What Is a Bad Beat in Sports Betting?
All of us who have bet for really any period of time have experienced it, and it is one of the most gut-wrenching feelings that there is. While no bet is guaranteed upon placing, there is a certain point of time as a game has progressed that a bet feels like it should win. Whether it is a money line, a total, or a prop, there is always the potential for a bad beat, and they occur a lot in basketball. I believe that this is the case because it has by far the most scoring chances, as well as scoring, of any of the big four sports. As a result of this, there is more variation to how a game can go. Some games can’t get to 200 points total, while others soar above 260 points.
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In college basketball, betting on a total is extremely vulnerable to the bad beat. This is because some coaches have their guys fight to the last whistle and others pack it in and call it a game and let the reserves play it out without fouling. This can result in slower possessions and fewer points than if there are constant free throws and fast shot attempts.
Here is a ticket of mine that I had a bad beat to show you what one consists of:
Malik Beasley scored ten points exactly. D’Angelo Russell hit four threes. Karl-Anthony Towns had two made threes and twenty points total. Julius Randle scored 21 points and nine rebounds. RJ Barrett scored 17 points. AND the Timberwolves won. But the bet lost because Mitch Robinson had six rebounds. In watching the game, there was one rebound that Mitch caught the rebound, planted both feet on the ground then stepped out on his pivot, which was ruled as a Timberwolves team rebound, rather than a rebound and a turnover which would have made this parlay cash.
All of those things were predicted correctly, but one rebound was enough to derail the entire parlay. This is a BAD beat. If you place bets long enough, you will be on both sides of the hook, and while it is a completely different experience each way, that is the fun of the game. However, there is always the option to buy points if you feel like the spread, or total, is not where you want it to be. This does not take away the bad beat entirely, but it makes it less likely to occur, by giving you better odds of hitting your bet compared to the computer-predicted models.
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Josh Weil is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @Josh_Weil.