The San Francisco 49ers' decision to make star running back Christian McCaffrey inactive for their Week 1 Monday Night Football contest an hour before kickoff sent fantasy football managers and bettors scrambling.
It also caused quite a stir in the sports betting industry.
With the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year out of the lineup, Jordan Mason, a little-known backup, received the start against the New York Jets. One astute bettor got Mason's rushing total at over 13.5 yards at bet365 before the online sportsbook could alter the line.
A message from bet365, circulated by the bettor on social media, showed that the operator “identified that this selection was placed at incorrect odds” and changed the odds from -110 to -5000, citing house rules.
Mason easily went over the posted total, reaching 147 yards on 28 carries as the primary rusher in Monday's win.
bet365 reversed field on the odds change payout Tuesday morning, announcing on social media site X that bets and odds would be honored by the time the bets were placed.
SETTLEMENT UPDATE:
— bet365 US (@bet365_us) September 10, 2024
Jordan Mason – Over 13.5 Player Rushing Yards (NY Jets @ SF 49ers)
Please be aware that all bets on this market have settled at the odds taken when the bet was placed.
We apologize for any confusion caused in the settlement of this market.
Treading lightly
bet365 ran into similar trouble with New Jersey regulators last month for altered odds.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) ordered the online operator to pay back nearly $520,000 after “odds errors” on 99 wagers were unilaterally voided without permission from regulators, which is against the state’s gaming laws.
The NJDGE also fined bet365 $33,000 last week for accepting bets on an event that had already happened.
“These types of multiple and serious violations cannot be tolerated in the New Jersey gaming regulatory system,” NJDGE interim director Mary Jo Flaherty wrote after the first offense. “They impact adversely upon bet365’s business abilities and casino experience and evident impermissible conduct in dealing with regulations, with significant adverse impact on patrons.”
The NJDGE warned bet365 that more violations could bring harsher penalties.
Added controversy
McCaffrey’s injury status was not a total surprise. The star running back has been battling a calf/Achilles injury for several weeks. However, he practiced periodically during game week and said Friday he intended to play, so the inactive tag Monday night did catch many people, including sportsbooks, off guard.
Mason said during his postgame interview on the field with the ABC/ESPN broadcast team that he found out Friday night that he was starting. The 49ers listed McCaffrey as questionable on the final injury report, leading to questions of a potential NFL violation.
“When did I find out? Maybe Friday?” - Jordan Mason on when he found out he would be starting.
— Covers (@Covers) September 10, 2024
I bet there’s a few bettors who wish they had that info on Friday 👀
pic.twitter.com/8TKjGjObIP
In postgame interviews, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said he never told Mason he was starting on Friday, and Mason later said he made a mistake on the timeline.
Market changes
No other odds or payout issues involving McCaffrey or Mason have been reported, but the lineup shuffle did cause markets to be altered and bets to be refunded.
Following the release of the 49ers' injury report, DraftKings posted on social media that all McCaffrey player props would be voided, including the company's Happy Hour Boost.
The roster change certainly affected touchdown parlays. The spread even moved a point from 49ers -4.5 to -3.5, but that didn’t matter in an easy 32-19 win behind Mason’s big night on the ground.
Before the game, ESPN BET had Mason’s “Anytime TD” market odds listed at +650. That came down to +120, and Mason found the end zone on a 5-yard run in the third quarter.
