Imagine placing a six-figure bet on the mighty Golden State Warriors' money line, only to see them quickly go down by 25 points in the second quarter, and still face a 23-point deficit nearly midway through the third? Such was the case for one bettor in Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon, as the Warriors looked on their way to a shocking defeat at home in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
After Kawhi Leonard's ankle injury, however, the Warriors came storming back and eventually squeaked out a 113-11 victory that not only gave them a 1-0 lead in the series, but saved countless gamblers, including our rich friend from the last paragraph, plenty of money. Via ESPN:
Some bettors were more relieved than others. In the minutes leading up to tipoff, a bettor at Las Vegas sportsbook operator CG Technology placed a $262,000 money-line wager on the heavily favored Warriors to win $37,000, according to vice president of risk Jason Simbal.
Down 25 in the second quarter, the Warriors were listed as 9-1 underdogs at William Hill's Nevada sportsbook. Only one bettor got in at that price, risking $7 to win $63. But throughout the game, William Hill took 492 tickets on the Warriors at 2-1 odds or greater, including a $5,000 bet on Golden State to win straight up at 9-4 odds in the second half.
See, this is exactly why I could never do any sort of high-stakes gambling. Throwing 10 bucks down on the blackjack table once in a while is one thing, but letting six figures, or heck, even a couple hundred bucks ride on a heavy favorite, only to see them go down by almost 30? I think I would have a heart attack.
God bless anyone who tries to earn a living this way.
