Bettor Wins 490K on NFL Parlay! How Did it Happen?

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Betting on the NFL (or any sport) comes with its fair share of highs and lows. While there’s nothing like hitting that big seven-leg parlay, expert and novice bettors alike know that nothing is guaranteed in sports betting and that the probability of a huge win is much less than a disappointing loss.

Fortunately for Travis Dufner, he fell into the first category on Christmas.

Dufner — a 32-year-old NFL fan from New Jersey — made waves around the sports betting sphere on Dec. 25 when his 14-leg parlay turned a $5 bet into nearly $490K ($489,383.01, to be exact). Needless to say, his life will never be the same after that monumental win.

CMC gonna get it done for a cool +9787560? pic.twitter.com/jKq6T2Nmr0

— Flaming Hot Takes (@TheyAlreadyKnew) December 26, 2023

But how did Dufner win nearly half a million dollars in Week 16? Let’s take a look at his legendary parlay.

Fan Pulls Off $490K NFL Parlay in Week 16

What is a Parlay?

Before diving into Dufner’s impressive feat, it’s important to define a parlay for those who are unfamiliar.

A parlay is when a bettor combines multiple bets (also known as legs) to increase the size of a potential payout. The odds of each leg are then multiplied, meaning the longer the odds of each leg, the bigger the win would be. For example, a three-leg scenario where each wager sits at +100 odds would lead to +700 parlay.

Having said that, if one of the legs in the parlay fails (whether there are three wagers or seven), the entire bet falls apart.

Palrays can also take different shapes and forms. Some bettors (like Dufner) enjoy combining wagers from different games, which would be a multi-game parlay. On the flip side, individuals can also combine likes from a single event to create what’s called a same-game parlay.

How Did Dufner Create His NFL Parlay?

As mentioned above, Dufner went with a multi-game parlay that led to his $490K payout. While some bettors enjoy props that have to do with yard totals or even receptions, the New Jersey native created his entire parlay with touchdown scorer props — 14 to be exact.

After all, anytime TD scorer markets usually provide the best bang for your back.

When it came to Dufner’s 14-leg parlay (coming in at +9787560 odds), he needed the following players to hit paydirt:

• Najee Harris (RB, Steelers)
• Gabriel Davis (WR, Bills)
• Jahmyr Gibbs (RB, Lions)
• DK Metcalf (WR, Seahawks)
• Jerome Ford (RB, Browns)
• Chris Rodriguez Jr. (RB, Commanders)
• Jonathan Taylor (RB, Colts)
• Calvin Ridley (WR, Jaguars)
• James Conner (RB, Cardinals)
• Raheem Mostert (RB, Dolphins)
• Javonte Williams (RB, Broncos)
• Isiah Pacheco (RB, Chiefs)
• D’Andre Swift (RB, Eagles)
• Christian McCaffrey (RB, 49ers)

Christian McCaffrey Pulls Through for NFL Fan’s Parlay

Hitting a 14-leg parlay is extremely rare, which is why Dufner’s parlay started becoming news early on Christmas Day. After all, the first 11 legs of his parlay hit on Sunday, leaving Pacheco, Swift, and McCaffrey as the only remaining TD scorers he needed.

The Chiefs were in action against the Raiders at 1 p.m. ET on Christmas Day and it didn’t take Pacheco long to score, scoring a 12-yard TD at 7:34 in the second quarter. Fast forward a few hours later when Swift scored his sixth TD of the 2023 campaign with 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter in the Eagles' win over the Giants.

In other words, Dufner’s parlay came down to none other than McCaffrey, who’s only been held out of the end zone in one game this season.

Even though the 49ers didn’t get the win on Christmas, McCaffrey still came through for Dufner, rushing for a nine-yard TD with just a few minutes before the first half was over. Social media was set ablaze knowing that one better was nearly $500,000 richer and it wasn’t long before Dufner posted his reaction to his parlay hitting — wearing a Santa Claus costume and all.

Clearly, Dufner’s parlay couldn’t have been in better hands.

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A post shared by B/R Betting (@br_betting)

Soon after becoming just a bit richer, Dufner told DraftKings Sportsbook that he plans on using the money to pay off student debts and car loans before taking care of his family. Additionally, he’s always wanted to own a Rolex watch, so that could be in the cards, too.

Dufner’s big win is something many people won’t forget and will likely inspire bettors to craft their own 14-leg parlay with the NFL Week 17 action beginning shortly.

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