"Overtime is where underdogs go to die." … Well the same can also be said for those betting unders, and there was no better example than Sunday's Kentucky-Auburn game.
After the two teams managed to score just 120 points in regulation, the Tigers triumphed in overtime, beating the Wildcats, 77-71, to advance to their first Final Four.
Over the final 10 minutes of regulation, a total of 23 points were scored between both teams. And with less than a minute to go, Kentucky leading 60-58, under bettors had a 96.16% chance to cash, according to the cover probability metric in The Action Network app.
None of this helped anyone holding an under ticket, as Auburn tied the game, the clock ticked away and the dread of the inevitable horror loomed in overtime.
It took almost four-and-a-half minutes of overtime for the fears to become reality, but with about 30 seconds left, the game soared over the pregame high of 143 points with a PJ Washington 3-pointer.
Since 2005, 58 total games have gone to overtime in the NCAA Tournament and 46 of them have gone over the total (79.3%).
The public ended up receiving a golden ticket at the end of this game, since 65% of bettors took the over, according to The Action Network's betting data.
Heading into the Elite 8, Kentucky had been trending under the total all season as well, going 15-4 (79%) in its last 19 games overall, including 23-12 (65.7%) to the under this season prior to its loss in the Elite 8.
It's the second bad overtime beat in as many days. On Saturday, Purdue bettors were stunned in the final nine seconds of OT, as Virginia went from leading by 1 to winning by 5, swinging hundreds of thousands of dollars in Vegas in the process.
