If you had Broncos -7.5 on Sunday, we are so, so sorry. What happened to you wasn't just a bad beat — it was a crime against humanity, a cosmic injustice, the kind of thing that makes you question whether the universe has a personal vendetta against your bankroll.

Let's talk about it. Bring tissues.

The Quick Hit

• What happened: Broncos led 24-14 with seconds left, Raiders scored a meaningless field goal, Broncos won 24-17 but failed to cover -7.5
• The damage: Dave Portnoy lost $250,000. Countless degenerates lost their minds.
• Why you should care: This might be the worst bad beat of the 2025 NFL season
• The move: There is no move. Only pain.

Let's Break Down This Absolute Nightmare

The Broncos were cruising. Up 24-14 with under a minute left, the game was over. The spread was -7.5, and Denver was covering comfortably with a 10-point lead. All they had to do was... nothing. Literally just let the clock run out.

Here's where it gets infuriating.

Tyler Lockett caught a short pass and was tackled in the field of play. The Raiders had no timeouts. The clock was running. The game was OVER.

But Broncos safety Brandon Jones wouldn't let Lockett up.

That's a delay of game penalty. On the DEFENSE. Which stops the clock.

Suddenly, with five seconds left — five seconds that shouldn't have existed — the Raiders had one more play. Pete Carroll, because he's Pete Carroll and chaos is his love language, decided to kick a field goal.

The kick went through as time expired.

Final score: Broncos 24, Raiders 17.

Every single Broncos -7.5 ticket? Dead. Murdered by a delay of game penalty and a meaningless field goal that affected absolutely nothing except the spread.

Dave Portnoy's Meltdown Was Legendary

Barstool's Dave Portnoy had $250,000 on the Broncos. His reaction on Instagram was... well, exactly what you'd expect:

He called it "the worst beat of all time."

And honestly? He might be right.

When a millionaire who bets like he's playing with Monopoly money is having a public meltdown, you know it was truly brutal.

Pete Carroll's Explanation Made It Worse

Here's what the Raiders coach said about why he kicked the field goal:

"There was a real clear thought about what we were trying to do there, just take it down to the very last click. I was battling with the official, making a plea, because we saw eight seconds, seven, which would have given us a chance to kick a field goal, then kick an on-side kick, and maybe have a second left."

Pete. PETE. You were down 10 with five seconds left. There was no scenario where that field goal mattered for the actual game. But for the spread? You destroyed lives, Pete. LIVES.

The Numbers on This Tragedy

• Broncos were 7.5-point favorites
• They won by 7
• The difference: One delay of game penalty and one 100% meaningless field goal
• Amount of money that swung on this: Millions. Easily millions.

For the record, three of Athlon Sports' NFL experts had Denver -7.5 as a best bet that week. Those experts are now in the fetal position.

Why This Hurts So Much

Bad beats happen every week. But this one is special because:

1. The game was OVER — The clock was running with no timeouts
2. It was self-inflicted — A Broncos player caused the penalty
3. The field goal was meaningless — It changed nothing about the outcome
4. It was by half a point — The cruelest margin possible

This wasn't variance. This wasn't football. This was the gambling gods looking down at Broncos backers and saying, "Fuck you specifically."

The Bottom Line

There's nothing to learn here. There's no angle, no edge, no strategy that protects you from a delay of game penalty with five seconds left in a game that's already decided.

Sometimes, the universe just wants to watch you suffer. Sometimes, Brandon Jones holds a receiver down for two extra seconds and Pete Carroll decides to kick a field goal for absolutely no reason.

And sometimes, we just have to pour one out for the fallen and remember: the house doesn't always win, but the house of pain is always open.

RIP to all the -7.5 tickets. You deserved better.