The Bears executed the perfect tank job by blowing a huge lead and still rewarding their handful of bettors

The Chicago Bears just pulled off one of the all-time best losses in a potential tank job Sunday, blowing a 12-point lead in the final four minutes of their game against the Detroit Lions to lose 31-26.

Of course, they weren’t trying to lose the game — nobody ever is once they step between those white lines on the field. But the result was probably the best-case scenario for anyone with interest in the Bears. They had the pleasure of making a division rival sweat, while still keeping their draft position as low as possible. And they got to stick it to everyone who supported their rival in the process — which was basically everyone.

The Lions were the third-biggest public team of Week 11, with 77 percent of tickets at BetMGM picking them to cover as 7.5-point favorites, according to BetMGM’s John Ewing. They received 71 percent of the ATS handle and 62 percent of the moneyline handle.

Detroit’s narrow victory saved the Lions from embarrassment, but it also ended up being a big win for sportsbooks and anyone who backed the Bears.

It was also incredibly unlikely. Chicago had a win probability as high as 98.2 percent in the fourth quarter, according to ESPN Analytics. The loss makes them the first team ever to lose a game after possessing the ball at least 40 minutes with a plus-three turnover margin, according to ESPN 1000’s Doug Colletti.

If you want to lose a game in a lost season, this is how it’s done.

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