The Kansas City Chiefs’ nail-biting win over the Baltimore Ravens left more than just Maryland fans heartbroken. Dave Portnoy, the outspoken founder of Barstool Sports, was devastated by the result-not because he’s a die-hard Ravens fan, but because he lost a massive bet on that 27-20 final score.
The Ravens opened the 2024 NFL season the same way they ended the 2023 season: with a loss to the Chiefs. Kansas City used its home-field advantage to control the game for most of the night, but a last-minute effort by the Ravens nearly changed everything.
With just 10 seconds left on the clock, wide receiver Isaiah Likely caught a 10-yard pass from Lamar Jackson in the end zone. However, as the Ravens celebrated, officials ruled that Likely had stepped out of bounds by half an inch making the catch, nullifying the game-tying score.
The loss crushed Baltimore fans across the country, but few felt the sting more than Dave Portnoy, who watched his $300,000 wager go up in smoke thanks to the Ravens’ failed comeback.
A nightmare for Portnoy
The Barstool Sports president is no stranger to risky bets. He’s won eye-popping sums in the past, but this was not one of those fortunate nights.
“Out of bounds. Devastating,” Portnoy lamented in a video he posted on his Instagram account, which showed him and his team watching the game’s final moments. You could almost hear Portnoy’s heart shatter as officials called back Likely’s touchdown.
While that play sealed the Ravens’ fate, the unraveling began several snaps earlier when Jackson opted not to spike the ball, instead going for a play that went nowhere. The Ravens wasted precious time, and Portnoy was quick to criticize the blunder, saying, “That clock management by the Ravens is gonna haunt my dreams.”
Ravens’ odds
Baltimore entered Arrowhead Stadium as the underdog. Sportsbooks like DraftKings had them as 3-point underdogs with odds of +130, meaning a $100 bet would pay out $130 if the Ravens won.
At those odds, Portnoy’s $300,000 wager could have netted him $390,000. But with Likely’s critical mistake, Portnoy’s big payday vanished, leaving him with nothing but nightmares about this game for a long time to come.
