rushing attempts. That’s the recipe for an under right there.

Over bettors were rewarded as the day progressed. Three of the four late-afternoon games went over the total, as did the Sunday night game in Baltimore.

In all, the under is 17-13 so far this season.