Bettor hits miracle $200 nine-team NFL parlay for $75K
Every brutal bad beat doubles as a miracle cover.
That was never more evident than on Sunday when a CG Technology bettor hit a $200 nine-team parlay that paid $75,000 and included improbable covers by the Eagles (-4½) and Falcons-49ers Over 47½.
Philadelphia and Atlanta each returned fumbles of botched laterals for touchdowns on the final play of their games to cash tickets.
The Eagles, who closed as 6½-point favorites over the Redskins, took a 31-27 lead with 26 seconds left on Carson Wentz’s 4-yard TD pass to Greg Ward.
On the game’s final play, Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins was wrapped up at midfield when he flipped the ball backward. Philadelphia linebacker Nigel Bradham picked it up in stride and returned it 47 yards for a score, 37-27 final and cover.
The other legs on the nine-team parlay were the Chiefs (-9½, 23-3 win over Broncos); Texans (+2½, 24-21 over Titans); Patriots (-9½, 34-13 over Bengals); Vikings (-2½, 39-10 over Chargers) and Over 44½; Falcons (+10½, 29-22 over 49ers); and Seahawks-Panthers Over 48½ (Seattle, 30-24).
Carolina scored two TDs in the final 4:53, pushing the game over on Kyle Allen’s 5-yard TD pass to Curtis Samuel with 3:14 left.
The first eight legs of the parlay were in when Matt Ryan threw a 5-yard TD pass to Julio Jones to give Atlanta a 23-22 lead with two seconds left.
Lateral move
The gambler and the Niners had one last shot. San Francisco fielded the kickoff at its 30. Three laterals later, the loose ball rolled into the end zone. Falcons receiver Olamide Zaccheaus scooped it up for the unlikely score with no time left to push the game over the total and turn $200 into $75,000 for one Las Vegas bettor.
“It was amazing,” CG Technology sportsbook director Tony DiTommaso said. “Hard to believe two in one day like that.”
Swing shift
The Eagles’ final play resulted in a swing of well into six figures — and likely into seven figures total at Las Vegas books — in favor of bettors.
CG Technology reported a swing of $150,000 on the play, MGM Resorts and the Westgate each reported swings of close to six figures, and William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich categorized it as a “monster swing.”
The books took a bit of a hit on the Falcons’ final play, but offset any losses on Atlanta’s outright upset of the 49ers, who attracted heavy action on the money line (-550).
“Atlanta was huge for us,” Golden Nugget sportsbook director Aaron Kessler said. “The total wasn’t great going over, but the game more than made up for it.”
The Bears almost scored on a last-second lateral at Lambeau Field before Tramon Williams recovered a fumble at the 2 to preserve the Packers’ 21-13 win and cover as 4½-point favorites.
Bettors went 3-0 on laterals Sunday.
“Sometimes they go your way, sometimes they don’t,” Kessler said. “It’s probably 50-50, but it feels like 90-10 against you.”
On to Cincinnati
The books suffered their biggest loss on New England, which picked off Andy Dalton four times in its rout of Cincinnati.
“We barely took any Bengals money all week,” Kessler said. “It’s hard to sell that team. You need an awful lot of lipstick for that particular pig.”
Bettors also cashed in on the Buccaneers, who blew out the Lions 38-17 as 6-point favorites and won most of the morning games as favorites went 6-1-1 ATS.
Book report
But the books won most of the afternoon games and were small winners on the day, as underdogs went 4-1 with four outright wins.
Jacksonville upset Oakland 20-16 as a 7-point underdog in the Raiders’ final home game in Oakland. Sharp bettors and the betting public both lost on the Raiders, who led 16-3 at halftime but were outscored 17-0 in the second half by the previously hapless Jaguars.
“There’s no doubt the Jaguars looked dead in the water,” Kornegay said. “You would think the emotional factor would certainly be an advantage for the Raiders and it was for most of the game. But their offensive struggles in the second half continued.”
Win big, lose big
The Raiders cost one MGM Resorts bettor $317,000. The gambler lost a $217,000 money-line parlay that included Oakland (-280), and the Raiders were the only loser in a $100,000 four-team teaser that would’ve paid $300,000: Texans-Titans O44½, Falcons-49ers O41½, Browns-Cardinals O37½, Oakland +½.
Another MGM bettor won $505,000 on a $125,000 Vikings (-1½)-Bills (+1) parlay that paid $325,000; a $100,000 straight bet on the Vikings (-1½) that paid $90,000; and a $100,000 Seahawks (-6, push)-Vikings (-1½) parlay that paid $90,000.
More Betting: Follow at reviewjournal.com/betting.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.
