When making futures bets, it pays to have patience. An outcome could be weeks or months away.
But it can also pay to know when to say when.
A FanDuel Sportsbook customer believes that point has arrived for the Lakers and got a five-figure payday for bailing out early.
More on that wager and other notable futures bets on NBA and NHL playoffs, along with some WNBA action, as that league’s 2026 season tips off.
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Take a Free Ride
This story begins on April 4, when Illinois met UConn and Michigan faced Arizona in the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four.
The FanDuel bettor, who goes by @Indiana_Cers on X, put together a three-leg parlay, starting with those NCAA Tourney tilts: UConn moneyline +136 vs. Illinois, Michigan moneyline -111 vs. Arizona.
But those two outcomes would’ve gotten only a nominal payout. So, to make it far juicier, the bettor added Lakers +50000 to win the NBA title.
That’s 500/1, in easier-to-digest terms.
Better still, the customer utilized a $250 bonus bet for the transaction. Granted, those types of promotional bets are earned over time — and surely some losing wagers — but still, this parlay was basically a free ride.
At huge odds of +224654 — just shy of 2247/1 — the potential payout was a massive $561,635.
UConn beat Illinois 71-62, and Michigan pounded Arizona 91-73. Then began the wait to see what the Lakers would do.
Los Angeles was shorthanded in the first round, with no Luka Dončić and mostly no Austin Reaves. But LeBron James & Co. had enough to beat Houston 4-2 in a best-of-7 series.
However, that led to a second-round date with the defending NBA champion Thunder, who went a league-best 64-20 in the regular season and swept the Suns 4-0 in the first round.
In Game 1 on Tuesday, the Lakers tumbled 108-90. That was L.A.’s fifth game this season vs. Oklahoma City, and the Lakers lost all five by an average margin of 27 points.
So it was decision time — take a chance on the Lakers somehow making this series interesting or accept FanDuel’s cashout offer of $12,599.26.
Said the bettor on X: “The white flag was waived.”
So a bonus bet that took nothing out the customer’s pocket became a nice five-figure boost to the bank account, which looked like an even smarter move after the Lakers dropped Game 2 125-107 on Thursday.
Knicks of Time
Entering the NBA playoffs, the Celtics had the best NBA championship odds of any Eastern Conference team, in the +500 to +600 range. But Boston bowed out early, blowing a 3-1 lead vs. the 76ers in losing the best-of-7 series 4-3.
So that leaves the Knicks (+750) with the best title odds of the four remaining teams from the East. That has a DraftKings Sportsbook customer in a potentially pretty good position.
The bettor put a relatively modest $67 on a seven-leg parlay that combined a bundle of sports: three MLB games, a hockey game, a soccer match, and of all things, a snooker match on the pool table.
The first six legs are in, including Shaun Murphy over John Higgins in what was apparently a dramatic snooker battle.
So now it’s down to the Knicks, who already have a 2-0 second-round lead over the 76ers. Granted, there’s a long way to go and should New York reach the NBA Finals, there’s the probable issue of either the Thunder or Spurs waiting on the other side.
But if somehow the Knicks run the table, with that ticket’s odds of +82937 (just beyond 829/1), that 67 bucks turns into $55,634.79.
Even right now, the bettor could cash out for a few thousand dollars. That cashout amount will surely grow if the Knicks do as oddsmakers expect and reach the Finals.
We’ll keep you posted.
Hockey Hopes
The Canadiens were +195 underdogs to beat the Lightning in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. But by stealing Game 1 on the road 4-3, Montreal certainly upped its chances to advance.
The two teams traded victories over the first six games, setting up Game 7 in Tampa on Sunday. And the Canadiens claimed a second road win, 2-1, to close out the series.
That’s got a high-rolling BetMGM customer in a better-than-expected position. Before the first round, the bettor put $25,000 on Canadiens +1100 to win the Eastern Conference.
At the moment, Montreal trails Buffalo 1-0 in a best-of-7 second-round series. That bet certainly has life, though.
If the Canadiens manage to reach the Stanley Cup Final, then the bettor bags $275,000 profit (total payout $300,000).
WNBA Plays
The WNBA kicks off its 2026 campaign Friday, drawing some bettors to championship futures and player awards futures.
At DraftKings, the New York Liberty are +220 favorites to win the title, followed by the defending champion Las Vegas Aces at +390. The Aces have won three of the last four WNBA crowns.
Behind Caitlin Clark, Indiana is the +450 third choice in WNBA futures odds.
But one DraftKings customer looked further down the board a few weeks ago, to a potentially up-and-coming squad. On April 4, the bettor put $1,200 on the Dallas Wings +8000 (80/1).
Leading the way for Dallas is Paige Bueckers, the 2025 Rookie of the Year. And the Wings took Azzi Fudd, another UConn standout, with the No. 1 overall pick in the recent WNBA Draft.
So since that bet was made, the Wings have cut their odds by more than half, now sitting at +3000, the co-seventh choice to win it all.
If Dallas indeed lifts the trophy, then the bettor profits $96,000 (total payout $97,200).
Related, a DraftKings customer put $1,000 on Bueckers +2000 to win the MVP award. That bet could profit $20,000.
