Vikings spread bettors took an absolute gut punch in Week 4 against the Dolphins, and it all came down to T.J. Hockenson’s decision to slide at the 1-yard line with minutes left on the clock. It was a brutal “bad beat” for anyone backing Minnesota, sealing a truly frustrating end to what felt like a sure thing for some.
The Spread That Never Covered
From the jump, the odds for this game were a wild ride. The Vikings started as 11.5-point favorites against Miami, but that line drifted all week, eventually closing with the Dolphins as 9.5-point underdogs. The truth is, if you had the Vikings covering, you were sweating bullets the whole time. They were up 9-0 at one point, then 12-3, but they never once actually covered that spread through the entire game. It was a tight one all the way, and Miami was the right side to bet on for pretty much every snap.
The Play That Ended It All
With a little over two minutes left, the Vikings had driven into the red zone. It was third-and-5 from the Miami 10-yard line with just 2:07 on the clock. Kyler Murray found T.J. Hockenson for what was a first down reception. But instead of barreling into the end zone, Hockenson made a “smart” play, sliding down at the 1-yard line. Why? To seal the game, because the Dolphins had zero timeouts left. Hockenson had a monster day otherwise, pulling in a team-high 12 catches for 119 receiving yards. But that slide. Man, that slide. If he had just scored, the Vikings would’ve been up 22-10 after the extra point, covering *all* numbers on the spread. Instead, Murray took three kneeldowns after the two-minute warning, and the game ended with a Vikings 15-10 win.
The Vikings are sitting pretty at 4-0 overall, but they’re only 3-1 against the spread after that. The Dolphins, on the other hand, are struggling at 0-4 and 1-3 ATS. That one slide, though, is gonna be the talk of the betting world for a minute.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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