Bad beats and lucky covers are part of the sports betting game. We’ve all benefited and gotten clipped, yet the bad beats are harder to forget. RotoGrinders Sports Betting will cover them as they occur, and perhaps offer some measure of comfort. Misery enjoys company.

Heading into the NFC Conference Championship in New Orleans, Los Angeles Rams running back C.J. Anderson went from castaway to bulldozing workhorse for the Rams, enabling L.A. to limit teammate Todd Gurley’s wear and tear while recovering from a knee injury.  

The Rams only acquired the bulked-up Anderson on Dec. 18, and he immediately entered the fold, rushing 20 times for 167 yards against the Arizona Cardinals, then 132 yards against the 49ers in Week 17, then continued to roll over the century mark with 123 yards on 23 totes in a Divisional Round win over the Dallas Cowboys.

But with Gurley expected to increase his workload at the New Orleans Saints in the Conference Championship, oddsmakers set the over/under on Anderson’s rushing yards somewhere between 44.5 and 46.5 yards, depending on your book and when you got down.

You may have noticed on Sunday that Gurley spent 37 of 69 offensive snaps on the sidelines, somewhat inexplicably. He had to have been hurt, or closer to 50 percent than 100, as Anderson’s workload exceeded expectations. “I was sorry as hell today,” Gurley said. “I was sorry. So, C.J. did his thing and the whole team did its thing.”

Anderson tallied 16 carries, the Saints’ stout defense did its job, limiting him to 2.8 yards per carry. His longest run was 8 yards.

Yet Anderson crossed the number 47 late in the fourth quarter with 8 yards on 3 carries in the drive ending in a game-tying field goal to knot the game 20-20, giving over bettors the cover!

And with overtime, CJ Anderson figured to just pile on a few more.

NOT. QUITE.

Anderson’s lone carry in the extra session over the left guard resulted in him getting smashed for a 3-yard loss by linebacker A.J. Klein, chopping his yardage total down to 44.

Anderson did not get another carry as two plays later, Greg Zuerlein kicked the 57-yard game-winning field goal, sending the Rams to the Super Bowl.

A miraculous turn of events for under bettors, and a truly bad beat for those on the over.

And vice-versa: