A Detroit Lions Loss Once Cost a Michigan Gambler a $737,000 Win

As legalized wagering on games has becoming more popular and engrained in the culture of sports, so come the inevitable stories of big wins and losses.

One such story involved a gambler who stood to win $737,000 on the outcome of a Detroit Lions game. Sadly for the player, it didn't quite go his way and it ended an odds-defying run.

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The bet began when $25 was wagered on a 16-game parlay - meaning the player needed to be correct 16 times for the payoff. The action took place in early September 2021. The bettor, who placed the wager with Bet MGM, had incredibly hit 15 of 16 games in the $25 parley bet and needed one more game to go his way - a Monday Night game between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. Should the Lions have won, the ticket would have been worth $736,959.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported before the Monday Nighter:

Detroit is an 11½-point underdog at Green Bay but the bettor — who placed the wager in Michigan — took the Lions at 4-1 on the money line, which means they must win the game outright.
The gambler could hedge the bet to ensure a profit but would need to come up with a substantial sum to place on the Packers, who are -650 on the money line. For example, a bettor would need to wager $65,000 to win $10,000 on Green Bay.
The gambler had several close calls en route to winning the first 15 legs of the parlay, starting with the first leg on Washington (-175).

The Lions of 2021 weren't the Lions of 2023-24 and the team fell to Green Bay meaning the gambler did not make his nearly three-quarters of a million-dollar payday.

However, seeing the potential of goodwill. After hitting 15 games correctly, BetMGM paid out $133,000.

A good day's work for the bettor and a classy thing for Bet MGM to acknowledge a great run. Still, it's a far cry from the roughly $737,000 should that final game turn out the other way. But lady luck had her final say, and the house is gonna do what the house is gonna do - win in the end.