The Atlanta Falcons did that thing the Atlanta Falcons do on Sunday, as they saw what was at one point a 20-0 lead and later a 29-10 lead evaporate in the fourth quarter in an incredibly embarrassing 40-39 loss that was punctuated by one of the worst onside kick recovery efforts in NFL history.
As a result, the Falcons fall to 0-2 and will face an uphill battle to make the postseason, particularly given the strength of their division in the NFC South. For Falcons fans, it was just the latest in wildly frustrating and embarrassing collapses — a list that begins with their Super Bowl loss to the Patriots — but for those that decided to fade the public with the Falcons on the money line at their local sportsbook, it likely sent them into a furious rage, both because they melted down to lose and also because they chose to bet on the Falcons.
However, at least those that picked the Falcons on the money line before the game were working from the idea they were underdogs all along, getting the line value that comes with it (Atlanta was ~+230). Usually, when a team takes a massive lead, most in-game wagers are small bets on the losing team trying to cash in on the possibility that they pull off a Cowboys-like comeback, especially if they were favorites prior to the game as Dallas was. Sometimes someone is willing to lay massive odds to reap a small reward on the winning team, and one bettor learned the hard way in the fourth quarter on Sunday why those buildings in Las Vegas are so tall and shiny.
According to BetMGM (via Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports), a bettor put in a live, in-game bet of $35,000 on the Falcons -3333 to net $1,050 with seven minutes remaining in the game. At that point, Atlanta held a 39-24 lead after a Younghoe Koo field goal with just under eight to play. From there, as you now know, the Cowboys ripped off 16 straight points, scoring two touchdowns, recovering the now infamous onside kick, and having Greg Zuerlein pump a 46-yard field goal through the uprights as time expired.
As such, our friend here flushed $35,000 because he or she thought tempting the football gods with the Atlanta Falcons of all teams was a good idea.
