If anyone ever tells you that something is a “sure thing,” do not believe them. There is no such thing as a sure thing. One DraftKings bettor found this out the hard way on Saturday when they lost $1.4 million on what seemed like a wager that could not lose.
The Los Angeles Chargers played the Jacksonville Jaguars Saturday night in the second of six first-round playoff games. It was a nightmare first half for the Jags’ quarterback and former number one overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence, as he threw four interceptions, leading to a 27-0 deficit.
At that point, only in the second quarter, DraftKings had the in-game line at -12,500 for the Chargers to win. I mean, of course they were going to win – they were up by four touchdowns! To translate those odds to regular people-speak, if you wanted to profit $100, you would have to bet $12,500 on the Chargers. That’s quite the risk for a little reward.
One person thought that regardless of the line, betting on the Chargers was “free money.” Bleacher Report posted the screenshot of a DraftKings online betting slip, which showed that someone put down an insane $1.4 million on Los Angeles at -12,500. Winning the bet would only net the customer $11,200. Now, I would love to win $11,200, but at the risk of losing $1.4 million? No thanks.
And lose $1.4 million is exactly what that bettor did. The Chargers collapsed after building up that 27-0 lead, getting outscored by the Jaguars 31-3 the rest of the way to end up losing the game, 31-30.
It was the third-largest comeback in NFL playoff history and the first time a team has won a playoff game with a turnover differential of at least -5 (the Jags had a muffed punt in addition to the four interceptions and did not force a Chargers turnover).
As to staying focused after one of the worst first halves a quarterback has ever had, Trevor Lawrence said, “I didn’t have a choice. These guys have sacrificed way too much for me to be the reason we lose an opportunity.”
It is unknown how Bleacher Report got its hands on the betting slip screenshot, though the most likely explanation is that the bettor actually shared it with the media outlet. Sportsbooks will often share big bets with the public, but only with the customer’s permission.
Bleacher Report also posted a screenshot of a five-leg parlay that came agonizingly close to hitting. This one was the inverse, in a sense, of the $1.4 million bet, as the FanDuel customer only risked $43.10, but came heartbreakingly close to a $1,000,135.50 score.
The bettor, Vincent O’Brien, bet on who would score the first touchdown in the five games this weekend (the sixth is Monday night). He nailed the first three: Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers, Austin Ekeler of the Chargers, and Dawson Knox of the Buffalo Bills.
Next up was the Minnesota Vikings’ all-world receiver, Justin Jefferson. On the first drive of the game, Minnesota had 1st and goal from the New York Giants’ six-yard line. Jefferson caught a short pass on the right side and lunged for goal line as he was being tackled. Officials ruled it a touchdown to give O’Brien the fourth leg of his parlay, but upon video review, it was changed, as Jefferson’s knee hit the turf with the ball just inches away from the goal line.
Million-dollar dreams crushed. To make matters worse, the Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase scored the first touchdown in the final game Sunday night, which was O’Brien’s fifth pick.
Image credit: Melissa Hillier via Flickr
