Some folks like March Madness because it’s one heck of an opportunity to make wagers. Of course, making wagers means that bad beats are going to happen, and on Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis, total bettors were put through the wringer at the very end of the Big Ten Tournament semifinal tilt between Illinois and Iowa.
The No. 2 Illini took down the No. 3 Hawkeyes, 82-71, in a fantastic basketball game to set up a Sunday afternoon tilt against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Illinois did manage to take care of business on the point spread — they were 3.5-point favorites to move on to the Big Ten Tournament finals — but until the final moments, the total of 154 was in a precarious position.
With things hanging on by a thread, Trent Frazier missed a layup for the Illini that would have caused a push. Fortunately for under bettors, that did not happen, and Iowa’s Luka Garza pulled down the defensive rebound before … OH DEAR GOD NO.
“Makes somebody happy!” the incomparable Bill Raftery says after Joe Wieskamp banked in a three while double-teamed to cause the over to hit. It was, to be blunt, a horrifying moment for everyone who took the under.
But the officials came to save the day. After a review, it was determined that the ball was still touching the tip of Wieskamp’s finger by the time the buzzer sounded, wiping the three off the board altogether and causing the under to win out. If you bet on this in either direction, maybe go for a walk or something.