I’ve watched the replay of B.J. Taylor’s jumper and Aubrey Dawkins’ ensuing put-back that each somehow failed to fall at least a dozen times now. I still can’t believe that both of these shots spun off the rim:

We were that close to half of America’s brackets blowing up and CBS Sports producers scrambling to find something to talk about for the next two weeks other than Zion Williamson. It would’ve been chaos, but instead it was just a crushing loss for UCF and an agonizing beat for bettors who had the courage to go against a Blue Devils squad that was more than -900 on the moneyline and remains the odds-on favorite to win it all.

Enter PointsBet Sportsbook to save the day. While they can’t soften the blow for UCF or fans of the team, they decided to do something for moneyline bettors who just barely missed out on a strong payout:

I don’t remember the bookie from down the street ever showing such mercy.

Other NJ online legal sportsbooks have also run bad beat promos. In January, FanDuel offered its users a $100 refund on the Bears’ “double doink” playoff loss to the Eagles. New Jersey law allows companies to run deals such as these, but they are usually capped around $25. PointsBet refunding full bet amounts is obviously great for promotional purposes, but it’s also undoubtedly a merciful reprieve for UCF moneyline bettors, making them almost as lucky as Duke.


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