Top 10 Sports Betting Moments of 2023

With sports betting reaching a wider audience than ever before, it’s the perfect time to commemorate the year that was. One of the most obvious ripple effects of the expansion of sports betting and the influx of new and recreational bettors is the growth of the sports gambling community. Our shared experiences bring us closer while providing an opportunity to celebrate and enjoy our passion for sports collectively.

At Covers, we strive to foster our community, and we truly cherish it day in and day out. So, with that in mind, here’s our look back at the Top 10 sports betting moments of 2023.

Drumroll, please …

Top 10 sports betting moments of 2023


10. No time to kneel like the present

  • Date: October 8

The undefeated Miami Hurricanes were oh so close to moving to a 5-0 start, but instead of kneeling with 33 seconds left to clinch a 20-17 win, quarterback Tyler Van Dyke handed off to running back Donald Chaney Jr. for the 10th time on what should have been the deciding drive.

And, as they say, the rest is history.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets forced and recovered a Chaney fumble, and four plays later found paydirt to take a 23-20 lead on a 44-yard touchdown pass from Haynes King to Christian Leary.

Miami ultimately kneeled to King, and the Yellow Jackets cashed as a +745 underdog.

9. I see your offside and raise you a loss

  • Date: December 10

The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs executed a miraculous 49-yard touchdown with just over a minute left to take a 23-20 lead over the Buffalo Bills, but the officiating crew saw the play differently.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce hauled in a Patrick Mahomes pass at the Buffalo 30-yard line and scampered forward while eluding Bills before tossing a lateral pass caught by wide-open wide receiver Kadarius Toney at the Buffalo 25.

Toney coasted into the end zone for what he thought was a potential game-winning score. The problem was, that Toney was lined up offside, and Mahomes had an offensive offside called against him for the first time in his seven-year career.

The kicker: 76% of the spread betting handle at BetMGM was on Kansas City -1.

8. White heat checks Miami to force Game 7

  • Date: May 27

The 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals were indeed a wild ride. Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler willed his team to a 3-0 series lead, and the Boston Celtics moved from a -550 preseries favorite to advance to a +700 underdog following a Game 3 loss.

Of course, Boston bounced back with consecutive wins and held a 98-88 lead and a 98.3% ESPN win expectancy with 4:10 remaining in Game 6.

But Butler wasn’t finished, and he put the Celtics on a heat check to the tune of 13 points, including hitting three consecutive free throws to take a 103-102 lead with 3.0 remaining in regulation. Miami was exactly three seconds from winning in six.

The final sequence of the game saw Celtics guard Derrick White tip in a rebound at the buzzer, and Boston headed into the deciding Game 7 as a -365 favorite. This rollercoaster of a series ultimately saw the Celtics derailed as a huge favorite in Game 7, but at least White gave the Boston faithful one more upset loss before calling it a year.

7. Money Messi Debuts

  • Date: July 21

Here’s the Lionel Messi MLS timeline:

June 7, Messi leaked that he's going to play for the MLS club Inter Miami CF.

July 16, Messi is welcomed by Miami CF with a 2.5-year contract worth approximately $150 million

July 21, Messi is listed at plus-money odds to score in his MLS debut and 99% of the betting action was on him to find the back of the net.

What did oddsmakers expect was going to happen?

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6. Philly fails as Super Bowl favorites

  • Date: February 12

The Philadelphia Eagles were a -1.5 favorite over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57, and Philly took a 24-14 lead and a 75% ESPN win probability into halftime. Kansas City was trading at +310 on the moneyline heading into the third quarter.

That 10-point lead didn’t last long.

The Chiefs received the second-half kickoff and found the end zone 5:30 later. Kansas City continued to flip the third-quarter script and led 35-27 heading into the final frame.

Philly scored with 5:15 left in the game to deadlock the score at 35-35, but KC held the trump card: quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs were able to drive the length of the field and milk the clock before Harrison Butker sealed it with a 27-yard field goal.

It wasn’t quite a 28-3 comeback, but the Chiefs are one of just four teams to overcome a 10-point deficit to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

5. Dolphins flop under the bright lights

  • Date: December 11

The stage was set for the high-octane Miami Dolphins to show off under the bright lights of Monday Night Football in a Week 14 matchup against the visiting Tennessee Titans. Bettors steamed the Dolphins from an opening -9 favorite to Miami -13.5 at kickoff.

Tennessee was ready for the occasion and led 10-7 at the half, and the Titans held tough with a 13-10 lead after three quarters.

Finally, the ‘Fins showed up, and running back Raheem Mostert followed up a Miami field goal with two rushing scores in exactly a minute. The three consecutive scores put Miami up 27-13 with 4:34 to play, and all was right in again … until it wasn’t.

Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis orchestrated a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in just 1:54, and then connected with wideout Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for the two-point conversion.

So, the Dolphins didn’t cover the number but Super Bowl odds contenders never blow two-touchdown leads in the final minutes as huge home favorites … until they do.

Tennessee forced a three-and-out, and Levis led the Titans back to the end zone in 26 seconds to take the deciding 28-27 lead. Miami did, in fact, blow a two-touchdown lead under the bright lights of Monday Night Football, and Tennessee pulled up the monster upset as a +600 road underdog.

4. Furman delivers first March Madness dagger

  • Date: March 13

March Madness never fails.

Every year, and in almost every single round, there are dramatic finishes, upsets, and spectacles truly unique to the ultimate tournament in Sports.

The 2023 edition didn’t waste any time with the No. 13 Furman Paladins upsetting the No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers in the first round, either. Furman trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half, and Virginia held an 86.8% ESPN win probability with a 67-65 lead, the ball, and only 12 seconds on the clock.

Virginia had four guards on the court, and fifth-year senior point guard Kihei Clark had it all under control before uncharacteristically turning the ball over and attempting a half-court pass that led to a Paladins three-pointer from junior guard JP Pegues.

Despite being a +5.5 underdog, Furman carried the highest ticket count and betting handle through BetMGM. So, I ask you this: was this really a huge upset?

Either way, let’s chalk one up for all the bettors on the right side.

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3. Three for the money

  • Date: September 14

NFL kickers might not see a lot of love in fantasy football circles, but bettors showered them with it in Week 2 of the NFL season.

FanDuel listed a +20000 parlay that every team would score at least one field goal in every single one of the 12 games played across Sunday’s 1 p.m., 4:05 p.m., and 4:25 p.m. slates.

All 24 teams connected on at least one field goal, and FanDuel announced paying out more than $20 million to its customers.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay might have gone a little too far with the kicking love, though. With his team trailing 30-20, McVay ran out kicker Brett Mahar for a 38-yard attempt with four seconds on the clock.

Mahar hitting the kick as time expired actually meant a lot for bettors because the 49ers were a -7.5 favorite, and the three points meant the Rams covered the spread. McVay claimed ignorance of the betting implications of his decision – surely it was all to do with point differential being a postseason tiebreaker, right?

Of course, Los Angeles already had a pair of field goals on the day, so the final one didn’t even count for the FanDuel parlay.

2. All eyes – and money – on Coach Prime

  • Date: September 2

No college Football team shined in the national spotlight brighter than the Colorado Buffaloes to start the 2023 season, and head coach Deion Sanders and his top-ranked transfer class also captured Sports bettors’ attention.

Colorado drew the No. 17 TCU Horned Frogs in Week 1, and the Buffaloes not only went toe-to-toe with last year’s runner-up, Colorado left Amon G. Carter Stadium with a 45-43 road victory.

Over the following 24 hours the Buffaloes took more bets than any other team to win the National Championship, and quarterback Shedeur Sanders and running back Travis Hunter received more bets than any other player to win the Heisman Trophy at DraftKings.

The neon lost its luster in short order, as Colorado’s 3-0 start quickly turned into a 1-8 finish. Still, Coach Prime was named Sports Illustrated’s 2023 Sportsperson of the Year, and I bet we’ll see more primetime lights in Boulder in 2024.

1. KC cover slides away

  • Date: October 2

There’s no way to sugarcoat it because bettors shouldn’t have been surprised to see Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes slide at the two-yard line instead of scoring to secure a 23-20 win over the New York Jets in Week 4.

KC running back Jerick McKinnon did the same thing in Super Bowl 57, and the Chiefs allowed the Jets back into the game after racing out to a 17-point, first-quarter lead.

The Chiefs were a -7.5 favorite and 82% of the betting handle was on Kansas City through BetMGM. So, this borders on bad-beat territory.

Here’s the thing: the Chiefs didn’t find the end zone after the first quarter, and they allowed the Jets to outscore them 20-6 the rest of the way. It wasn’t the slide that cost the cover. It was the New York defense shutting Mahomes and the KC offense down.

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