Chiefs were favored to win by 7.5 and 8 in some sportsbooks
Not every win is a win in the world of sports gambling.
Patrick Mahomes ensured a victory for the Kansas City Chiefs when he scrambled for a first down and slid just shy of the end zone with less than two minutes remaining in Sunday night’s game against the New York Jets.
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs carries the ball during the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2023, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
The Chiefs’ led their opponents, 23-20, and Mahomes opted against scoring another touchdown, which allowed Kansas City to take control of the clock and, ultimately, the game.
As Chiefs fans celebrated the narrow victory, Vegas was doing the same.
"That was a pretty big swing for us," Derek Wilkinson, SVP of Sports for DRF Sportsbook, told Fox News Digital.
"We always get flooded with Chiefs money, and it was more significant this week because they were playing a struggling Jets team. Smart move by Mahomes to just end the game, and we aren’t mad at him about it. However, I can’t retire until the Chiefs start losing some games outright."
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after sliding at the goal line during the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2023, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
The Chiefs were favored to win by 7.5 and 8 in some sportsbooks with the expectations that the defending Super Bowl champions would easily secure a win over the struggling Jets, who are 0-2 since winning their season opener against the Buffalo Bills.
That certainly looked to be the case through the first quarter as the Chiefs quickly built a 17-0 lead.
"It would have been probably our biggest single game loss for the year," Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito told Fox News Digital. "It would have been a great game for the guests on the other side of the counter."
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs slides for a first down against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2023, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
"When [Mahomes] broke free and was running towards the end zone, the room did erupt with a lot of 'Go!' and "Touchdown!' And when he took the slide, which is one of my favorite slides I've seen in a long time – I can't say what was yelled in the room. But it was a dramatic swing, I would say, industry-wide."
ESPN’s David Purdum estimated that $80 million was wagered on the game with 80%-90% of that money on the Chiefs as favorites.
Paulina Dedaj is a Sports Reporter for Fox News Digital.
