With the advent of live in-game wagering a few years ago, good timing became an even bigger part of sports betting.
But good luck certainly doesn’t hurt, either.
A DraftKings Sportsbook customer learned that in Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals, turning a long-shot bet into a five-figure payday.
More on that wager, a four-figure MLB bet for a huge six-figure win, an update on the NBA ladder bettor and more, as we recap the week that was in sports betting.
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Knicks of Time
Last Tuesday, the Knicks were 5.5-point home favorites vs. the Cavaliers. New York was riding an eight-game playoff win streak, including a second-round sweep of the 76ers.
But Cleveland was having none of it.
With 7:52 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Cavs led 93-71. It was a total runaway.
Yet at that point, a DraftKings bettor thought: Why not take a $200 shot on the Knicks in-game moneyline, at a hefty +8000?
It seemed like lighting money on fire.
But New York stunningly went on a 30-8 run to tie it at 101 and force overtime. Then the Knicks outscored the Cavs 14-3 in the extra period to win 115-104.
So that $200 flier became $16,000 in profit, in perhaps an hour’s time.
That’s some outstanding ROI right there.
MLB Money
Also last Tuesday, a Fanatics Sportsbook customer put down far more money than most people should on a six-leg parlay: $5,000 on an MLB moneyline ticket.
As I often remind: Parlays are a bookmaker’s best friend. Sportsbooks enjoy nothing more than seeing customers add more and more legs to their wagers. So just keep that in mind every time.
To the bettor’s credit, the parlay mixed in a couple of short underdogs and four relatively modest favorites. The Dodgers were the biggest favorite, at -165 against the host Padres.
As it turned out, Los Angeles was the biggest sweat, too.
The Dodgers won 5-4, with Andy Pages’ sacrifice fly scoring Alex Call with the decisive run in the top of the ninth inning.
At healthy odds of +5713 — just beyond 57/1 — the bettor’s five grand turned into a whopping $290,675.89.
Ladder Day Saint
As reported over the past month, one bettor is putting a notable dent in BetMGM’s bottom line, on ladders of straight point-spread bets in NBA games.
A week ago, the customer was up $1.085 million. On Tuesday night, in that aforementioned incredible Knicks comeback, the bettor draped a whopping $775,000 across five bets on New York:
All five of those bets — and more than three-quarters of a million dollars — appeared dead in the water early in the fourth quarter. Then came the stunning rally, with the Knicks not only winning 115-104 in overtime but covering every one of the numbers in that customer’s wagers.
The bettor profited $466,718 (total payout $1,241,718), running the total profit over the past four weeks to $1.55 million.
But wait, there’s more.
On Friday, the high roller dropped $300,000 worth of Thunder bets on Game 3 vs. the Spurs. Oklahoma City proceeded to give up the first 15 points of the game.
But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Co. erased that deficit early in the second quarter, going on to a 123-108 victory as 2.5-point road underdogs.
All five bets easily cashed, profiting $167,509 (total payout $467,509), running the bettor’s total profit to $1.72 million.
Then on Saturday night, the whale bettor tossed $350,000 across six Knicks bets, for Game 3 against the Cavs. And as you might’ve guessed by now, the bettor went 6-0 to pocket $217,173 profit (total payout $567,173).
That bumped the customer’s total profit to an eye-popping $1.94 million.
Finally, on Sunday, for just the second time during this incredible run, the bettor had a losing night. And it was sizable.
The high-roller had $350,000 across six spread bets on the Thunder for Game 4 vs. the Spurs. But San Antonio ran away with the game, covering every number in a 103-82 home win.
That noted, the customer is still up $1.59 million in the past month. Further, the big bettor has $200,000 across five wagers on the Knicks for tonight’s Game 4, ranging from Knicks +3.5 to Knicks -2.5.
More NBA Paydays
At Fanatics, a customer dialed in nicely on both Game 1 matchups in the NBA conference finals. The bettor put $175 on a six-leg parlay, with three legs from Spurs-Thunder and three from Cavaliers-Knicks.
The key to that ticket: Dylan Harper +2200 to grab 10 or more rebounds. The Spurs guard finished with 11 rebounds.
At huge odds of +55850 (558.5/1), aided by a 10% profit boost, the bettor bagged nearly six figures, turning $175 into $97,911.72.
In Wednesday’s Spurs-Thunder Game 2, a Fanatics customer rode ostensibly a free play into a five-figure win, banking on Oklahoma City’s Isaiah Hartenstein to have a good night.
The wager was $109 in FanCash on a two-leg parlay:
- Hartenstein +1400 to have 10 or more rebounds
- Hartenstein +700 to score 10 or more points
Add up those odds, and you’ve got +14000 (140/1). Hartenstein finished with exactly 10 points and grabbed 13 boards. And that free bet became $15,260 in real money.
Bad Beat
In Friday’s second round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, a Hard Rock Bet customer dabbled in betting on just one grouping: Jordan Spieth, Sungjae Im and Chris Kirk.
The bettor put $400 on Spieth +200 to outshoot his playing partners.
Spieth shot a respectable 2-under 33 on his first nine. Then he went haywire with six straight birdies en route to a 7-under 29 on the second nine, for a 9-under 62 total.
Almost any other day, that would’ve been more than adequate. But over the final three holes, Im shockingly got a hole-in-one, followed by a par, then a closing eagle-3 on a par-5 to shoot 61.
Granted, it was only $200 to profit $400. But that one’s gotta sting.
Here’s Hoping You Had It
It’s not always about making bets for hundreds or thousands of dollars. Sometimes, it’s about finding that long shot or semi-long shot and just getting 10 bucks on it to fatten your wallet a bit.
For example, in Game 1 of the NHL’s Western Conference finals, the Golden Knights’ Dylan Coghlan was +7000 to score the first goal. With 7:30 remaining in the second period, Coghlan lit the lamp, and Vegas went on to a 4-2 road upset of the Avalanche.
If you’d put a tenner on Coghlan, then you’d have an extra $700 in your pocket. Heck, even if you’d bet Coghlan as an anytime goalscorer — rather than the first goal — you’d be up $150, as he was +1500 to score at any point in Game 1.
On the PGA Tour, Wyndham Clark was +4800 to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson this past weekend. Clark then fired a ridiculous 10-under 60 in the final round to post a 30-under 254 total and a three-shot victory.
Ten bucks on that would’ve netted you $480 profit. And a DraftKings Sportsbook customer did far better than that, putting $400 on Clark to bank $19,200.
That’s a nice weekend’s worth of work.
