No sport in America is bet on more than the National Football League. The NFL is the king of sports television ratings and the 800-pound gorilla of sports betting. Most individuals will bet modest amounts of money on a few games each week and make a couple of bets on their favorite team to win the division or maybe even make the Super Bowl. Some bets that come in though are much larger.
Betting within your means is essential, and these people may very well be doing just that, but the thought of plopping down $25,000 on a futures bet is enough to make me queasy. Since most of us won’t be wagering that kind of money, let’s read about it instead!
To Win the Super Bowl
The aforementioned $25,000 bet was wagered on the New Orleans Saints at +4000 odds. If Jameis Winston can play at a Pro-Bowl level and the defense can play at a dominant level, the Saints could win the NFC South and give themselves a chance in the playoffs. If they find a way to win the Super Bowl, the bettor will earn a cool $1 million.
Another NFC South team got a large wager as someone placed $4,000 on the Atlanta Falcons at +25000. The pathway for the Dirty Birds to even reach the playoffs seems like a very long and winding road, but if they managed to pull it off, the wager would also pay off $1 million.
Three different AFC East squads received large wagers. The first is $5,000 placed on the New York Jets at +15000. As far-fetched as it seems, if the Jets win the Super Bowl, this will net $750,000. With the offseason acquisition of Tyreek Hill, hopes are high in Miami, but few are as optimistic as the bettor that placed $10,000 on the Dolphins to win the Super Bowl. At +4000, that bet would rake in $400,000.
Finally, a bet of $20,000 was placed on the division favorite, the Buffalo Bills. After the season-opening dominance of the Rams, this one (placed when Buffalo was +600) is looking quite good. If the Bills can finally win the Super Bowl, the bet wins $120,000.
Two of the smallest wagers on this list were placed on Chicago and Seattle. Remember, though, that “small” is a relative term here. A bet of $1,300 on the Seattle Seahawks would win $260,000 thanks to the long shot odds of +20000, and a bet of $1,000 on the Chicago Bears at +15000 would net $150,000.
Other Big NFL Bets at BetMGM
Betting on who will win the Super Bowl is only part of the futures market. There were plenty of other large bets on things like “Team to win the AFC,” “Make the Playoffs,” “Offensive Player of the Year,” and, of course, “Win Totals.”
A popular choice with big-money bettors appears to be the Miami Dolphins. In addition to the large Super Bowl wager, the Dolphins received some exciting bets. Someone is a clear believer in the Tua Tagovailoa to Hill connection, placing $2,500 on Hill to win the Offensive Player of the Year award. At +6600 odds, that would earn $165,000. There was also a $300,000 bet at +135 on the Dolphins to make the playoffs (to win $405,000) and a massive $900,000 bet to win only $360,000 on Miami to win eight games or more.
The book would love to see the Dolphins flounder this season.
Another optimistic individual placed a $5,000 bet on the New York Jets to win the AFC. The +8000 odds would make that a winning bet of $400,000.
The Baltimore Ravens received a bit of significant action on this futures bet as well as a wager of $10,000 was placed with odds of +1100. If Lamar Jackson and the Ravens can get to the Super Bowl, the bettor wins $110,000.
AFC teams were not the only ones to see large wagers. A true longshot bet with odds of +30000 was made on the Arizona Cardinals to go 17-0. If that improbable event were to come to fruition, the $250 bet would pay out $75,000.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are considered the favorite to win the NFC South, but a second team has gotten quite a bit of buzz, and at least one bettor is a big-time believer. A $10,000 wager was placed on the New Orleans Saints to win the division, and at odds of +450, that bet would win $45,000. Most do not consider the Panthers or Falcons a threat, so this seems like a heads-up bet against the Bucs, and at those odds, it makes a lot of sense.
Keep these massive wagers in mind as you saddle up to the couch for the first weekend of the 2022 NFL season. For some individuals, there is a whole lot of money on the line!
