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David Purdum, ESPN Staff Writer
Saquon Barkley looked to be off to the races, headed for a last-minute touchdown that would have had no impact on the outcome of the Philadelphia Eagles‘ 22-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday but would’ve cashed a lot of tickets for the betting public.
More bets were placed on Barkley to score a touchdown against the Packers than were placed on any other player in Sunday’s three NFL playoff games at multiple sportsbooks.
Barkley to score a touchdown was the third-most popular leg of all NFL parlays Sunday at ESPN BET, and he appeared destined for the end zone after breaking free on the Eagles’ final drive.
With Philadelphia leading 22-10 with 1:09 to play, Barkley took a handoff over left tackle and burst through the Packers’ defense and into the clear, before electing to slide down after picking up the first down.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts took a knee on the last play to run out the final seconds and secure the win.
Barkley said after the game that it “wasn’t tempting” to try for a touchdown.
“It’s first down you win the game, so it’s get the first down and get down,” he said. “Don’t matter.”
Barkley, who was a -190 favorite to score a touchdown at ESPN BET, finished with 119 yards rushing and no touchdowns.