Rarely is there so much at stake in games involving the Detroit Lions. For one person and sportsbook, it was different this time on Monday Night Football to conclude NFL Week 2, when the Lions visited the Green Bay Packers as an 11.5-point road underdog and a roughly +400 moneyline underdog.
But forget the spread and consider one crazy, lucky, and ultimately doomed BetMGM patron who nailed the first 15 legs of a 16-game NFL parlay that would have paid $727,000 if the Lions won outright at Lambeau Field. With a 20% implied probability of victory from the game odds, his or her possibility of taking down life-altering money on a ludicrously longshot $25 free bet was not quite as dire as some perceived.
Wild.
One bettor at @BetMGM has a 16-game parlay on the line tonight. $25 to win $726, 959.
WFT-175
Bears -130
Browns -650
Rams -190
Bills -175
Pats -250
49ers -160
Raiders +190
Panthers +150
Broncos -275
Cardinals -190
Bucs -650
Cowboys +135
Titans +190
Ravens +180
Lions +400— Greg Rosenstein (@grosenstein) September 20, 2021
Enter Twitter, where shared cultural experiences go to become celebrated, ridiculed, and meme-ified. Some folks debated the various illogical or ill-advised components of this wager and the ethics of discussing or in some way publicizing longshot wagers. They also dissected hedging strategy and mused over the probable lack of hedging funds or resources for someone who … is placing a 16-leg parlay.
Jared Goff now has 2 TD es in this MNF game, and once again, the Lions offensive line gives him good protection. pic.twitter.com/3UtW10qD61
— olinestats (@olinestats) September 21, 2021
Unfortunately for the Michigan-based Lions bettor holding out hope for that final leg in Lambeau, cashing out was not an option: The wager was placed with a promotional free bet, for which cash-outs are not offered.
A BetMGM spokesperson told Sports Handle Tuesday morning, however, that the sportsbook is considering compensating the bettor with some sum similar to what it might have offered if it had been a cash bet. That’s to be continued.
Now here’s a round-up of the best tweets about the MNF sub-sweat, sub-plot, and cautionary tale. (As you probably know by now, after an inspired first half that saw the Lions leading 17-14, the Packers reasserted themselves in the second half and scored 21 unanswered points for a 35-17 victory.)
Lions parlay brings out some fun tweets 5d3v4p
Nobody:
The bettor that needed a Lions victory to win $700K parlay: pic.twitter.com/kH93okVqOG
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) September 21, 2021
The guy who could win like 700k on his 16 leg parlay if the Lions win tonight pic.twitter.com/qciRUdIvkG
— Jackson Kinney (@JJJJacksonBoone) September 21, 2021
How's that $25 parlay better that needs a Lions straight up to win over $700,000 feeling right now… pic.twitter.com/UwcGYDXVur
— Dan Leach (@DanLeach971) September 21, 2021
Borrow $250k from a friend. Say you're putting it on the Packers ML. But actually put it on the Lions 1H ML.
TO THE MOON.
— u/cashmag3001 (@cashmag3001) September 20, 2021
When I question whether or not I’m a good person..I think about days like today when I was willing to be eliminated from my survivor pool, if it meant the Lions would win and a stranger would have hit the 16 game parlay and won $730,000. #ItsHardBeingAHero #TheFateIWasDealt
— Michelle Beadle (@MichelleDBeadle) September 21, 2021
That MFer trying to win $700k+ on a parlay based on the Lions winning tonight better be prepared for getting his hopes up only for the Lions to blow it in spectacular fashion. It’s the only way
— Space Coyote (@SpaceCoyoteBDS) September 21, 2021
Someone really made a 16 team parlay and put the Lions of Detroit on it
— 🪦 (@DEAN_pt3) September 20, 2021
ESPN needs to do a live check-in on the guy that has a $700K parlay on the line thanks to the #Lions #MNF #MNFxESPN pic.twitter.com/QY1VALVzjo
— 𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕟 (@TheIllestRican) September 21, 2021
The guy who needed a Lions win for a 750k parlay somewhere like pic.twitter.com/w9ZAyYX4aR
— MotorcityJO (@BLKDetroit313) September 21, 2021
Moment of silence for that 16 team parlay that needed the Lions to win.
Thoughts and prayers https://t.co/rHl8PMO3Mr
— Jason Deger (@Jasondeger) September 21, 2021
The man with that 700k parlay watching the lions lose right now pic.twitter.com/6B9XaNu6z8
— Chan™ (@Chanannagins) September 21, 2021
And more Will Smith. We’ll update if the poor guy gets some consolation prize from BetMGM.
As I’m watching this game, all I can think about is the dude who just needed the lions to win, to hit on a 16 parlay to cash $700k pic.twitter.com/dqZ3Mmok4v
— Kevin Cuevas (@_supkev) September 21, 2021
UPDATE: This tale ends with a glorious, 6-figure outcome for the Lions bettor. BetMGM said in a statement on Wednesday:
On Monday, a BetMGM customer had wagered $25 to win $726,959 on a 16-leg NFL parlay.
The first 15 bets had won and the bettor needed the Lions to upset the Packers to cash the parlay.
The wager was made using a $25 free bet, free bets do not have the option to cash out.
However, due to the amazing picks and unlikely odds, BetMGM made an exception and the bettor cashed out for $133K pre-tax.
And now for NFL Week 3, BetMGM will see a 600% increase on 16-leg parlays.
