This past week is traditionally the slowest of the year on the sports calendar.
Correspondingly, it’s among the slowest of the year for sports betting.
But there are opportunities, and chances for a massive lucky break, as a FanDuel Sportsbook bettor learned during Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game on FOX.
Read on for more on that customer’s wager and other notable bets during these dog days of summer.
Swingin’ Schwarbs
Through six innings Tuesday night, the National League had a 6-0 lead over the American League in the All-Star Game. That was due in no small part to New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso’s three-run bomb in the bottom of the sixth, giving the NL a 5-0 advantage.
The AL rallied with four runs in the seventh, three of those coming on a homer from the A’s standout Brent Rooker.
But the NL still led 6-4 going into the ninth inning, at which point Alonso had a 90% chance of being named All-Star Game MVP. And yes, there was plenty of interest in the MVP betting market, with not much else to wager on Tuesday.
However, the AL scored twice in the top of the ninth to tie it at six, and the game ultimately went to a swing-off to determine the winner. The MVP door swung wide open, and Philadelphia Phillies star Kyle Schwarber walked right through it, going 3-for-3 with three home runs to give the NL the victory.
Pregame, FanDuel Sportsbook took a $25 bet on Schwarber +4000 to win the MVP. That ticket appeared dead in the water, until it suddenly wasn’t after the swing-off.
The bettor pocketed a tidy $1,000 profit (total payout $1,025).
WNBA Play
The WNBA is a popular league to wager on over the summer, particularly in any game involving the Indiana Fever.
Caitlin Clark has that effect, even when she ends up not playing, as was the case for Wednesday’s game against the defending champion New York Liberty.
A Caesars Sports customer put $16,000 on the Fever Over 76.5 points (-110) and barely got there. Indiana got drilled 98-77 but cleared 76.5 points on the final basket of the game via a Makayla Timpson tip-in with 22 seconds remaining.
It was a good sweat for the bettor, who cleared $14,545.45 in profit (total payout $30,545.45). And the win proved once again that, with sports betting involved, there’s no such thing as a meaningless score.
Bet A Little, Win A Lot
Nothing gets American sports bettors’ juices flowing like the NFL, even in the middle of summer.
One Caesars customer is hoping to nail which two teams meet, and which of those teams wins, in Super Bowl 60. The bettor put $100 on the Green Bay Packers to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
If Packers–Steelers ends up being the matchup, and Green Bay lifts the Lombardi Trophy, then the bettor wins $20,000.
Another interesting wager at Caesars: $200 on the 49ers +12500 (125/1) to have the worst regular-season record. It’d take an epic meltdown in San Francisco, hence the long-shot odds.
But if Brock Purdy & Co. get a huge comeuppance this season, then the bettor’s 200 bucks turns into $25,000 profit.
I Like Big Bets And I Cannot Lie
Along with the bets noted above, there are already countless wagers on Super Bowl futures odds, along with NFL conference championship futures. BetMGM has seen a few notable plays, including one on a team that’s certainly in the Super Bowl mix.
A bettor put $15,000 on the Detroit Lions +1000 to win Super Bowl 60. If the Lions win it all, then the customer profits $150,000 (total payout $151,000).
At the moment, the Lions are fifth in BetMGM’s Super Bowl odds market. The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles are the +650 favorite, followed by the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills at +700, and the Kansas City Chiefs at +800.
Finally, another BetMGM customer is putting five-figure faith in the Dallas Cowboys. The bettor has $10,000 on Dallas +2500 to win the NFC.
In the unlikely event that the Cowboys have a huge year and reach the Super Bowl, the bettor will pocket $250,000.
Dare to dream.
And while you’re at it, remember that these big bets often come from high-roller types who can afford the loss. Keep it reasonable. Never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on X: @PatrickE_Vegas.
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