Super Bowl 58 bets gone wrong: From scoreless Travis Kelce to mistake-free Brock Purdy
The bets were pouring in across the country for Super Bowl 58. And while there were some big boons for bettors during the big game, there were also several moments that spoiled some popular wagers made with BetMGM.
Here are five bad beats that irked a significant number of bettors Sunday night.
All odds and insights courtesy of BetMGM.
1. Travis Kelce to score a touchdown (-105)
The guy on the Chiefs was the most popular choice to score an anytime touchdown at BetMGM. Despite battling through a slow start to the game, Kelce pieced together an impressive box score (nine catches for 93 yards), but the tight end never found the end zone.
The worst part was Kelce nearly scored a touchdown at the end of the fourth quarter but was thwarted by the San Francisco defense. A successful score on that play would have paid out a large number of bets that invested in Kelce's propensity for scoring playoff touchdowns.
2. Chiefs to win by 7-12 points (+500)
Although a vast number of Kansas City bettors made out well with the Chiefs (+2) coming out on top, those who went the extra mile in the alternative spread were not as fortunate.
A 4-point victory came just short of cashing in for bettors who liked the Chiefs' chances at winning by at least a touchdown. If Kansas City had won the coin toss to start overtime and scored a touchdown, would the Chiefs' defense have held for a 7-point win?
3. 49ers to win coin toss (-105)
Speaking of coin flips, the majority of bettors liked San Francisco's chances at winning the opening coin toss. However, it was the Chiefs who correctly predicted the coin would land on heads. As a result, only the minority was paid out on the third-most-popular novelty prop offered by BetMGM.
On a related note, one individual lost $40,000 betting the result would be tails.
4. Brock Purdy over 0.5 interceptions (-135)
The majority did not like Purdy's chances at a mistake-free Super Bowl debut, but the former Mr. Irrelevant completed a turnover-free game to the dissatisfaction of bettors.
According to BetMGM, 99% of the money was on the over to hit. And it nearly did in overtime, when a wayward Purdy pass was nearly intercepted by Chiefs defender Nick Bolton.
5. Travis Kelce to win Super Bowl MVP (+1200)
BetMGM's biggest liability in terms of Super Bowl MVP was Kelce, who commanded 19.1% of the tickets to claim the honor. Despite a solid performance, the 49ers keeping Kelce out of the end zone likely voided the tight end's chances at winning Super Bowl MVP.
The award went to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who had 14.8% of the tickets at +145 odds.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Super Bowl 58 bets gone wrong: 5 bad beats that made bettors lose cash
