Bettors Outraged as Sportsbooks Don't Pay Out Robert Williams Double Double
Last updated: | Published:Bettors across the world stood to win thousands of dollars in the NBA Playoffs...they just needed one more Robert Williams rebound to cash their Same Game Parlay. After a dispute that raged on twitter that the sportsbooks missed a critical rebound, do sportsbooks owe their bettors an explanation?
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The Bet: Robert Williams Double Double
The story begins with one of our favorite bettors...frequent Prop or Chop competitor KiiLkenny, leader of the #MoonieGang and one of the sharpest minds you'll find in sports betting.
Kenny went big on Celtics center Robert Williams ahead of Game 6 in Philadelphia, and when the Celtics moved Williams into their starting lineup, it appeared Kenny might be in for a big night.
Let’s have a night. More importantly… go Sixers 🚀 pic.twitter.com/Tj7jD9emQp
— kenny (@kiiLkenny) May 11, 2023
Hundreds of bettors jumped onboard, and now it was all up to Williams, who had been used sparingly prior to Game 6 in the series, but with Boston's back against the wall, suddenly he was in a big spot.
As the game unfolded, it appeared Williams may deliver both for his team and for the bettors who backed him. Until....some drama arose.
The Drama: Did Williams Hit 10 Rebounds?
Williams did his job scoring, finishing with ten points when the game concluded. And for much of the game, it appeared he was headed to double digit boards as well.
However....Williams ultimately finished one rebound short of the mark, and two major moments in the game rose to the spotlight as bettors everywhere wondered what went wrong.
With 11:01 left in the 4th quarter, Williams appeared to intentionally tip the ball out to his teammate Marcus Smart. See for yourself:
This is a Robert Williams controlled tip, not a Marcus Smart rebound. pic.twitter.com/hPkg8NlM4E
— BMatthews (@the_bmatt) May 12, 2023
According to the NBA rulebook, who gets credit for the rebound is determined by "each time a player retrieves a live ball or purposely taps a live ball to a teammate". Depending on your interpretation of that verbiage, Williams backers certainly have an argument here.
But wait, there's more! After the game concluded, bettors were quick to spot another controversial ruling by the books. With 8:02 left in the 2nd quarter, Williams was initially awarded a rebound by scorekeepers, but it was changed shortly after to a Jayson Tatum rebound.
Another one, at the 8:02 mark of the 2nd quarter. Initially given to Williams but then changed to a Tatum rebound. He could have 11 rebounds @nbastats @darrenrovell pic.twitter.com/WDZw5cKJ6h
— 🐻 Gray (@GrayHendrix) May 12, 2023
It's one thing to suffer a bad beat, it's another altogether to feel robbed. And any way you cut it, a controversial ruling on one play added to a rebound taken away earlier in the game is a lot of grey area.
Ultimately, the bets lost, and thousands of dollars in winnings disappeared into thin air.
The Aftermath: Do sportsbooks or the NBA owe bettors an explanation?
The next day, bettors were still frustrated with the results, or worse, the lack of justification.
Can we please get a response & an explanation @nbastats there’s literally hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line here
— kenny (@kiiLkenny) May 12, 2023
Sportsbooks have come under fire in the past, with people on both sides of whether or not they owe bettors an explanation or a refund when a player gets injured mid-game.
Ultimately, sportsbooks have terms that protect themselves from those incidents occurring, and in this specific scenario since Williams played the whole game, they aren't obligated to address the complaints bettors have with the NBA's rulings.
The responsibility would belong to the NBA themselves to comment publicly on why Williams' 2nd quarter rebound was changed, or why the other plays in questions were ruled how they were.
The NBA's relationship with gambling is still unfolding. It would be unprecedented for the league itself to make a statement on plays within the game for betting-related purposes. Maybe one day that will change, but for now, agitated bettors will just have to voice their concerns into the void.
Did Robert Williams bettors get robbed? Does the NBA owe bettors an explanation? Let us know what you think on Twitter.