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Ranking Tuesday's buzzer-beaters by betting impact, from Kentucky's winner to Max Strus' heave

It’s always special when a basketball game ends on a game-winning shot, as rare as that may happen. So when it occurs multiple times in one evening, the excitement around hoops reaches another level.

That’s what we got Tuesday, when at least three games ended on buzzer-beaters across the NBA and NCAA. Two games ended on half-court heaves — including one of the most special shots we’ve seen in a while — and another was won inside the 3-point arc.

For bettors, the tight finishes almost certainly induced a little more sweat than usual. So, here’s a quick ranking of how big an impact each of Tuesday’s buzzer-beaters had.

3
Cleveland Cavaliers' Max Strus beats the Dallas Mavericks

Max Strus’ half-court shot was the NBA’s second-longest buzzer-beater in the 3-point era, so it was a new way for bettors to either win or lose, but it didn’t have as big an impact as the other game-winners. The Mavericks still covered as +4 underdogs, so the 68 percent of bets on that side still came out winners.

Now, the Cavs did receiver the majority of moneyline bets, but the split was barely more than 50-50, with 53 percent of bets riding on Cleveland. The handle was more lopsided at 61 percent for the Cavaliers, so Strus’ shot did at least bring in some money for a few people.

2
Nevada's Jarod Lucas beats Colorado State

Nevada was a +6.5 underdog on the road, and most bets picked the Wolf Pack to cover. So, the 3-pointer did save those bettors from the potential disappointment of losing the cover in overtime.

The moneyline, though, is where most people suffered. According to Action Network, 83 percent of moneyline bets were riding on Colorado State. So, Jarod Lucas’ bank-shot from longer than half-court had a massive impact in flipping those wins to losses.

1
Kentucky's Reed Sheppard beats Mississippi State

Kentucky was a +4 road dog, so Sheppard’s floater as time expired saved the Wildcats from having to defend that smaller spread in overtime. However, where Kentucky’s win really edged Nevada is on the moneyline, where the team commanded a whopping 88 percent of bets and 70 percent of handle, according to BetMGM’s John Ewing.

Not to mention, as a national brand and the No. 16 team in the country, they likely received more raw bets in every category regardless of the percentages. In fact, Kentucky was college basketball’s most-bet team to cover Tuesday, according to Ewing.

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