In a most improbable finish, the Miami Dolphins scored in the final ticks to beat the Raiders, 26-25 on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium. All the Dolphins had to do was drive from their own 25 and boot a game-winning field goal.
As The Associated Press reported, the Dolphins became the only the second team in the past two decades to take over that deep in their territory in the final 30 seconds when trailing and score. Green Bay did it to Detroit in 2015 on a desperation heave from Aaron Rodgers to Richard Rodgers.
Still, bettors who played the Raiders at +2.5 or +3 held winning tickets. The Dolphins game-winning field goal pushed the total over 50.5, an outcome that appeared equally improbable with only 29 points scored through three quarters.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden elected to drain the clock in the fourth-quarter for a go-ahead field goal instead of trying for a touchdown. QB Derek Carr took a knee to set up Daniel Carlson’s 22-yard field goal with 19 seconds left.
“I don’t regret it one bit,” Gruden said. “I just regret the results.”
The Raiders were eliminated from postseason play with their fifth loss in six games. They have qualified for the playoffs just once in the last 18 seasons.
Elsewhere:
— Bettors playing over the total in the Boca Raton Bowl between BYU and Central Florida had to feel good about a 35-10 halftime score even though the total had been bet up from 74.5 to 79. But points were scarcer in the second half. Only six points had been scored in the fourth quarter when BYU drove to the Central Florida goal line. Leading 49-23, the Cougars elected to kneel down — a kneel down that launched a thousand bad-bet stories.
— Sharp bettors, it was reported, drove the line back from New Orleans Saints -7 to -6.5 on Christmas Day. But the sharps aren’t always right, and the Saints routed the Vikings, 52-33. Judging from the scattered cheers at one Las Vegas book, very few of the bettors had followed the sharps’ trend.
— Who wasn’t on the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day? Despite speculation about how many minutes LeBron James would play, the Lakers, who closed at around -6, crushed the Dallas Mavericks, 138-115. The defending NBA champs won the first-half line as well, and the total blew past 226.5. (James played 31 minutes.)
— The Los Angeles Clippers were -3 vs. the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. But the Clippers, missing Kawhi Leonard after a mouth laceration that required stitches, found themselves in a cavernous 77-27 halftime deficit. After an NBA record halftime lead, the Mavericks cruised to a 124-73 win. They covered by 54 points.
“I hope everyone enjoyed the Christmas Day yesterday and that was the reason for a sluggish day today,” Clippers guard Paul George said after the game.
— The Vegas Golden Knights are anywhere from +800 to +900 to win the Stanley Cup and around +325 to win the Western Conference. The NHL season begins Jan. 13.
Be on the lookout for bicyclists and walkers when driving your car.