Pretty much none of us will ever know what it’s like to make a six-figure bet.
And that’s how it should be.
Generally speaking, even if we had the money, we probably shouldn’t spend it that way.
Which means we’ll also never know what it’s like to make — and win – three bets of $300,000 or more. On the same day. But one Caesars Sports customer now knows what it’s like.
More on those bets, along with other major wagers and profitable parlays in NFL and college football betting this past weekend.
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I Like Big Bets And I Cannot Lie
Normally, this weekly column ends with a look at big bets from the weekend that was. But this week, that’s where we’re going to start.
One high-roller apparently had nearly $1 million sitting around and played it as follows at Caesars:
- $316,000 Vikings -3.5 (-102) vs. Browns
- $300,000 Cowboys moneyline even money (+100) vs. Jets
- $330,000 Titans +7.5 vs. Cardinals
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The Titans bet makes somewhat sense, since the customer made the wager in Tennessee, perhaps just wanting some skin in the game to support the home team. The first bet was more unique, taking Minnesota to cover against Cleveland in a game played in London.
Regardless of the motivation, the Vikes made the customer sweat profusely before pulling out a 21-17 victory, covering by half a point. Trailing 17-14, Minnesota won on a touchdown with 25 seconds remaining.
So the big bettor banked $309,803.92 in profit (total payout $625,803.92).
With that wager won, the high-roller reloaded in Sunday’s traditional early window of 1 p.m. ET games. Dallas spotted New York an early 3-0 lead, then scored the next 30 points and coasted to a 37-22 victory.
That’s another $300,000 in profit (total payout $600,000).
Then Tennessee capped it off in improbable fashion, in Sunday’s late window of games. The Titans were down 21-6 early in the fourth quarter when Arizona running back Emari Demercado ripped off what appeared to be a 72-yard touchdown run.
That would’ve put Tennessee in a likely insurmountable 28-6 hole, with 12:53 remaining.
Except Demercado inexplicably let go of the ball just before crossing the goal line, thinking he was already in the end zone. The ball then rolled out of bounds in the end zone for a touchback.
So the Titans had life, and Cam Ward & Co. took advantage. Tennessee scored the final 16 points, capped by Joey Slye’s 29-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Titans a 22-21 victory.
And giving the bettor another $300,000 profit (total payout $630,000).
Total it all up, and the high-roller took down Caesars for $909,803.92 on the day.
Stunning.
End Around
National Tight Ends Day — yes, there is such a thing now; there’s a day for everything, in case you haven’t noticed — is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of October each year. But for one DraftKings Sportsbook customer, the party started on the first Sunday.
That’s a three-leg, player-prop parlay on first touchdown scorers, all tight ends. The bettor put all of 15 bucks on:
- Harold Fannin Jr. to score the first touchdown in the Browns’ London game vs. the Vikings
- Dallas Goedert to score the first TD in the Eagles’ home game vs. the Broncos
- Theo Johnson to score the first TD in the Giants’ road game vs. the Saints
Midway through the first quarter in London, Fannin put Cleveland up 7-0 on a 1-yard TD pass from Dillon Gabriel.
Denver and Philadelphia traded field goals in the first quarter. Then Goedert hit paydirt on a 2-yard pass from Jalen Hurts in the second quarter.
And Theo Johnson opened the scoring in the Giants-Saints tilt, on a 1-yard TD catch from Jaxson Dart in the first quarter.
Those three TD passes added up to a total of just four yards gained. But it doesn’t matter how a bet cashes; rather, only that the bet actually cashes.
The parlay had odds of +719900, or in easier-to-read terms, 7199/1. However, the customer also utilized a 33% parlay boost that DK offered, which hiked the odds to about 9575/1.
Add it all up, and that $15 dollars turned into a whopping $143,635.05. Don’t forget the five cents.
Parlay Partay
The San Francisco 49ers’ stunning Thursday night upset of the Los Angeles Rams was key to a FanDuel customer cashing out five figures, on a modest $50 eight-leg parlay. Injury-riddled San Fran, an 8-point road underdog, rode Mac Jones to a 26-23 overtime victory.
The parlay included a variety of player props, mostly on the Niners, but also included San Francisco moneyline, meaning San Fran had to win the game.
All eight legs got there, and with a 15% parlay boost, did so at odds of +63250, or about 633/1. So the bettor bagged $31,625 in profit (total payout $31,675).
Here’s Hoping You Had It
On the college gridiron, UCLA was off to an 0-4 start this season, with coach DeShaun Foster getting fired after the third game.
This past weekend didn’t look promising for the Bruins. Penn State was coming to town, and the national title contender had just suffered a disappointing overtime home loss to Oregon.
Oddsmakers figured it would be a walkover, making the Nittany Lions 24.5-point favorites. But UCLA took a 10-0 first-quarter lead and stretched it out to 27-7 by halftime.
Then the Bruins held on for a 42-37 victory. If you’d had the foresight to take Bruins moneyline at +1500, a $100 bet would’ve provided $1,500.
Also in the Here’s Hoping You Had It category: Buffalo Bills wideout Curtis Samuel was a +3500 long shot to be the first touchdown scorer in Sunday night’s game vs. the New England Patriots.
Surprisingly, neither team put up a touchdown in the first half. But about six minutes into the third quarter, Samuel delivered to give the Bills a 10-6 lead.
If you’d put $100 on Samuel, then you’d be sitting on $3,500 profit. Heck, even 10 bucks would turn a tidy $350. That’s pretty good ROI.
I Like Big Bets, Part II
While the NFL and college football took a bundle of big bets, the largest reported wager of the weekend was on the MLB playoffs. As was the case with a pair of million-dollar wagers last week, this seven-figure play landed at Borgata Sports, a BetMGM property in Atlantic City.
Unfortunately, like the previous two wagers — $1.8 million on Penn State moneyline vs. Oregon, and $1.3 million on Jets +3.5 vs. Dolphins — that $1.2 million play was a big donation to the house.
On Saturday, the bettor needed a New York Yankees Game 1 win vs. the Toronto Blue Jays. But the high-roller got very much the opposite, as the Yanks got belted, 10-1.
But let’s finish off on a positive note, with a sizable college football winner.
Despite Clemson’s unexpected 1-3 start to the season, a Caesars Sports customer decided to back Dabo Swinney & Co. in a big way against Bill Belichick and North Carolina.
The bettor put $275,000 on Clemson -14, on the road.
The Tigers finally looked like the Tigers people expected, while Belichick’s nightmare season continued. Clemson throttled North Carolina 38-10, and the bettor banked $250,000 profit (total payout $525,000).
As always, keep in mind that these high-rollers have the means to withstand a big loss. All of us regular everyday Joes and Janes need to keep it reasonable. Never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.
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