In case you missed it, the Los Angeles Rams stopped the clock with four seconds remaining in the game when they were down 10 points to the San Francisco 49ers to kick a game-ending field goal. That decision was significant to some, as the point spread was 49ers -7.5 at many sportsbooks, and the final score was 30-23.
All-time bad beat for 49ers -7.5 🤮 pic.twitter.com/MqOXNFLfB2
— PFN Betting (@PFNBetting) September 17, 2023
The Rams playing to kick a field goal late in the game raised a ton of questions in the NFL betting community. It left many people wondering about the thought process behind McVay’s decision and whether he was aware of the point spread and was playing for the cover.
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Sean McVay on Kicking Field Goal in Week 2
After practice on Monday, reporters asked McVay about the reasoning for kicking a field goal in that situation on Sunday, whether he was aware of the point spread, and if that played a factor.
McVay did acknowledge that the Rams’ vice president of communications told him that “a lot of people in Vegas are pissed off about that decision” but also pushed back on him being aware of the point spread, saying, “I was clearly not aware of that stuff.”
Sean McVay explains his reason for the meaningless field goal that gave the Rams the cover against the 49ers.
“I clearly was not aware of that stuff.” pic.twitter.com/dCbZks6Grm
— Prince Grimes (@pgprincej) September 19, 2023
McVay’s response isn’t going to put the minds of the conspiracy theorists at ease. One explanation could’ve been the Rams were trying to score points in the event of a tiebreaker scenario for the division or playoffs at the end of the season, but even that answer might not have been totally convincing.
MORE: Early NFL Week 3 Predictions and Picks Against the Spread
Depending on which sportsbook you look at, as they closed at +7 or lower at some, the Rams are now 2-0 ATS this season. While many people lost their 49ers -7.5 wagers, for every bad beat is a very lucky win, like for this bettor at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Rams (+7.5) backdoor covered to help this bettor CASH IN 🤑
One user turned $64,755.07 ➡️ $124,713.47 on Rams +7.5 (-108) ✅ pic.twitter.com/6KLmntX8HN
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) September 17, 2023