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Have you clicked submit on a bet and knew it was a loser? You're not alone.
That’s why we created our naughty list, featuring the teams and players who we faded with extreme stubbornness - or trusted to a fault - in 2020.
Here’s who had no regard for our bankrolls this past year:
Bryson DeChambeau
Before the PGA Tour shut down for three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bryson DeChambeau was playing great. When things resumed and saw the 27-year-old had put on 20-plus pounds of muscle to become the longest hitter on Tour by far, you knew a win was close.
So it was a matter of figuring out when that title was coming, and we completely struck out. We whiffed at the Travelers Championship, which was the week prior to his Rocket Mortgage Classic victory when he was the +600 favorite. Then, when he showed up at the U.S. Open in poor form, we thought there's no way his errant driving would hold up with thick, penalizing rough at Winged Foot, so we faded him in the outright market and targeted him in multiple head-to-head bets. Once again, we were wrong on DeChambeau as he muscled his way toward a six-shot major victory.
- Eric Patterson
Josh Allen
Being from Toronto, Bills games are a yearly must. Orchard Park is a staple of tailgate folklore, and there’s nothing like washing down a day of debauchery at the famous Anchor Bar. It’s a shame I’ll never be going back.
I figured I’d seen enough of Josh Allen through two years to know what he is. I guess I was wrong?
I faded the Bills early against the Rams and went back to the well a week later against the Raiders; 0-2. Then I backed them against the Titans because, well, COVID-19; 42-16 Tennessee. That was my breaking point. "They're overvalued,” I wrote in every single one of my articles.
Narrator: They weren’t.
It only got worst from there. I've gone approximately 0-19 betting Bills games this year, between spreads, totals, and player props. Tell Stefon Diggs I have his over, and he’s putting up 16 yards. It’s wild.
- Alex Moretto
Justin Jefferson
Everything was getting postponed or canceled in early spring, so the NFL Draft was the one really big event I was excited to bet. You can only wager on marble races for so long in the dead of March with no college basketball.
Anything is fair game when it comes to draft rumors, but I heard from two reliable sources that Justin Jefferson wasn't getting past the Eagles at No. 21. On draft day, I remember buying this cool poster board and markers and categorizing all my props, hinged on a Brinks truck full of money on Jefferson under 21.5.
Jefferson was still on the board when the Eagles picked. They chose Jalen Reagor.
That poster board was in the garbage by the time the Vikings picked at 22.
- Alex Kolodziej
Los Angeles Dodgers
I know what you're thinking, how can the World Series champions be the team that cost me the most money, in a shortened season, no less? I bet on almost every team not named the Dodgers to win the World Series - and I watched in horror as every one of my hard-earned tickets went up in flames.
Entering the postseason, I had action on over half of the playoff field, including six of the eight teams in the American League. I'm not just talking about lazy midseason values, either: Rays 18-1, Athletics 25-1, White Sox 33-1, Padres 40-1. I could have blindly thrown a rock at the playoff bracket and hit a stellar preseason bet, which had me feeling pretty good in late September.
Do you know who didn't care about any of that? The Dodgers, who even let Tampa Bay hang around for six games in the World Series just to twist the knife around a little bit. The series was never that close, nor were my chances of winning any money on my binder full of MLB futures. Thanks for that, Corey Seager.
- C Jackson Cowart
Oklahoma State Cowboys
About four or five times a week, I sit and wonder if Mike Gundy has it out for me. I couldn't predict an Oklahoma State outcome if you revealed it.
In Week 1, I bet the Cowboys over against Tulsa; 16-7 final. They could have played twice and it wouldn't have hit. A week later, I called them out. They proceeded to win their next three by a combined 57 points.
Three games later, I recommended betting them against Oklahoma. They lost by 28. In the season finale, I suggested playing them as 12-point favorites against Texas Tech. They gave up 44 points and nearly lost outright.
Is that good?
- Alex Kolodziej
Oregon Ducks
Betting long shots in the preseason is supposed to be the quintessential example of low risk, high reward. It's supposed to be fun - all opportunity, no downside. That only applies if you know your limits.
I clearly didn't when it came to Oregon, trading at 80-1 to win the 2021 College Football Playoff last January. Remember, this was a different time when teams played all the games on their schedule and the Pac-12 had a chance of making the playoff (OK, maybe that wasn't true then, either). I emptied my account on the Ducks, who profiled as a top-15 team led by Penei Sewell and an elite defense.
Then the world changed, and so did my once-savvy futures play. Sewell opted out, Oregon's defense allowed an abysmal 28 points per game, and the Ducks posted their worst regular-season record since 2017. The conference even tried to hook me up by sending a two-loss Oregon team to the Pac-12 title game, but nothing can erase the stink of losing to Oregon State and Cal - regardless of the preseason price.
- C Jackson Cowart
Vancouver Canucks
It wouldn’t surprise me if a few Granville Street bars have my face taped to dartboards. I definitely don’t care to search my name on Canucks message boards and imagine I need to wait at least a few years before I revisit the city. My in-laws live there, so maybe it’s not such a bad thing.
To be clear, I had a good two months betting the NHL playoffs, but it could have been great if not for the Canucks. I was on the Wild in the play-in round – series and game-by-game bets – and all over Vegas to curb stomp them in the conference semis. I almost took out a second mortgage to bet the Knights -1.5 games in the series. Naturally, it went the distance.
As if the money I lost betting against the Canucks wasn’t bad enough, their fans destroyed me on every social media platform. Right, William? Buddy, too. I'll spare you the DMs - kids might be reading this. Canucks fans aren't a very forgiving bunch.
- Alex Moretto
Who's on your naughty list? This is a safe space and an important exercise in healing. Share in the comments below.
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