The odds surrounding the NBA playoffs have become more compelling than the ongoing conference finals themselves. Futures bets, particularly parlays involving future events, are fueling excitement among bettors. One FanDuel Sportsbook customer is on the verge of turning a small wager into nearly $100,000.
Months ago, a bettor created a six-team futures parlay on FanDuel that included the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the World Series, Joey Logano to claim the NASCAR Cup Championship, Ohio State to win the football playoffs, the Philadelphia Eagles to win the Super Bowl, the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup, and the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the NBA Finals. With the first four bets already successful and the Oilers and Thunder deep in their playoff runs, the potential payout stands at $94,358.88 from a $4.44 bet.
In another remarkable case, a Hard Rock Bet customer placed $40 on a 15-leg parlay with odds of +45574, involving NFL, NCAA football and women’s basketball, UFC, and NBA outcomes. The success of the first 14 legs was followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning the NBA MVP, culminating in winnings of $18,269.60.
FanDuel Sportsbook customers also experienced a rapid payoff during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, turning a $100 bet on Jayden McDaniels making a 3-pointer (+3400 odds) into $3,500 within seconds as McDaniels nailed a long shot early in the game.
In the WNBA season opener, Dave Portnoy bet $25,000 on Indiana Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell to record a triple-double (+1300 odds). Mitchell delivered exactly that, earning Portnoy a massive profit of $325,000.
In baseball, DraftKings Sportsbook’s “King of the Diamond” contest offers $1 million in bonus bets based on players hitting home runs and their teams scoring the most runs in specific games. A recent example involved St. Louis Cardinals’ Pedro Paguez, who delivered the only home run in a game, leading 12 bettors to share $83,333 in bonus bets.
Another standout wager was a $55,000 bet on the Indiana Pacers to cover +4.5 against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite trailing late in the game, the Pacers surged back to win in overtime, rewarding the bettor with $50,000 in profit.
High-stakes bettors often place these large wagers, so casual bettors should be cautious and not risk more than they can afford. Parlays are exciting but require responsible betting.
Patrick Everson is a Fox Sports betting analyst based in Las Vegas, offering insights into the world of sports wagering.
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Fan Take: This surge in high-stakes wagering highlights how integrated betting has become with hockey and other sports, increasing fan engagement during playoffs. For hockey fans, the NHL playoff bets showcased emphasize the sport’s growing popularity in the betting world, potentially driving more attention and investment into the game.
