This article is part of our NFL Picks series.
Few things hurt worse in sports betting than a bad beat – when your wager is on its way to glory, only to fall short on a crazy turn of events.
With legal Ohio sportsbooks about to kick off on January 1st, 2023, it is time to take a look at the 5 worst betting bad beats in Ohio Sports history.
5 Worst Betting Bad Beats In Ohio Sports History
Patriots vs. Bengals - 1993
The Patriots and Bengals faced off in Week 15 of the 1993 season in a game that New England won 7-2.
A 0-0 game until Drew Bledsoe threw a touchdown pass to Ben Coates with 53 seconds left in the first half, the Bengals would get their only points off of safety in the game's final seconds.
These two teams totaled three wins entering this Week 15 matchup.
Browns vs. Broncos - 1986 AFC Championship Game
The Browns and Broncos faced off in two consecutive AFC title games that left Ohio sports fans in shambles. Which Browns' heartbreak was worse? That's for you to decide.
In the first of the two letdowns, John Elway Elway'd in a game that lives in infamy with the moniker, "The Drive."
With 5:32 left to play in the fourth quarter, Elway led the Broncos to a game-tying touchdown drive from his own 2-yard line.
When it was all said and done, the Browns blew the lead, and the game went into overtime where the Broncos would ultimately kick the game-winning field goal. The Browns would lose 23-20.
Browns vs. Broncos - 1987 AFC Championship Game
In the 1987 AFC Championship, the Browns yet again had a Super Bowl berth in their sight – then the Earnest Byner fumble happened.
With 1:12 left in the game, Byner fumbled on the three-yard line as he was going in for a touchdown, which would have potentially led to a game-tying extra point. We don't know what would have happened if this game went into overtime, but we do know the Browns never had another shot.
Following the Byner mishap, the Broncos ran three plays, forced the Browns to use all of their timeouts, and took a safety. Cleveland lost, 38-33.
Nets vs. Cavaliers - 2019
During the 2019 NBA season, the Nets and Cavaliers played a regular season matchup that went into triple overtime. This is one of the worst beats in Ohio history since the Cavaliers seemingly had the game sealed in the final minute of regular time thanks to a Jordan Clarkson bucket.
However, an improbable DeMarre Carroll basket with time winding down would tie the game and send it to the first of three overtimes where D'Angelo Russell took command. The Cavs would fall to the Nets 148-139.
The Worst Bad Beat In Ohio Sports Betting History
Bengals vs. 49ers - 1989 (Super Bowl 23)
Long game-winning drives and Ohio sports seemingly go hand-in-hand. This one comes in Super Bowl 23 at the hands of Joe Montana.
Trailing 16-13 with 3:10 left to play in the fourth quarter, and 49ers had the ball on their own 15-yard line with 85 yards between them and a Super Bowl win. They could have had a game-tying field goal instead, but that is not how Montana rolls.
Following a drive-starting illegal block penalty, the 49ers had to go 92 yards. It was no big deal for Montana's bunch. Mr. Joe Cool would then shred the Bengals' defense en route to a 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor to give the 49ers another Super Bowl victory.
How To Avoid Bad Beats For New Ohio Bettors?
If bad beats weren't bad enough if you are a fan, they are even worse when you bet on them. If you are a new Ohio bettor, the best way to avoid bad beats is by taking advantage of all the generous Ohio betting promos available to you today.
These offers can be found at all of the best Ohio betting apps that will be available to use on launch day, which is on January 1st, 2023. Here are the best sports betting promos that you can sign up for in Ohio today.
BetMGM Ohio Bonus Code ROTOBONUS: The BetMGM Ohio Bonus Code ROTOBONUS will give new users $200 in free bets that you can use on launch day.
Caesars Sportsbook Ohio Promo Code ROTOTIX: The Caesars Sportsbook Ohio Promo Code ROTOTIX will give new users $100 in free bets to use on launch day. It will also give them an entry to win Cavaliers tickets.
DraftKings Ohio Promo Code: The DraftKings Ohio Promo Code will give new users $200 in free bets that they can use on launch day. They will also gain an entry to win a $100K free bet as well.
