Dave Portnoy’s Rough Week: “Bad Beat” and the Broncos
Posted on: December 12, 2025, 01:20h.
Last updated on: December 13, 2025, 08:22h.
- Portnoy goes on epic rant after losing $250k bet on Raiders and Broncos, putting “bad beat” in focus
- Raiders’ coach Pete Carroll explains his thinking behind the last second field goal down ten points
- Portnoy gets heat for saying Carroll should be murdered during Instagram rant
The sports betting term “bad beat” has been in the news a little this week, illustrated by Dave Portnoy’s social media meltdown all over the Las Vegas Raiders and veteran head coach Pete Carroll after the Raiders’ 24-17 loss to the Denver Broncos last weekend.
To recap – the Broncos were favoured by 7.5 on the spread in some books going in. Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, and an avid sports bettor, had money on the Broncos. With the score 24-14 Broncos, Portnoy, and other bettors, we are sure, thought the game should have ended on a play where a Raiders receiver was tackled inbounds with five second left and the clock running.
Officials though called a defensive delay-of-game penalty on a Denver safety which stopped the clock. Carroll called in FG kicker Daniel Carlson, down ten points. Carlson made the 46-yard field goal. Final score was 24-17.
Las Vegas Gambling: Last Second Raiders’ Field Goal
Up went the rage dial.
That’s the worst beat of all time,” said Portnoy on Instagram, screaming, walking around what looked like the TV room of his home, pulling his hair. “Investigate the Raiders! What the f&%#! That’s the worst beat of all time. That’s cheating! What the f&%#! I gotta rewind this. Pete Carroll should be in prison! Prison for Pete Carroll! The refs, everybody! This is prison! Prison! The spread was 8.5. Prison Pete Carroll! Murder Pete Carroll! I want Pete Carroll murdered! They call a delay of game? The game was over! Then they kick a field goal with no time left! Prison!”
Portnoy took some social media heat.
$250K Loss on the Spread
“Just gonna put this out there, don’t murder Pete Carroll,” said one person.
The fact that news reports said Portnoy was “under fire” for the comments in this day and age is also laughable. Carroll is a Hall of Fame-worthy coach. While he wasn’t asked about Portnoy’s comments, we are sure he would give it the attention it deserves if he was asked. Carroll isn’t coaching NFL games to appease sports bettors. And if they are pissed off over what happens in a game, then be pissed off about it.
Carroll explained his thinking behind the field goal strategy this week: “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. And then when it went down to five, went down to three, and then they put it back to five, whatever, then I knew it was gonna look stupid, like you couldn’t, so why were we doing it. It was eight (seconds). I was trying to get it to 10. I was trying to plead it, and they might give me a shot.”
Portnoy said he lost $250,000 on the bet.
Portnoy Apology to Newsweek
Portnoy, who has described Barstool Sports as a “pirate ship”, and how he just likes to “sling it”, did apologize a few days later.
He responded to Newsweek: “I would like to say this loudly, clearly, emphatically. We never want physical harm to anybody based on a decision, a play anything. However in the moment, you may be upset by one of the wildest sequences that cost you a quarter million. So it is a metaphorical murder.”
It all put “bad beat” and sports betting into the limelight. “Bad beat” is a tough and often fluky loss a wager that appeared almost certain to win, due to a seemingly impossible, last-minute turn of events. That certainly would describe Raiders-Broncos last Sunday.
Most Memorable “Bad Beats”
Phill Gray, the former head of trading operations at Sports Interaction, and an industry sports betting consultant, said he’d refer to the Portnoy situation more as a “backdoor cover” rather than a “bad beat”. Perhaps the most memorable “bad beat” for Gray in his experience was Super Bowl LI in 2017 between the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons led 28-3 late in the third quarter. Falcons bettors, who had them at +3 (or even higher), felt certain of a win or at least a cover. Then Brady, who ended up MVP, did his thing – 31 unanswered points to force a win in OT, 34-28. The Pats not only won but covered the spread, crushing virtually all bets on the Falcons.
“Books were headed for a huge win as obviously everything was on the Patriots, so we got it handed to us there,” he said. “And in live betting as well as they all jumped on huge prices for the Pats comeback, which they did. Double whammy.”
Last Comments ( 2 )
Portnoy is a baby. Pete doesn’t work for you Dave. If you can’t afford to lose 250k don’t bet it and whine.
I mean, he coulda just bought a couple points on a 250k bet...