The largest sports bet ever placed at one Kentucky sportsbook nearly came back to bite the gambler who laid the money down.
A bettor in Kentucky put down $3.1 million on the Philadelphia Eagles to beat the Carolina Panthers to win $442,000 according to Circa Sports, making it one of the biggest NFL regular-season bets ever reported.
The unidentified person bet the moneyline at odds of -700. Betting the moneyline means the team only has to win the game, and there's no pointspread involved.
Dropped Pass Saves The Day
The Eagles gave the bettor a thrilling run for his money.
As the fourth quarter started, Carolina led 16-14. However, Philadelphia quickly regained the lead when Jalen Hurts threw a touchdown pass to tight end Grant Calcaterra. But the Panthers were not done and continued to fight back.
With just under three minutes left and down by six points, Carolina began a drive from their 3-yard line. Quarterback Bryce Young brilliantly moved his team to the Eagles' 32-yard line, hoping to pull off an upset. He saw rookie Xavier Legette open in the middle of the field for a potential game-winning touchdown, but Legette dropped the ball.
Replays showed the ball slipping through Legette's hands and hitting the ground. A touchdown there would have tied the game, with a chance to take the lead on the extra point, leaving 45 seconds on the clock.
People Offer “Thank You” Gift Ideas
After the game ended, people began speculating on how the winning bettor might thank Legette for dropping the pass.
Some suggestions included sending Legette a Christmas gift from the bettor in Kentucky. They proposed sending a bottle of good bourbon, gifting a couple of tickets to the bourbon trail, or even buying him his own horse barn.
Derek Stevens, the owner of Circa Sportsbook, is also very thankful. He told ESPN that they managed to attract numerous bets on the Panthers, which helped offset the impact of the large wager on the Eagles.
Not The Biggest NFL Moneyline Ever
The Eagles were heavily favored going into the game, as 14-point favorites. But the -700 moneyline is far from the biggest ever seen in recent years.
According to Statmuse, the Kansas City Chiefs were -3333 on the moneyline in a game against the New YorkJets back in 2020. They were 20-point favorites and won the game 35-9.
The second biggest NFL moneyline recorded since 2019 is the Dallas Cowboys, who were -2331 on the moneyline, in a game they were favored to win by 17.5 points against the Giants last year. They won, and covered, 49-17.
Third on the list is the ArizonaCardinals at -2298. They were also 20-point favorites against the Houston Texans in a game in 2021. They were also favored by 20, and they also covered. The Cardinals won the game 31-5.
$3.1 Million Bet Still Not Biggest Ever
Betting $3.1 million on a single NFL game might seem like a lot, but it’s not the biggest bet out there. The largest bets usually happen during major games.
Texas businessman Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale showed this when he placed a $5 million bet on the Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI through Caesars.
"Mack" is known for big bets; the previous year, he flew to Colorado and used his phone at the airport to bet $3.46 million on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, using DraftKings. His bet paid off when the Buccaneers won big, earning him a $2.75 million profit.
In that same Super Bowl, another person from Nevada bet $2.3 million on the Buccaneers through BetMGM. This anonymous bettor was also lucky, gaining $2 million from their bet.
NFL fandom will get bettors to do the unthinkable sometimes.
