Doug Pederson’s decision to go for two leads Eagles to unlikely back-door cover vs. Seattle

Doug Pederson is 3-7-1 and under more heat than any Super Bowl-winning coach in recent memory. But he’s the man of the hour in Vegas, Jersey, and everywhere else outside Philadelphia where sports betting is red-hot.

The Eagles lost to Seattle 23-17, but covered a 6.5-point spread with an unlikely 33-yard touchdown heave and a curious decision to go for — and convert — a two-point conversion with 12 seconds left.

At William Hill’s sportsbooks nationwide, 85 percent of the point-spread money wagered on this game was on the Seahawks. Same with houses all over the nation.

The ending was “extremely significant to every sportsbook in the country,” said Pat Eichner of Pointsbet. “[We had] 91 percent of spread tickets on the Seahawks and we were certainly not alone in that very lopsided boat.”

Another bookie said, “That ended on the good side” for us. The result likely was disastrous for local bookies who generally see plenty of Eagles plays from those who foolishly bet with their hearts.

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Richard Rodgers scored what non-bettors considered a meaningless touchdown off a deflection to make it a 23-16 Seattle lead with 12 seconds left. Conventional wisdom called for Pederson to kick the extra point, make it a seven-point game and hope for a miracle with just 12 seconds left.

But Pederson went for two and got it when Miles Sanders slipped in for the conversion. The Eagles lose by 6, but cover the 6.5.