Sports betting: Oh, Todd Gurley, what have you done?
Plus, next week's lines and Vegas Vic's look at the Monday night game between the Patriots and Bills.
![Todd Gurley scored one touchdown on Sunday, but declined to score a second for the betterment of the team.](https://www.inquirer.com/resizer/MN9_s-deLp4oXBe70252a-MEzow=/760x507/smart/filters:format(webp)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/RMMCGGI2WJETVIP6W5YXKKVYG4.jpg)
Todd Gurley made one of the most selfless plays a football player can make and plenty of folks are hissed.
Gurley on Sunday allowed himself to be tackled short of the end zone so that the Rams could run out the clock and beat the Packers.
The problem — or euphoria, depending on which side you had — was that it had a huge impact on sports bettors.
The Rams, who were laying 7.5 points, were ahead by two points with about a minute left when Gurley, the NFL's touchdown leader, busted loose and was on his way to scoring. A touchdown likely would have allowed the Rams to cover as there was less than a minute left.
Likely being the key word.
If L.A. missed the extra point, they would have given Aaron Rodgers the ball back trailing by eight points. Do you really want to give Aaron Rodgers a breath of life? The Rams already got a monster break minutes earlier when Green Bay's Ty Montgomery fumbled away a kickoff return.
"Forget fantasy and forget Vegas today," Gurley said afterward. "We got the win, so that's all that matters."
Except for fantasy players and those with action.
"We needed him to score in the worst way," one Vegas bookmaker told ESPN's David Purdum.
"If Gurley goes in there, we lose a ton of teasers, get middled on the game (line opened at 9.5), and the over crushes us. We're fans of his smart play," said another.
Yet another bookie, whose point-spread was 8, collected on all of those who teased the Rams down. Teaser bets allow bettors to use 6 points on either team, but must make multiple wagers. And ties lose.
"Helped, helped, helped," he said of Gurley's surrender. "Teasers were crushed."
Oh, and those who played over 57 also got smoked. The Rams took a knee after Gurley's play and won 29-27.
Ouch.
The Monday nighter
Handicapper Vegas Vic gives his thoughts on tonight's game between New England at Buffalo (ESPN, 8:15 p.m.)
Double V is asking if there's anyone out there that's gonna throw money away on the Bills? Or you gonna lay two TDs with the Brady Bunch? Some numbers.
• The Patriots are sitting on top of the AFC East, what a surprise, with a 5-2 straight up record, 3-3-1 against the spread.
• The Buffs are in the basement, as usual, with a 2-5 record, 3-4 against the spread.
• Buffalo is also in the NFL basement with the fewest points scored (81) so far this season.
• And you know that Tom Terrific thanks his lucky stars for living in the weakest division in football for the past 19 years. And how much does he love visiting Buffalo? Well, it was 26-10 last season, 41-15 in 2016, 40-32 in 2015, 37-22 in 2014, 23-21 in 2013, 52-28 in 2012.
You get the picture.
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