It wasn't a fun day at the betting window if you laid the points with the Chiefs on Sunday night. Depending on where/when you wagered, Kansas City was around an 8-point favorite against the Jets in what was looked at by many as a layup to cash given how New York's offense had struggled under quarterback Zach Wilson. And, for a moment, it looked as if those assumptions would be correct.
The Chiefs had jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter to the delight of bettors. However, the Jets then surged back to tie the game at 20 entering the fourth quarter. Later on in the fourth, the Chiefs tacked on a field goal to take the lead but were threatening for more points in the closing minutes. Coming out of the two-minute warning and sitting on the New York 11-yard line, Patrick Mahomes scrambled up the left side of the field and had a clear lane to the end zone, which would have allowed Kansas City to cover. Instead, Mahomes crossed the first down marker, slid and the Chiefs simply let the clock run out to win by three points, thus breaking the hearts of all those Chiefs ATS bettors.
The MVP coming up clutch in the final minutes @PatrickMahomes
— NFL (@NFL) October 2, 2023
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Had Mahomes scored and Harrison Butker hit the extra point, Kansas City would have won by 10 points and easily cleared the spread, which initially opened at Chiefs -9.5. And it's not hyperbole to suggest that millions of dollars swung with that decision by Mahomes to slide instead of walk in for the late touchdown. FanDuel Sportsbook noted before kickoff that 91% of the bets against the spread and 89% of the handle were laying the points with the Chiefs. At Caesars Sportsbook, 91% of the tickets on the spread backed Kansas City as did 84% of the handle.
While the slide was rough for Chiefs bettors, there's at least one person out there who is thrilled with Mahomes' decision as Caesars posted that one bettor placed a $240,556 bet on the Jets +8.5 (-110), which, of course, ultimately cashed.