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NFL bets: Bettor sweats out $525,000 wager as Patriots cover with late end zone interception

sam cooper
College football writer
·2 min read

One BetMGM bettor was especially confident in the new-look New England Patriots, and it paid off handsomely on Sunday.

The Patriots pulled out a 21-11 Week 1 victory over the Miami Dolphins, covering the seven-point spread in the process. That 10-point win yielded a return of $477,272.70 for a bettor who placed a whopping $525,000 wager on Cam Newton and the Patriots to cover the spread.

It turned into a nail-biter, too. New England led most of the afternoon, but the Dolphins cut the deficit to 14-11 with 10:31 to play. That put the ball back into the hands of Newton, who was making his first start in a Patriots uniform after Tom Brady departed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Newton came through for those who backed the Patriots and the points. He led a 10-play, 75-yard drive, including converting on a fourth-and-1 play via a 4-yard rush from the Miami 5-yard line. On the next play, Sony Michel plunged in from a yard out, expanding the lead to 10 points.

That fourth-down call and conversion was crucial for Patriots backers. Had Bill Belichick opted to kick the short field goal, his team would have had a six-point lead with Miami inside the seven-point number and about to regain possession.

But the drama did not end there. There was still 5:23 on the clock when the Dolphins regained possession down 10. With a two-score advantage at their disposal, the Patriots defense was comfortable letting Miami gain some yardage in exchange for time coming off the clock.

The Dolphins eventually advanced into the red zone. On a third-down play, Ryan Fitzpatrick looked to the end zone, only to be picked off by J.C. Jackson. It was a play that sealed the victory for New England, and put money into the pockets of Patriots backers — but not without a scare.

It was a strong performance from Newton, too. The former NFL MVP completed 15-of-19 passes for 155 yards while rushing for 75 yards and two scores.

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