ESPN BET permitted some bettors to wager up to $200,000 on a boost wager for Texans vs. Ravens, a complete rarity in the world of sportsbook promotions.
Typically, sportsbooks will entice users to place wagers on lines they boost themselves, like ESPN BET did in this instance. However, those wagers are capped at something like $100 or even as low as $10, depending on other factors.
ESPN BET boosted the odds on the Ravens to win by 11 or more points (in effect, Ravens -10.5) from +110 to +140 early Saturday morning. And the sportsbook also boosted the Ravens to win by 10 or more points (Ravens -9.5) from -110 to +110.
But there was virtually no max wager on either of those selections — for most users, anyway. The highest limits seen were $200,000.
These boosts came mere hours after our colleague at Vegas Insider, Patrick Everson, reported that the sportsbook seemed to be taking substantial money on the Texans to win outright.
FYI: @ProphetExchange's @jakebenzaq believes there's something interesting going on today with regard to Texans-Ravens betting at @ESPNBet, and as a result:
"We can't stop taking $25K-$50K bets on the Texans right now."
Benzaquen explains in this intriguing thread.⬇️ https://t.co/G0tx4kL29F
— Patrick Everson (@PatrickE_Vegas) January 20, 2024
In essence, it stands to reason that ESPN BET 's risk management team was willing to give up expected value on the Ravens to cover in order to limit their liability on the Texans.
ESPN BET hasn't been afraid to be innovative across the ecosystem. The sportsbook was the first book — and remains the only — to host a "no" market for anytime touchdowns, for instance.
