The Kansas City Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in 50 years on Sunday night, and with an 11-point lead in hand, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs were able to run out the clock in victory formation on the final possession of the game. Unfortunately for some bettors who had taken the over on Mahomes’ rushing yards total, the outcome of three relatively meaningless downs in the final minute of the game led to a terrible beat.
The over/under for Mahomes’ rushing yards varied by the sportsbook, but the line hovered between 29.5 and 33.5 yards. Mahomes appeared to have easily surpassed that total with ample time to spare – until he kneeled on three consecutive plays to end the game.
On the Chiefs’ final series, Mahomes took a knee for -5 yards on first down, a knee for -3 yards on second down, and, most importantly, a knee for -7 yards on third down. In the span of just a few seconds of game time, Mahomes’ rushing total had plummeted from 44 yards to 29 yards.
Brutal.
