The Houston Texans found themselves in a tougher battle than most expected Sunday, as they went scoreless through nearly the entire second half of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
That they found a way to win — with a touchdown in the final 20 seconds — was fortunate. But for those who bet on the spread, a mere win wasn’t enough.
With a spread of -5.5 at kickoff, Texans bettors needed the team to win by at least six. A 24-20 final score wouldn’t do. They needed a miracle in the final 18 seconds. And they appeared to get one.
The Jaguars ran one of those wonky lateral plays to try to get down the field in the closing seconds. Instead, they just kept going backwards until the final lateral was caught near their own goal-line for what looked awfully close to a safety. It was the frontdoor cover bettors needed…
But refs didn’t call the safety. Or review the play. The game just … ended.
The Texans closed at -5.5 vs the Jaguars
This was the last play of the game…
Should it have been a safety to make it a 26-20 final score? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/9Q38nB4B4E
— SportsBettingDime (@SBD) September 29, 2024
A safety would have also pushed the game over the 44.5-point total.
To be fair to the officials, it’s not exactly clear that a safety needed to be called. It looks like the ball was first touched at the 1-yard line, which wouldn’t be a safety if it was caught there. But it’s also hard to say whether it was secure yet. The video simply isn’t clear enough.
At the very least, the play was worth a review. It wouldn’t have changed the outcome of which team won, but it could have changed the outcome of which team covered. And with betting such a big part of the sport, that can’t be easily dismissed.
That’s why the social media reaction was so full of angry bettors and conspiracy theorists calling the non-safety intentional.
Social media reaction
HOW IS THIS NOT A SAFETY FOR THE TEXANS COVER pic.twitter.com/weDtsGKHSU
— Official Ohio State DG (@DylanEveryday) September 29, 2024
We may have just witnessed one of the most blatant spread rigging moments in NFL history in the Texans Jaguars game lmao. Clear safety called down at the one to cover the 5.5 spread
— Icy Maxey (@IcyMaxey) September 29, 2024
The Jacksonville Jaguars down 4 against the Houston Texans and on the last play of the game appear to get a safety. The point spread was Jaguars +5.5
Apparently the refs didn’t see it that way. Vegas wins again! #nflrigged pic.twitter.com/1lOCPs0Lfz
— Vision4theBlind (@Vision4theBlind) September 29, 2024
Seems blatant. https://t.co/k8rc0lYLec
— Soufside Mal Popovich 𝟜:𝟜𝟜 (@Mali_Mal) September 29, 2024
how was that not a safety in the texans game ??????
— Barson Wentz (@bigeaglesfan123) September 29, 2024
HOW IS THAT NOT A SAFETY IN THE TEXANS GAME?!?
VEGAS MADE THE CALL, TEXANS SPREAD WAS -5.5
— 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙮 (@PrescottxLamb) September 29, 2024
How rigged is the NFL ?? How is that not a safety in the Texans game ?
— Stacks (@stackscovers) September 29, 2024
Clearly a #Texans safety to end the game but it would’ve hit both the over and the Texans -5.5 so obviously it gets ruled down at the 1 instead.
— kiel (@Half0at) September 29, 2024
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