Sunday’s clash between the Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders ended with more than just a final score-it sparked a firestorm among bettors, highlighted by a furious reaction from Dave Portnoy, who didn’t hold back on social media after a wild finish that left the spread hanging by a thread.
Heading into the game, the Broncos were 7.5-point favorites, and for most of the afternoon, it looked like they were going to cover comfortably. Denver had built a 24-7 lead in the fourth quarter, thanks in part to a 23-yard field goal by Will Lutz. The defense had done its job, the offense controlled the tempo, and Broncos bettors were already counting their wins.
But then came the chaos.
With backup quarterback Kenny Pickett under center, the Raiders mounted a late push. Pickett connected with Shedrick Jackson for a 25-yard touchdown, slicing the Broncos’ lead to 24-14.
Not ideal for the spread, but still manageable. Then, with just over 20 seconds left, the Raiders converted a clutch third-and-3 to keep the drive alive.
Pickett followed that up with a 26-yard strike to Tyler Lockett, pushing the Raiders into field goal range.
That’s when things really got heated.
After the Lockett catch, Broncos safety Brandon Jones was flagged for delay of game-a penalty that not only moved the ball but, more critically, stopped the clock with five seconds to go. That gave the Raiders just enough time to send Daniel Carlson out for a 46-yard field goal attempt.
He nailed it.
The final score? 24-17.
Broncos win the game, but don’t cover the 7.5-point spread. Cue the outrage.
Portnoy, a well-known voice in the sports betting world, erupted on X (formerly Twitter), calling it “the worst beat of all time” and demanding an investigation into the Raiders. His rant included calls for Pete Carroll-who now coaches the Raiders-to be investigated, and even jokingly said he should be “in prison.” It was classic Portnoy: loud, emotional, and resonant with a betting community that felt blindsided by the late-game sequence.
To be fair, the ending was bizarre. A delay of game penalty on a defensive player after a routine tackle is rare, and the timing couldn’t have been worse for Broncos backers. But for the Raiders, it was about finishing strong, even if the outcome was already decided in the win-loss column.
Meanwhile, Sean Payton had a very different tone postgame. The Broncos head coach praised his team’s focus and effort, emphasizing the bigger picture: positioning themselves for a deep playoff run.
“Our team’s done a good job of really focusing and playing for each other the next week,” Payton said. “Putting good work in. And they’re well aware of what they’re playing for.”
Payton made it clear that while fans and bettors might be scoreboard-watching across the league, the Broncos are locked in on the task at hand. “We’re focused on the next game, really,” he added. “Everyone goes home and pays attention to who wins and loses, but our focus as a team is Green Bay, the next game.”
And that focus has paid off. Denver now sits atop the AFC West with an 11-2 record, riding a 10-game winning streak that’s turned heads across the league. The defense has tightened up, the offense is finding rhythm, and the Broncos are quietly building the kind of momentum that makes them a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Next up: a road test against the Packers, a team fighting for its own postseason life. But if the Broncos keep playing the way they have, they won’t just be thinking about playoff berths-they’ll be thinking about hosting the AFC Championship.
As for the betting drama? That’s part of the game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes a late field goal changes everything.