Murphy’s Law states anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Whether one bettor knew two of the league’s best running backs would go down with injuries is unknown, but the bets would seem to point in that direction.
This NFL bettor leaned into the violence of the running back position and, for better or worse, won $71,000 by predicting the backups would rule the night during the “Monday Night Football” doubleheader.
This bet involved Saints backup running back Tony Jones Jr. scoring at least two touchdowns at 200/1 odds, and Browns backup running back Jerome Ford rushing the most yards in the Cleveland-Pittsburgh contest at 70/1 odds.
The odds were so long since neither player had a path to playing time entering their respective games, and likely needed the starter ahead of them to go down with an injury or just be outright benched.
A benching was particularly unlikely for the Browns’ Nick Chubb, one of the best running backs in football.
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Injuries ultimately paved the way for this massive payout.
Jones’ game kicked off first and he capitalized on Jamaal Williams exiting in the first half with a hamstring injury.
Williams could now be facing an extended absence since soft-tissue injuries tend to linger for running backs.
While Jones struggled in an old-fashioned slugfest against the Panthers, he still found the end zone twice — the first rushing scores of his career — with some help along the way.
A potential Chris Olave touchdown in the fourth quarter was called back, setting up Jones’ second score with 3:14 that all but sealed the game.
Jones managed a poor 2.8 yards per carry (YPC) average (34 yards on 12 carries), but that didn’t matter for this bet.
Meanwhile, Ford entered the game with just 48 career rushing yards and had to somehow outproduce Chubb, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren to cash his portion.
Chubb’s season-ending injury opened the door for Ford and he ran away with his opportunity, leading all rushers with 106 yards. He tallied 42 more yards than the second-highest rusher in Chubb.
Those injuries and good breaks cashed this ridiculous, long shot parlay at roughly 14,000/1 odds, although it could have happened in happier circumstances considering Chubb’s fate.
The injuries sustained by Chubb and Williams fuel the fire that running backs need better long-term financial compensation, considering the dangers that come with the position.