It takes time and work to turn a small wager into a hefty payday. Though some people (THIS GUY!) have needed only 30 minutes to spin $10 into $650 on a video poker machine.
One recent FanDuel Sportsbook bettor heard that tale and said, “Hold my beer.”
According to a sportsbook spokesman, a New Jersey sports betting sports betting customer took $20.13, built a 15-leg parlay and came away with a whopping $178,221.66.
Not a bad Wednesday.
Not intimidated by long odds
Playing through the FanDuel online sportsbook, the lucky bettor faced what, for most everyone else, would be insurmountable odds.
Statistically, this user would have more luck finding a pearl in an oyster than hitting the parlay. Even winning an Oscar carries better odds. (Bet on it.)
Per FanDuel Sportsbook, the true odds of hitting the 15-leg parlay — which included moneyline, point spread and predicting first-half winners in the NBA and NCAA men’s basketball games — stood at roughly 16,500-1.
NBA legs of the parlay
Six legs of the miraculous parlay involved NBA action. Here are the bettor’s picks:
| Game | Market | Price | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wizards at Bucks | First-half winner | -390 | Bucks |
| Spurs at Warriors | First-half winner | -550 | Warriors |
| Suns at Jazz | First-half winner | -650 | Jazz |
| Pelicans at Bulls | Moneyline | +102 | Pelicans |
| Rockets at Kings | Point spread | -110 | Rockets -3 |
| Hornets at Mavericks | Point spread | -115 | Mavericks -5.5 |
Fortunately, only one game really hung in the balance.
After all, the Milwaukee Bucks led the Washington Wizards 50-35 after the first quarter en route to an 85-65 halftime lead. (The Bucks eventually polished off their highest-scoring game of the season, a 148-129 victory.) Similarly, the Golden State Warriors cruised to a 66-52 lead at the break, and the Utah Jazz went into the half up 56-46.
Even the New Orleans Pelicans’ game, a 125-120 win, was not that close, as the Chicago Bulls poured in some garbage points to narrow the gap. And of course the Houston Rockets laid waste to the Sacramento Kings, outscoring Sacramento 44-17 in the second quarter en route to a 127-101 victory.
The only concern came with the Dallas Mavericks, whose win was never in doubt, really, during the game’s waning moments. Dwight Powell made two free throws with 9.2 seconds left to push Dallas in front by six points. But the Charlotte Hornets had several opportunities to spoil the parlay, though two missed shots and a turnover secured the Mavericks cover.
NCAA legs of the parlay
Like the NBA picks, most of the bettor’s NCAA selections were never in doubt, with six of nine chosen teams winning by double digits.
| Game | Market | Price | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland at Nebraska | Moneyline | +125 | Maryland |
| Georgetown at Providence | Moneyline | +180 | Georgetown |
| LSU at Mississippi St. | Moneyline | +135 | LSU |
| UConn at Temple | Point spread | -110 | Temple -3.5 |
| Clemson at Georgia Tech | Point spread | -110 | Clemson -3.5 |
| Notre Dame at Miami (FL) | Point spread | -110 | Miami (FL) -3.5 |
| Rhode Island at Davidson | Point spread | -110 | Davidson -4 |
| Wisconsin at Minnesota | Point spread | -110 | Wisconsin -2 |
| Baylor at Texas | Point spread | -110 | Texas -3 |
Of the moneyline picks, Maryland handled Nebraska 60-45, and Georgetown dispatched Providence 76-67, both on the road.
Overtime was needed for LSU, which missed two shots within the final 5 seconds of regulation to send the game to an extra period. There, the Tigers got a 3-pointer from Naz Reid with 11 seconds remaining to seal their 92-88 win over Mississippi State.
Five of six point spread picks went smoothly for the FanDuel bettor. The second-closest game of the picks was Texas beating Baylor 84-72.
Some sweat certainly poured during Wisconsin-Minnesota, during which the Badgers narrowly covered their 2-point spread. Wisconsin, which never trailed and was only tied twice, led 49-46 with 2:11 to play but pulled away enough to pay out with a 56-51 victory.
As a result, a $20 wager became a cool $178,000.
