The college football season hasn’t started yet, but fans and bettors are already looking ahead to the January 19th College Football Playoff Championship Game. Among them are DraftKings Sportsbook customers attempting to turn small bets into big payouts with a three-leg parlay.
Earlier in April, DraftKings bettors placed just $14 on a futures parlay featuring Rory McIlroy to win the Masters at +650 odds, Florida Panthers to win the Stanley Cup at +800, and Clemson to clinch the College Football Playoffs at +2000. The combined odds reached +141650. McIlroy won the Masters, and Florida claimed the Stanley Cup again, leaving Clemson’s performance as the final leg. If Clemson wins the championship, that $14 bet would pay out nearly $19,845. Clemson is currently favored fifth for a national title behind Ohio, Texas, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
In baseball, hitting long parlays is rare but rewarding. A William Hill bettor in Nevada hit a 12-leg MLB parlay converting a $5 bet into $12,601.49 at incredible +252029 odds. Another Nevada bettor at Caesars Sports cashed in a $10 bet on nine MLB player prop parlays, turning the stake into $11,408 at +114001 odds.
Turning back to football, the NFL preseason is kicking off with the Hall of Fame Game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions. There’s a notable bet on Caesars Sports for the Pittsburgh Steelers to go 0-17 this season at +20000 odds with a $13.33 wager. Despite Steelers’ historically strong coaching performance under Mike Tomlin, if the worst happens, the bettor would win $2,679.33.
Big bets during the NFL offseason often revolve around Super Bowl futures or conference championships, but division wins also draw significant action. Caesars Sports saw a massive $250,000 bet on the Buffalo Bills to win the AFC East, which would yield $100,000 profit if they repeat as champions. Other large wagers included $60,000 on the Kansas City Chiefs for the Super Bowl and a $5,000 bet on the New York Jets to win the AFC title, which could net $375,000 if they pull off the unlikely victory.
This insight is from Patrick Everson, a Fox Sports betting analyst and senior VegasInsider.com reporter based in Las Vegas.
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Fan Take: This update highlights the growing excitement and strategic thinking among bettors, even long before games start. For NFL fans, these bets underscore how much confidence and anticipation surround teams like the Bills and Chiefs, and how unexpected outcomes could dramatically shake up the sport’s landscape.
