CJ Walker's game-ending three-pointer was a winner for Buckeyes ATS bettors. Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State gets backdoor cover against Illinois in horrible gambling beat

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 3/14/21

Illinois defeated Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament championship on Sunday, and the way the game ended may have been more painful for gamblers than it was for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State trailed 91-85 with less than four seconds remaining in overtime and had no chance to win. Rather than dribble out the clock, point guard CJ Walker decided to play for pride and quickly get the ball up the court. He knocked down an uncontested three-pointer at the buzzer to make the final score 91-88.

Illinois wins the B1G Championship, but Ohio State gets the backdoor cover pic.twitter.com/OTC8En4c4W

— BroBible (@BroBible) March 14, 2021

No big deal, right? Wrong.

The gambling spread on the game was anywhere from Illinois -4.5 to -6, depending upon the sportsbook and when bets were placed. That seemingly meaningless three-pointer from Walker was anything but for bettors, as it gave Ohio State the cover.

The last time we saw a beat that painful was probably on this play in the Browns-Ravens game a few months ago. That goes to show you that even when the winner of the game is all but decided, the gamblers are often still clinging to the edges of their seats.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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