Less than five years ago, the US Supreme Court legalised sports betting in the USA. Since then, Americans have wagered over $125 billion on various sports. Unsurprisingly, much of this betting has been on one of the nation’s favourite sports, the NFL. We look at some of the more outrageous bets placed across the past few years, with the biggest bets on NFL games in history.
A Texan businessman named Jim McIngvale has a bone to pick with Cooper Kupp. This year, Jim McIngvale placed a total of $9.5 million of bets on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl LVI, including a single $5 million bet through Caesars Sportsbook for the Bengals to win the game.
With one and a half minutes remaining, McIngvale stood to win $16.2 million—until wide receiver Cooper Kupp scored a touchdown for the Los Angeles Rams putting his side ahead, meaning the Texan gambler lost every dime of his $9.5 million bet.
Another enormous Super Bowl bet was placed the year before by the same man, with Jim McIngvale punting on the Tampa Buccaneers this time.
McIngvale casually made the $3.46 million punt from his mobile in a Colorado airport, backing the Buccaneers to win. Interestingly, NJ online sports betting also sees the majority of its Super Bowl bets come by way of mobile betting, something that has contributed to the rapid growth of the industry in America. Jim McIngvale’s wager was successful and saw the Texas businessman win $2.75 million courtesy of the Buccaneers’ comprehensive victory.
The same match actually attracted another enormous bet, with a different punter wagering $2.3 million on Brady and the Buccaneers as well. This punt earnt the anonymous gambler a cool $2 million thanks to the performance by the men from Tampa.
If you thought that big NFL bets are only made during the Super Bowl, then that wouldn’t be entirely correct. Sometimes, fans just feel the urge to back their teams mid-season as well.
One brave punter bet $700,000 on a seemingly innocuous game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills in December 2020. The bet was split between a half million dollar punt on the Patriots finishing within seven points, and $200,000 on an outright Patriots win at +270. The potential winnings were well over a million dollars.
However, the unknown bettor chose the wrong match to swing big on. The New England Patriots misfired, with coach Bill Belichick disappointed in his side’s inability to complete passes. Jarrett Stidham and Cam Newton combined at quarterback to make only nine completed passes, totalling a meagre 78 yards.
Ultimately, the New England Patriots were confined to a 38-9 loss against the Buffalo Bills, meaning the $700,00 wagered on their success was completely lost.