One of the most sublime things about betting on sports is that every single play matters, a lesson that was cemented Sunday in the Los Angeles Rams-Philadelphia Eagles game.
In case you flipped away from the game with Los Angeles winning big early, Philadelphia ended up chipping away and taking the lead late in the fourth quarter. With the Rams down 27-26 in the closing seconds, quarterback Matthew Stafford got his team into field goal range for a shot to win the game. Los Angeles bettors had to be feeling pretty good at this point because even if they missed the kick, the Rams would cover.
But then, the unfathomable happened. Not only did Philly’s 330-pound defensive lineman Jordan Davis block the field goal, but he ran it back for a touchdown, leading to a final score of Eagles 33, Rams 26.
And as legendary broadcaster Al Michaels has said on more than one occasion while calling a game, “those plays are significant to some.”
BLOCKED BY DAVIS. RETURNED BY DAVIS.
Eagles win.
🎥 @NFL pic.twitter.com/mZVRGpKiVp
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 21, 2025
From a betting perspective, it was a brutal bad beat for Los Angeles+3.5 bettors (which meant the Rams had to either win or lose by fewer than 3 points) or moneyline ticket holders at +155 (Los Angeles to win the game).
“The Eagles covering that spread (-3.5) was pretty unimaginable throughout the duration of the game,” said Tom Gable, director of race & sports at the Borgata.
Per NextGenStats, Philadelphia’s win probability was as low as 8.6 percent with a little over 12 minutes left in the third quarter, trailing 26-7. The Eagles went on to score 26 unanswered points, including blocking two field goals, helping them to not only win but also cover the spread.
The last-second touchdown significantly impacted one sportsbook.
“We needed the Rams to cover badly,” Circa Sportsbook director of operations Jeffrey Benson texted The Athletic. “That play cost us six figures plus.”
Some people in the industry are already saying this is going to be the bad beat of the NFL season, despite it only being Week 3.
Rams non-cover is the worst bad beat of the NFL season and tbh not sure it can or will get topped this season
— Todd Fuhrman (@ToddFuhrman) September 21, 2025
Rams +3.5 will be the worst beat of the year.
— Zachary Cohen (@BettingOnX) September 21, 2025
(Photo of Jalen Hurts: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
