Just Take the Points: My Bad Beat from NFL Week 5

Last weekend as I peered through the odds and spreads on DraftKings, I made my usual 3-4 spread bets and then moved on to my value picks. Solid money line odds with a team that has, “a chip and a chair(a chance).”

The game that stood out was the Minnesota Vikings squaring off against the Seattle Seahawks. It didn’t stand out because I gave the Vikings a huge shot of winning, but the +275 odds, if they were able to pull it off, is what interested me.

Mistakes Were Made

I made my usual medium-sized value bets for odds like this and went on about my day. This was my first mistake. My second mistake was watching this wretched game. And my third mistake, thinking the Vikings were actually going to pull it off most of the way through the game.

As we all know now, that is not how it worked out. But things could’ve been different!! Why, oh why weren’t they different?!

The Vikings jumped out to an early 13-0 lead in the game. I knew that Russell Wilson wasn’t going to make it easy, even at that point, but I still got my hopes up.

Too Much Back and Forth

After the quick lead, there was a lot of back and forth. My hopes evened back out. Adrenaline turned into fear. Fear of what was about to happen.

There’s an old betting slogan, saying, phrase, whatever you want to call it. It’s a very simple concept. Take the points. If someone wants to give you points, take them. Well, that’s some advice that both Mike Zimmer and myself should listen to from here on out.

I should’ve taken the points given in the spread, but I got greedy. Mike Zimmer should’ve taken the damn points from a field goal, but he got greedy.

Late in the fourth quarter, Zimmer and the Vikings should’ve taken an eight-point lead, but they didn’t. On 4th and 1 with two minutes left, from the 6-yard line, Zimmer chose to run the ball with his backup running back who was stuffed at the line. Turnover on downs.

The writing was on the wall at that point. We all knew exactly what Russell Wilson was about to do, and he did it in Russ fashion. Drove straight down the field to score, and converted twice on fourth down while doing so. Just to get our heart rates up.

Take the Points

So, betting friends and coaches, take the old moniker to heart, TAKE THE POINTS.

If the Vikings kick the field goal and go up by 8, do we know if they would pull it off? Absolutely not, but it puts the pressure on Seattle to not only get it in the end zone but to also convert the two-point conversion. Not to mention score again in OT to get the win.

I know what the numbers say to do on fourth down in that situation, but I am adamantly disagreeing in this case. Extend the lead. Play for overtime. Bring out the kicker. MAKE ME MONEY!!

In closing; take the points, don’t get greedy, and maybe just never bet on the Vikings. Like…ever.