The Minnesota Vikings have been a snake-bit organization for a long time but they bit the snake back on Sunday night with an impossible touchdown pass from Case Keenum to Stefon Diggs that stunned the world and sent the Vikings into the NFC Championship Game.
And in the process the Vikings managed to crush the souls of anyone who bet on the game, too.
First, the play, a completely and utterly impossible play that resulted in total pandemonium.
.@STEFONDIGGS FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!! #SKOL #NOvsMIN #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/UAoNJ2NJ97
— NFL (@NFL) January 15, 2018
It took 20 minutes -- maybe longer -- to get the field cleared for the extra point. The NFL had to go into the locker room and MAKE THE SAINTS COME BACK OUT to try and block the extra point; it's a requirement that you kick even if you're leading by five.
And that's where the spread comes into play, with the Vikings being favored by 5.5 points when the game closed. Minnesota would promptly take a knee on the extra-point attempt (which was the classy and smart thing to do in the situation).
Final score: Vikings 29, Saints 24
A whole host of people were destroyed by the bet, with anyone taking Saints plus-5 going from a win to a push. Anyone who had the Vikings and giving 5.5 points thought they were locked in the entire first half, with the Vikings up 17-0 at the break. Then the Saints stormed back and kicked an extra point to take the lead. Then the Vikings managed to pull off that impossible pass and it looked like they might cover and then ... no.
If you were holding Saints plus-5.5, you were dead the entire day, then got brought right back to life and then felt like you were going to be destroyed by the Vikings' late extra point. You feel like you're ON FIRE if you took the Saints, given a gift you had no business getting in the first place.
In Vegas and we had the #Saints plus 5.5. Greatest kneeldown ever!
— Greg Rajan (@GregRajan) January 15, 2018
When they kneel for the deciding point lol pic.twitter.com/UXD9sMevmJ
— Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) January 15, 2018
my man at the book was so excited he was able to fish his vikings-5.5 ticket out of the trash then when they kneeled he charlie brown walked up the stairs so hard
— martin rickman (@martinrickman) January 15, 2018
Saints +5.5 bettors catch a huge break but ML bettors are absolutely sick right now.
— OddsShark (@OddsShark) January 15, 2018
Keenum takes a knee, #Saints +5.5 bettors pic.twitter.com/NGolYPPCSY
— The Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) January 15, 2018
5.5 point spread and they’re about to take a knee on the two point conversion. WOW #GAMBLING
— Sideline Fantasy (@playsideline) January 15, 2018
THE SPREAD WAS MINNESOTA -5.5. THEY HAVE TO KICK. I’M DYING
— Josh Goodson (@joshwgoodson) January 15, 2018
Fox Sports' Joe Buck pointed out that the extra point was the "most anti-climatic moment in the history of the NFL." He wasn't wrong in the sense of the kick not deciding who won the game, but there were definitely interested parties out there.