Mississippi State defeated Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Monday, and the game featured one of the worst gambling beats you will ever see.
Mississippi State took a 13-10 lead on a go-ahead field goal with just 4 seconds remaining. They then squibbed the kickoff to Illinois, who took over at their own 29. The Fighting Illini had enough time for just one play, so they tried some trickery that was unsuccessful. Mississippi State ended up recovering a fumble and taking it the other way for a touchdown to win 19-10.
ILLINOIS (+3.5) WITH A CONTENDER FOR BAD BEAT OF THE YEAR ON JANUARY 2ND pic.twitter.com/Xcsv3gjd5q
— br_betting (@br_betting) January 2, 2023
The play did not impact the outcome of the game, but it had massive implications for bettors. Illinois was a 3.5-point underdog, which means the Bulldogs covered the point spread with the defensive score. Anyone who bet on Mississippi State at -3.5 or better cashed because of the seemingly meaningless touchdown, while those who backed Illinois at +3.5 lost.
We have seen some horrible gambling beats over the years, but that was easily up there with the worst of them.
