UPDATE: Bettor just misses $5 parlay to win $680K on NFL awards
A bettor lost his shot at a six-figure payday with the announcement of the award winners at the NFL Honors show Thursday at Resorts World.
Martwon Weaver (@Martron_81), a FanDuel bettor from Arizona, had a $5 parlay worth $680,955 if things went his way. He placed the parlay in May 2023 composed of five improbable award winners.
His dreams were dashed when Houston pass rusher Will Anderson won Defensive Rookie of the Year over Weaver’s pick, Philadelphia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Weaver’s four other selections won.
Anderson finished with 151 points (16 first-place selections) in the voting, according to The Associated Press. Carter was second with 122 points (14 first-place selections).
Voting for AP Defensive Rookie of the Year (5-3-1 scoring):
Will Anderson, Houston, 16-21-8=151
Jalen Carter, Philadelphia, 14-14-10=122
Kobie Turner, Los Angeles Rams, 14-6-7=95
Devon Witherspoon, Seattle 4-7-16=57
YaYa Diaby, Tampa Bay, 1-0-1=6
Joey Porter Jr., Pittsburgh,…— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) February 9, 2024
Here are the five legs and their odds when Weaver placed the bet:
— Lamar Jackson to win MVP, 15-1
— C.J. Stroud to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, 7-1
— Christian McCaffrey to win Offensive Player of the Year, 18-1
— Myles Garrett to win Defensive Player of the Year, 7-1
— Carter to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, 6-1
Heading into NFL Week 18, all five players were betting favorites to win those awards. Jackson was -20,000, Stroud was -850, McCaffrey was -360, Garrett was -220 and Carter was -125.
Weaver didn’t walk away empty-handed. WagerWire, a marketplace where bettors can buy and sell previously placed sports bets, confirmed on X that it paid Weaver $25,000 for 20 percent of his ticket.
Weaver had been trying to sell the ticket on WagerWire, listing it Jan. 5 for $181,106.
“I’m confident that my bet could hit,” Weaver, 31, told the New York Post earlier this week. “I’m feeling good. But if we could sell it, that would be good also, so we can take the ‘if factor’ out of it.”
He couldn’t cash out on the wager because sportsbooks don’t offer that option with awards betting.
According to the Post, Weaver was working as a commercial truck driver two years ago when he suffered a seizure while he was driving and got in a bad accident. After the accident, he moved back in with the grandmother who raised him.
He told the Post that cashing the ticket would be life-changing.
“I’d pay my grandma, I think she owes about $60,000 left on her house,” he said. “She raised me, I lost both of my parents. I’d probably pay my grandma off and give back to her, get a car and still get a truck in there and make more money with it.
“If it doesn’t win, we just get to work. I’ve been cleared for about a month now, we just get back to work, like a normal day — nothing changes.”
Weaver was in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl and watched the NFL Honors with WagerWire founders Travis Geiger and Zach Doctor at Circa.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.