Winning outright as 17-point underdogs, the New York Jets’ victory over the Los Angeles Rams shocked many NFL fans and pundits. But one particular bettor cashed in big by not only expecting the Jets to win a game, but by predicting exactly when it would come months in advance.
The Jets entered Sunday’s road contest at 0-13, seemingly well on their way to finishing out a winless season. But they got out to an early 20-3 lead against the Rams, who had everything to play for while trying to keep pace with Seattle in the NFC West. The Rams battled back and got within 23-20, but couldn’t get any closer as the Jets finished off the biggest upset of the season.
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One bettor at FanDuel Sportsbook predicted that the Jets would get their first win of the season against the Rams. But he didn’t do so by backing the New York moneyline this week: instead, he put $100 down at +12000 odds on which specific game would be the Jets’ first win of the year. He did so all the way back in September, predicting that the Jets would not only beat the Rams in their Week 15 contest, but that they would also lose the prior 13 games. The prescient wager turned that $100 stake into a tidy $12,000 profit.
But FanDuel wasn’t the only sportsbook impacted by the Jets’ unexpected win. Oddsmakers at PointsBet Sportsbook also paid out big when one bettor hit the Jets’ in-game money line for $30,000 at +120 odds, leading to a $66,000 payout. But the house also benefited from the Jets finally getting one in the win column, as a liability “approaching six figures” was piling up on a prop PointsBet offered on whether the Jets would finish the season 0-16. Odds on that offering opened at +1800 after an 0-3 start but steadily declined, reaching +180 after the Jets began the year 0-9 and sitting at -255 ahead of their game with the Rams.
The Jets’ upset marked the third time in as many years that an underdog of at least 17 points won a game outright in the NFL. Two years ago the Bills beat the Vikings, 27-6, as 17-point underdogs, while last year the Dolphins closed out the season with a 27-24 win over the Patriots as 17.5-point underdogs.
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