The Diary Of A Same-Game Parlay NFL Bettor: Star Player Injury Edition

As the old saying goes: “You win some, you lose some.”

That’s the nature of sports betting and gambling. But it’s the fun of finding out if you will strike big that keeps us coming back. People in Arizona are discovering that as more and more new players are taking advantage of legal wagering in the state.

One of the more popular types of bets offered by some sportsbooks goes by the name “same-game parlays.” Simply put, it is a series of bets placed on different outcomes in one game. They can range from one player throwing for a touchdown and rushing for a score to three different players getting over 50 receiving yards.

Is there some strategy involved? Sure, there is. However, oftentimes, if you win or lose your parlay, it could all come down to pure luck. Or in some cases — like if you are someone like me looking at the Carolina Panthers–Houston Texans matchup on Thursday Night Football — bad luck.

How same-game parlays work in AZ sports betting

Many of the sportsbooks will have their own built-in same game parlays and prop bets listed as soon as you log in.

For example, BetMGM Arizona will list two or three different outcomes from a featured game. The books will often attach odds boosts or super boosts to those parlays that they pick out. But it’s up to you to decide if they are worthing putting money down on them.

This past Monday, WynnBet AZ offered a parlay odds boost on Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams gaining at least 100 receiving yards and scoring a touchdown. That didn’t hit, but given his track record, it doesn’t seem like a bad play.

Keep in mind, not every bet within a game will be allowed in a same-game parlay. Many sports betting apps will have same-game parlay opportunities labeled with “SGP.”

My same-game parlay: Riding the CMC Express

While bettors can add moneyline and points spread markets in a same-game parlay, many hang their hats on including wagers on individual player props. It’s much like fantasy football in a way, hoping that certain players will perform well, or expecting them to perform poorly.

In Thursday night’s game, I put most of my chips on Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey. The duel-threat star has been a force running and receiving the ball since entering the league in 2017. Facing a favorable matchup against a Texans team that is rebuilding, I thought that this was a chance to cash-in.

And I wasn’t alone. Several sportsbooks offered up odds boosts and super boosts expecting McCaffrey to run wild. For example, the Caesars Arizona sportsbook ran a super boost on him gaining at least 100 combined yards rushing and receiving.

I was so confident that McCaffrey was going to have a performance that would vault him into the MVP conversation that he was included in my parlays with three Arizona betting apps: Caesars, FanDuel AZ and DraftKings Arizona. I projected that he would run for at least 60 yards, have at least 50 receiving yards and score a touchdown.

Filling out the parlays, I included that the Panthers would win the game, quarterback Sam Darnold would throw for at least two touchdowns and that wide receiver DJ Moore would catch at least 6 passes for over 60 yards. So for the record, it was three 7-leg same-game parlays all ranging around the +550 odds territory.

The CMC, Panthers parlay sports betting train quickly comes to a halt

In the Panthers’ second drive of the first quarter, Darnold was finding Moore down the field and those props appeared they would hit in no time. And near the goal line, Darnold ran a QB option and sprinted into the end zone for a score. I’m thinking, “Missed opportunity for a touchdown pass or a score for McCaffrey, but no worries.” Then the second quarter started.

As the Panthers enter the red zone, McCaffrey took a handoff to the left and hobbled out of bounds. And that’s it. Nothing else that happened in this game mattered. The guy I had three prop bets on in my parlays was out of the game with a hamstring injury. No touchdowns, 31 rushing yards and nine receiving yards. Game over for me.

Now, I would have lost anyway because Darnold ended up running for two scores while throwing zero touchdown passes. However, that is something that would have allowed me to stay invested in the game. But for many bettors with no rooting interest in the game, it was over near the start of the second quarter.

A silver lining came later in the evening. After seeing McCaffrey get hurt, Caesars decided to offer a reprieve to customers. All eligible McCaffrey super boost bettors would see a bonus bet in their betslips when going to place a new wager on the Caesars sportsbook app. The bonus would match the amount of the wager placed on the McCaffrey super boost.

It’s a nice pick-me-up for super boost betters, like me. However, same-game parlay bettors, like me, are out of luck. But that’s how the cookie crumbles sometimes. Better luck in the next round of games folks.