Gambler loses $1.4 million on LA Chargers live moneyline bet

Sportsbook Hank

January 16, 2023

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On Saturday evening, the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs saw the Jacksonville Jaguars pull off one of the biggest comebacks in history, erasing a 27-point deficit against the Los Angeles Chargers to win 31-30 with a field goal as time expired in regulation. This comeback resulted in a huge loss for one customer of an online sportsbook, who had placed a bet on the Chargers while they were leading by 27 points in the second quarter.

The game began with the Jaguars struggling, with former No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence throwing four interceptions as the Chargers established a 27-0 lead. However, with 4:25 left in the first half, the NFL predictive analytics model gave the Chargers a 94.2% chance of winning the game, equating to implied odds of -1612. Despite this, one bettor decided to place a bet of $1.4 million on the Chargers to win, with the possibility of a $11,200 profit.

Unfortunately for the bettor, the Chargers are known for their history of bad luck and failure, and as the Jaguars began to make a comeback, it became clear that something unexpected was about to happen. Trevor Lawrence went from zero to hero, throwing for four touchdowns and scoring a crucial two-point conversion, setting it up for a game-winning field goal as time expired.

This outcome serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of sports betting, especially when placing a large amount of money on a team with a history of failure.