MLB

How a $50 bet on the 2022 World Series could turn into $125,000 if the Astros beat the Phillies

A slip-up on an odds line back in April left one Colorado punter in a position to make a jaw-dropping return on his MLB bet

Sarah StierAFP

As the MLB season got started, after a long winter of discontent, one Colorado was given 2500-1 odds by BetMGM on the Houston Astros beating the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. Laying down $50, they now stand to win $125,000 should the Astros pull it off.

Quoted by BetMGM, the punter said, “It’s been surreal living and dying with the Phillies from April all the way through ‘Philtober.’ Shoutout to the Astros for taking care of business, and to the Dodgers for choking as usual.”

The amazing odds were a result of an error in the BetMGM oddsmaking procedure, and should have been more like 100-1. At the time, the Astros were 10-1 to win the World Series and the Phillies were 10-1 to win the National League. Different formula will yield different results, but none gets you anywhere near the 2500-1 offered.

We were probably a little bit of aggressive on those,” laughs a good-spirited Jason Scott, vice president of trading at Bet MGM.

The faulty odds were offered for two weeks and only six bets were taken on the outcome, with the $50 representing “about 90%” of the total, according to Scott.

“I’m more worried about Mattress Mack beating us than him, to be honest,” said the BetMGM VP.

Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is a Houston household name. A furniture store owner in the area, he is famous for placing big bets on the Astros. He has $2 million with BetMGM on the Astros to win the World Series, which would give him approximately a $75 million payout.

BetMGM said that it will be sending the Colorado punter to Friday’s Game 1 of the World Series in Houston.

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