10 Recent Sports Bets You Wish You Made
One could make a living betting on sports by living in the right city and knowing which bets to place on a daily and weekly basis.
You think you live and die cheering on your favorite sports teams? Imagine how you would feel if the outcomes of games significantly impacted the amount of money found in your bank account. Professional gamblers spend hours upon hours of work perfecting their craft, and some who are successful are able to operate businesses that include selling gambling tips to would-be experts who no longer want to work 9-to-5 office jobs.
You have to spend money to make money, teaches the famous adage. For gamblers, spending money wisely and on the right bets is what makes the difference between somebody who dabbles in the industry and somebody who routinely earns massive profits and who is able to leave a previous job in the past.
Would you have had the guts and the smarts to put money on Ronda Rousey losing for the first time of her Ultimate Fighting Championship career this past November? Could you have been able to bet the Golden State Warriors would fall to a downright awful team in March 2016? How would you be at predicting what upsets would occur at a major tennis event?
If nothing else, wagering on sports allows us to feel as if we are part of the action. Our lives are, for the most part, unchanged regardless of if our favorite teams win or lose. Those who place bets on sports have something more than just emotions riding on those competitions.
As always, we recommend you only gamble legally and responsibly.
Utah Jazz Beat Cleveland Cavaliers: March 14, 2016
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The 2015-16 edition of the Cleveland Cavaliers has played down to the level of supposedly inferior opponents multiple times during the current NBA season. Earlier this month, the Cavs lost a home game to the Memphis Grizzlies when Memphis was without four starters. Tony Allen lit the Cavs up for 26 points, and the Grizzlies defeated Cleveland 106-103.
One could have guessed trouble was coming for the Cavs on the night of March 14 when Cleveland played at the Utah Jazz. Cleveland was concluding a four-game road trip that involved the Cavs winning the first three contests of the trek out west.
The Cavs notched a win over the Los Angeles Clippers on March 13, meaning the best team in the Eastern Conference was ending the road trip with back-to-back games. Cleveland had a record of 47-18, while the Jazz were a lackluster 32-34.
The recipe was there for a Cleveland letdown.
According to Odds Shark, bettors could have taken the Jazz to beat the Cavaliers at +255 on the moneyline through Bovada. In short, this means one would make $255 for every $100 waged on Utah.
That, it turned out, would have been easy money for those bold enough to bet on the Jazz.
The Cavs began the fourth quarter with momentum and with a lead after Matthew Dellavedova drained a three-pointer on the first possession of the final frame. Cleveland shooters went cold in the final 9:22 of the game, however, and the Cavs were outscored 24-14 over that period of play. Utah ultimately cruised to a 94-85 win that was profitable for all who picked the Jazz to hold serve at home.
Holy Cross Shocks Lehigh: March 9, 2016
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Even the most diehard supporter of Holy Cross basketball probably would have struggled putting money on the Crusaders beating Lehigh in the Patriot League tournament final March 9.
Only Lafayette had a worst conference record (3-15) during the regular season than Holy Cross (5-13). Holy Cross did not win a single away conference game this season before the start of the tournament.
Winning in March is what matters most for college basketball teams, and Holy Cross caught fire at the right time. The Crusaders picked up victories versus Loyola, Bucknell and then Army to earn a berth in the Patriot League final. Those three victories put Holy Cross at 13-19 overall for the campaign heading into that showdown with Lehigh.
The three-game winning streak clearly did not impress betting websites. Per Odds Shark, gamblers could have gotten Holy Cross at +470 before the start of the game. That's decent value for somebody looking to make a score on a team that had won back-to-back-to-back encounters.
The Crusaders took it to Lehigh in the first half of the tournament final, jumping out to a 20-6 advantage. Lehigh slowly chipped away at that lead, however, eventually closing the gap to 57-56 in the final minute of play. That would be as close as Lehigh would come, though, as Kahron Ross missed a three-pointer that would have tied the game in the closing seconds.
Holy Cross won 59-56, giving fans and gamblers one of the biggest shocks of Championship Week in the process.
Miesha Tate Stops Holly Holm: March 5, 2016
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Holly Holm not only shocked the world when she knocked Ronda Rousey out to win the UFC women's bantamweight championship in November 2015. Holm dominated the then-undefeated Rousey who had been known as the "baddest woman on the planet." "The Preacher's Daughter" left Rousey bloodied and out on her back after landing a crunching kick and several hammer fists that ended the fight early in the second round.
No wonder so many believed Miesha Tate, who has twice lost to Rousey, would not be able to handle Holm when the two stepped into the cage on March 5.
Tate was an underdog in the eyes of multiple experts and in betting lines. Both Lyle Fitzsimmons and Robby Kalland of CBS Sports predicted before the fight Holm would defeat Tate and retain her championship. Fitzsimmons believed Holm would win via decision, while Kalland thought Holm would stop Tate in the second round.
Odds Shark had Tate at +230 on March 5.
It seemed as if Fitzsimmons was on the verge of accurately predicting the fight's outcome after four rounds. While Tate dominated the second round to the point that she had earned a 10-8 score, Holm won the other three rounds with ease.
Round 5 of the bout, and also maybe the futures of both fighters, changed when Holm missed with a left-hand strike. Tate capitalized by taking the champion down to the mat, and the better wrestler of the two locked in a rear-naked choke. Holm refused to give up, even flipping both herself and Tate over in an attempt to break free of the choke. Tate never relented, though, and Holm was rendered unconscious before the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
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Fernando Verdasco Stuns Rafael Nadal: January 19, 2016
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It is difficult for fans to watch their heroes age and decline before their very eyes. That explains why some tennis followers out there probably hoped Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, was merely going through a slump in 2015. Nadal, who turned 29 years old last June, ended the season without qualifying for even one final of a major, and his physical skills, most notably his defense, appeared to be in decline by the end of the campaign.
As unimpressive as Nadal was in 2015, he was still a heavy favorite to dispatch of Fernando Verdasco in the opening round of the Australian Open this past January. Arunava Ray of the International Business Times explained.
"Nadal has a brilliant record against Verdasco, leading him 14-2, but the tally at the end of 2015 was 1-1. Verdasco got the better of Nadal in the Miami Open, while Nadal returned the favour in the Hamburg Open later in the year.
Verdasco will not be too perturbed by previous records, given Nadal's form last year after his injury. The duo played out a brilliant game six years ago in the semi-finals of the Australian Open in 2009, which lasted more than five hours. Nadal won the match 6-4 in the final set.
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Per Odds Shark, a Verdasco win opened at +550.
Verdasco found himself down down two sets to one, and he was trailing Nadal 0-2 in the fifth and final set of the showdown. Nadal was unable to close Verdasco out, and Verdasco picked up momentum and became an unstoppable steamroller who won six straight games to eliminate Nadal.
That result could, when all is said and done, be just further evidence 2015 was the beginning of the end of Nadal's great career.
Michigan State Defeats Ohio State: November 21, 2015
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The Michigan State Spartans had no business even hanging with the Ohio State Buckeyes on November 21, 2015. Michigan State was without starting quarterback Connor Cook, who was dealing with a shoulder injury. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, were the unbeaten national champions playing on their home turf and in the middle of a 23-game winning streak.
MSU did not have much of a chance on paper or in the eyes of experts.
Of the three gambling services mentioned on Odds Shark, two had Michigan State listed at +500. BetOnline had Sparty at +540. Putting $100 down on Michigan State just because the Spartans were still a talented side without Cook in the lineup and because MSU and Ohio State are conference rivals could have been worth the risk if only because of the potential rewards.
The game, played in wet and windy conditions, was a defensive battle that was ugly to watch for the neutral fan who had no ties to the teams involved and no money on the line. Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett finished the evening with only 46 passing yards, and running back Ezekiel Elliot, who will likely be selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft, carried the ball for just 33 yards on 12 attempts (h/t ESPN.com).
Michigan State tied the game early in the fourth quarter when Gerald Holmes ran the ball into the end zone from two yards out. Then, with time expiring, Michael Geiger deposited a 41-yard field goal between the goal posts to put the Spartans up 17-14 as the clock ticked down to 00:00.
It was one of the most noteworthy upsets of the college football season.
Nate Diaz Submits Conor McGregor: March 5, 2016
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Maybe everybody should have seen this upset coming.
UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor had intended to move up from 145 pounds to 155 to challenge Rafael dos Anjos for the Lightweight Championship on March 5 of this year. Dos Anjos suffered a broken foot in training, however, and the champion had to pull out of the fight a couple of weeks before UFC 196.
Enter Nate Diaz, who was willing to accept the fight on short notice so long as the fighters were allowed to weigh in at 170 pounds.
While McGregor may walk around at closer to 170 pounds than to featherweight, he is used to fighting at 145. McGregor carrying so much excess weight into the cage did not make the Irishman an underdog heading into the bout against Diaz.
Per Odds Shark, Diaz was a +300 underdog.
Those who took the chance and put money on Diaz may have found themselves regretting that decision after the first round. McGregor tagged Diaz will multiple strikes to the face in the opening round, and Diaz returned to his stool a bloody and beaten mess.
The extra weight took its toll on McGregor during the second round, though, as the outspoken trash-talker became visibly fatigued before he was on the receiving end of several punishing strikes landed by Diaz. McGregor went for a takedown, but Diaz's superior grappling skills won the sequence and then the bout. Diaz hit several punches from the mount that resulted in McGregor turning over, and Diaz then locked in a rear-naked choke that forced McGregor to submit.
Angelique Kerber Beats Serena Williams: January 30, 2016
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Casual sports fans who tune in to watch Serena Williams compete for tournament championships were probably left wondering one thing about Angelique Kerber before the start of the 2016 Australian Open:
Who?
Williams could go down as the greatest player, male or female, in the history of professional tennis and one of the most dominant athletes of her time. The American phenom did not, per George Flood of the International Business Times, drop a single set during the Australian Open up through her semifinal victory.
Kerber was understandably a huge underdog before the start of the match. Odd Shark had Kerber at +475. As Josh Bailey of Sportbet.com explained, though, those odds made Kerber an intriguing choice on the day of the final.
"This is a tougher battle for Serena Williams than many believe it's going to be. Williams isn't impossible to beat. It took her 5 years in between Australian Open Championship wins. Could she go back-to-back after taking home the Aussie trophy in 2015?
She could. And, she could do it easily. But, it's difficult to recommend betting on anything, much less a single player in a sporting event, at -700. Serena showed signs of tightness against (Agnieszka) Radwanska. Tightness against a player of Kerber's skill could end Serena's dreams of another Grand Slam Title. Not only does Serena backers have her tightness issues to worry about but, by Serena's own admission, Kerber could prove more challenging than anyone else Serena has faced in this tournament because she’s a lefty.
It's almost impossible difficult to go against Serena Williams. If anybody can beat Serena right now, it's probably Angelique Kerber. Why not take a shot at huge odds?
The odds for Angelique Kerber, someone who has beaten Serena, are too tasty pass up.
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We hope you followed Bailey's advice before Kerber and Williams took the court.
Kerber and Williams split the first two sets, and different swings in momentum saw Kerber up 5-4 with Williams serving in set three. Kerber, who had her serve broken the previous game, watched as Williams over-hit the final forehand of the match, and the German then celebrated becoming a Grand Slam champion.
Los Angeles Lakers Upset Golden State Warriors: March 6, 2016
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There are some upsets in sports that make little sense.
The Golden State Warriors are not just the best team in the NBA this season. Golden State is chasing history. As of March 16, the Warriors had to finish the campaign with wins in 13 of the team's final 16 games to get to 73 total victories for the campaign and break the regular-season wins record set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.
The Lakers, on the other hand, were not just the worst team in the NBA as they prepared to face off with Golden State on March 6. Los Angeles was, per Derek Knight of SB Nation blog Golden State of Mind, 44.5 games behind Golden State in the standings.
One could not have been blamed for believing this game would be a massacre.
The experts agreed. According to the information posted by Odds Shark, the Lakers were listed at +1900 before the game tipped off. Those numbers could not have accounted for the Warriors converting only 40.2 percent of their field goals and for Stephen Curry, the uncrowned Most Valuable Player for 2015-16, finishing with only 18 points in a losing effort.
Those of you who were feeling extra adventurous during the opening weekend of March could have raked in a boatload of cash had you played a $100 parlay of Miesha Tate, Nate Diaz and the Lakers winning. According to SportsCenter (h/t Andrew Lynch of FOX Sports), that bet would have been worth $31,290.
Not bad money if you can get it.
Holly Holm KOs Ronda Rousey: November 15, 2015
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Betting on Ronda Rousey ahead of her UFC 193 fight with Holly Holm made little sense.
That wasn't because so many experts and journalists believed Holm would pull off the upset. It was quite the opposite, in fact, as Holm was a massive underdog, according to Odds Shark. As Nick Schwartz of USA Today blog For The Win explained, putting money on Rousey to win the fight was silly because doing so would have been a foolish investment.
"...Rousey is -2000 to win as of Saturday morning, meaning you would win a measly five dollars if you bet $100 on Rousey to win. Even if you’re 100% sure Rousey will emerge victorious, it’s barely worth putting that amount of money on the line for such a small return.
Let’s say you hoped to profit $500 by betting on Rousey. To do so, you’d have to lay down $10k, which is an enormous sum that you should probably not be gambling on UFC fights with.
In this scenario, it’s actually more worth your while to place a small bet on Holm (currently +900), as a $10 bet could make you 90 bucks.
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Those of you who were able to put $100 on Holm at +900 likely enjoyed what you saw the night of November 15.
Holm seemed to catch Rousey off guard by punishing the then-bantamweight champion with left jabs that prevented Rousey from closing the distance between the two fighters throughout the first round. Rousey's one attempt to lock in an arm bar in the first round was blocked by Holm, and Rousey's face was cut and bloodied at the end of the round.
Holm put Rousey away 59 seconds into Round 2. A left jab followed by a kick to the head floored Rousey, and Holm earned the stoppage and the championship after she delivered hammer fists to the fallen and defeated Rousey.
Leicester to Win the Premier League
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The only sports bet on the list that has yet to be settled is also the most fascinating of them all.
Leicester City winning the Premier League for 2015-16 wasn't mentioned in preseason write-ups and previews because it wasn't a thought in the minds of experts. Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal, three usual suspects to be near the top of the table in May, were, as of July 2015, safe picks to win the Premier League for those who wanted to make a cheeky bet on the upcoming campaign.
Leicester, though? Maybe in FIFA 16.
Some Leicester fans did take a chance and bet on the Foxes to win the league before the season began. One, per Fox Sports, has no interest in cashing out before Leicester either do the job or lose their hold of first place.
"James Weller was offered £25,000 ($41,000) to cash out his bet on the Foxes to win the Premier League title, but turned down the offer for a shot at double that amount.
The Leicester supporter put down £10 on 5000/1 odds at the beginning of the season that Claudio Ranieri's side would win the league, and after seeing their crucial 1-0 win over Newcastle, Weller decided to stick with his original stake until the potentially bitter end.
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According to that same Fox Sports story, Keval Nakesheree and Nathan Finlow have also refused to accept early payouts. Nakesheree could earn £25,000 off of his wager. Finlow will win £7,000 if Leicester win the league.
As of March 16, Leicester were atop the Premier League and five points ahead of second-place Tottenham Hotspur with eight matches left to play. West Ham United (5th) and Manchester United (6th) are the only top-six opponents left on Leicester's schedule. Tottenham will begin April away to Liverpool (8th) and then at home versus Manchester United.
Leicester could have the league wrapped up by the middle of April.
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