Las Vegas bettor has $1,500 ticket to win $300K on Texas Tech

At least one Las Vegas sports bettor is in perfect position to lock in a healthy five-figure profit on the Final Four. And one of his futures tickets could end up cashing for $300,000.

In November, the bettor, who wishes to remain anonymous, placed a $1,500 wager to win $300,000 on Texas Tech at 200-1 odds at the Westgate sportsbook to win the NCAA Tournament.

The same gambler also made a $1,500 bet to win $60,000 on Michigan State at 40-1 odds in November at the William Hill sportsbook inside Binion’s, according to PropSwap.

The Spartans are 2½-point favorites over the Red Raiders in Saturday’s national semifinal and minus 155 on the money line.

The bettor has both tickets for sale at PropSwap.com, an online secondary market for active sports bets. He’s selling his Texas Tech ticket for $65,000 and his Michigan State bet for $22,500.

The highest bid on the Texas Tech ticket as of Thursday afternoon was $45,000, according to PropSwap.

Westgate sportsbook manager Jeff Sherman said the person who placed the wager is a regular and respected bettor at the book.

“If I had the ticket, I would hedge myself,” Sherman said. “There’s a chance Texas Tech will be favored in the championship game.”

The Red Raiders would be 2-point favorites over Auburn in a possible NCAA title game matchup and 3-point underdogs to Virginia.

The Spartans are projected as 1-point underdogs to Virginia and 4½-point favorites over Auburn.

Sharp sides

Caesars Entertainment sportsbook took sharp action on Texas Tech at plus 3.

“The public’s on Michigan State. I guess because of the name recognition,” Caesars risk manager Jeff Davis said. “But the number’s not going back to 3.”

Davis said sharp bettors took Auburn at plus 5½ and Virginia at minus 5 before the line went back to 5½. But the majority of the sharp money is on the Cavaliers.

“The public is just pounding Auburn. But I think this game goes to 6 before it goes back to 5,” Davis said. “When the game is moving against the public, it’s pretty strong (sharp money).

“If the market goes the opposite way of public money, the market is right way more than it’s wrong.”

Major wagers

A respected Caesars bettor placed a wager to win in the high five figures before the tournament began on a 3 seed (Texas Tech) to win the tournament at 12-1 odds.

A William Hill bettor made a $192,612.30 rollover bet Monday to win $124,000 on Michigan State on the money line (-155) over Texas Tech.

Best bets

Handicappers Doug Fitz and Brian Edwards are backing Texas Tech (+2½) and Auburn (+5½) in the Final Four.

Fitz (Systemplays.com) went 11-6 ATS and hit his two best bets to win the Review-Journal Madness Challenge contest.

“My power ratings show Texas Tech is two points better than Michigan State, and they’re getting 2½,” Fitz said. “It also falls under another system I use, and Texas Tech has the No. 1 overall rated defense in college basketball.”

Edwards noted that the Red Raiders are 13-1 straight up and 12-2 ATS in their past 14 games and limited Gonzaga — the nation’s highest-scoring team — to 19 points below its season average.

“Texas Tech is absolutely on fire, and its defense has been remarkable in the tournament, holding their four foes to 57, 58, 44 and 69 points,” said Edwards (BrianEdwardsSports.com).

Fitz rates Auburn as a 2-point underdog to Virginia. Edwards noted that the Tigers are riding a 12-game win streak overall, an 8-2 cover run and 5-2 ATS streak as underdogs.

“I don’t think Virginia can score enough to cover 5½ points,” Fitz said. “I think it’ll be a lot closer than that.”

Professional sports bettor Jeff Whitelaw played Virginia on the money line (-230).

“Auburn’s loss of (Chuma) Okeke will show vs. Virginia,” he said.

Last Man Standing

There are eight 8-0 entries remaining from a field of 2,942 in Station Casinos’ “Last Man Standing” elimination contest. The winner takes all of the $59,625 prize pool.

More betting: Follow at reviewjournal.com/betting and @RJ_Sports on Twitter.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.