The New England Patriots' 38-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night cost them a chance to avoid their first losing season in two decades. But it cost one sports bettor a whole lot more.
According to the BetMGM sportsbook, someone in Las Vegas placed two wagers on the Patriots that totaled US$700,000 in value: a $500,000 bet on the Patriots to cover the seven-point spread, and a $200,000 bet on them to win the game straight up.
If both had cashed, the sum of the winnings would've been $1.04 million.
Of course, that's not what happened. Not even close.
The Patriots did strike first on the game's opening possession, and they trailed by just one point with about six minutes left in the second quarter. Then Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs opened the floodgates.
In fairness to this bettor, the Patriots did cover as four-point road underdogs against the Bills earlier in the season. But these teams have trended in markedly different directions since then, with New England now dropping three straight against the spread and on the moneyline.
