Like it or not, gambling is now very much part of sports, and because of that, Lane Kiffin ended up apologizing to bettors after his No. 20 Ole Miss team beat Kentucky, 30-23, on Saturday.
With 70 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Ole Miss — which entered the road game as a 9.5-point favorite, per BetMGM — kicked a field goal to go up, 30-20. Had that score been the final one, bettors who took Ole Miss would have won their bets, along with the bettors who took the under at 50.5.
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But that wasn't the end of the game. On the Wildcats' final possession, they posted a 54-yard drive that ended with a 39-yard field goal, which did nothing for Kentucky except ensure it'd lose by seven instead of 10. Well, and that Ole Miss bettors would lose with a backdoor cover.
"That's a really hard team that plays really close games, so proud of our guys," Kiffin told ESPN after the game. "Sorry to a lot of gamblers there at the end."
Sorry, indeed. But that's gambling for ya. Hedge responsibly.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Lane Kiffin said 'sorry' to bettors after Kentucky's backdoor cover
Reporting by Michelle R. Martinelli, For The Win / For The Win
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