SP
BravenNow
March Madness Big Bets Report: $5k, 5-leg Parlay Cashes for $330k
| USA | sports | ✓ Verified - foxsports.com

March Madness Big Bets Report: $5k, 5-leg Parlay Cashes for $330k

#parlay #Fanatics Sportsbook #buzzer beater #NCAA Tournament #profit boost #moneyline #spread #DraftKings

📌 Key Takeaways

  • A bettor won over $327,000 on a $5,000 five-leg parlay using a profit boost at Fanatics Sportsbook.
  • The parlay included five first-round March Madness games, combining moneyline and spread bets.
  • Key games involved dramatic comebacks and close finishes, such as VCU's overtime win and TCU's last-second layup.
  • Another notable win was a $500 bet on a buzzer-beater prop at DraftKings, which hit when St. John's scored as time expired.

📖 Full Retelling

With 48 games spread across four days, bettors were plenty enthused to jump on 2026 March Madness odds. So there were plenty of notable winners. Among the largest: A Fanatics Sportsbook customer who banked more than $300,000 on a five-leg parlay. More on that winning wager, a banger of a buzzer-beater, other notable parlays, major wagers and more as we recap betting on NCAA Tournament odds. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Five Alive Betting $5,000 on a parlay isn’t a highly recommended activity. But at least the Fanatics customer didn’t try to string together 10 or 15 outcomes. Rather, it was a relatively reasonable five-leg parlay, tying together five first-round games across Thursday and Friday. The ticket had two moneyline plays — meaning that team just had to win the game — and three plays against the spread. Odds on that ticket were +3421, or about 34/1. But the customer utilized a profit boost to ostensibly double the odds to +6546. The bettor got a great sweat out of the first two games. VCU trailed North Carolina by 19 points with 15 minutes remaining, but rallied to tie it at 75 and force overtime. The Rams went on to an 82-78 victory. TCU moneyline was tight, as well, with the Horned Frogs beating Ohio State 66-64 on a layup with four seconds remaining. Texas Tech and Tennessee were no sweat, with the Red Raiders rolling 91-71 over Akron, and the Vols dumping Miami-Ohio 78-56. Iowa capped it off with a 67-61 win to cover as a 2-point favorite. And with that, $5,000 turned into a whopping $327,300 profit, for a total payout of $332,300. Buzzer Beater DraftKings Sportsbook offered an interesting prop bet on March Madness odds: Will there be a buzzer beater, with the lead changing hands as time expires? One bettor put $500 on the prop, at +1000 odds (10/1). And on Sunday, St. John’s made it pay in a thriller aga

🏷️ Themes

Sports Betting, March Madness

📚 Related People & Topics

NCAA tournament

Topics referred to by the same term

NCAA tournament may refer to a number of tournaments organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association:

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗

DraftKings

Daily fantasy sports content provider

DraftKings Inc. is an American gambling company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It offers sportsbook and daily fantasy sports (DFS) services.

View Profile → Wikipedia ↗

Entity Intersection Graph

Connections for NCAA tournament:

👤 College basketball 9 shared
👤 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament 7 shared
👤 Big Ten Conference 5 shared
👤 Big East Conference 5 shared
🌐 University of Connecticut 4 shared
View full profile

Mentioned Entities

NCAA tournament

Topics referred to by the same term

DraftKings

Daily fantasy sports content provider

Deep Analysis

Why It Matters

This news matters because it highlights the growing financial scale and mainstream acceptance of sports betting in the U.S., particularly around major events like March Madness. It affects casual bettors who may be influenced by stories of massive wins, sportsbook operators who use these stories for marketing, and regulatory bodies monitoring gambling's societal impact. The story also illustrates how promotional tools like profit boosts can dramatically alter payout structures, which is important for consumer awareness in the rapidly evolving legal sports betting market.

Context & Background

  • March Madness is the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, one of the most popular sporting events in the U.S. for betting, with billions wagered annually.
  • The 2018 Supreme Court decision in Murphy v. NCAA allowed states to legalize sports betting, leading to rapid expansion; over 30 states now have legal sports betting.
  • Parlay bets combine multiple individual wagers into one ticket; all selections must win for the bet to pay out, offering high-risk, high-reward odds compared to single bets.
  • Sportsbooks often use 'profit boosts' or odds boosts as promotional tools to attract customers, temporarily increasing potential payouts on specific bets.
  • The integration of sports betting into mainstream media coverage, like FOX Sports, reflects the normalization of gambling in American sports culture post-legalization.

What Happens Next

Expect increased marketing from sportsbooks using this story to promote March Madness betting for future tournaments, potentially leading to more high-stakes parlay attempts. Regulatory scrutiny may intensify on profit boost promotions and their impact on consumer behavior. The trend of media outlets partnering with sportsbooks for affiliate revenue will likely continue, with more betting content integrated into sports coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a parlay bet in sports betting?

A parlay bet combines multiple individual wagers into one ticket. All selections must win for the bet to pay out, offering higher potential payouts due to multiplied odds, but with increased risk compared to single bets.

How did the bettor turn a $5,000 wager into over $330,000?

The bettor placed a 5-leg parlay on March Madness games, combining moneyline and spread bets at +3421 odds. By using a profit boost promotion, the odds effectively doubled to +6546, resulting in a massive payout when all five picks won.

What are profit boosts in sports betting?

Profit boosts are promotional tools offered by sportsbooks that temporarily increase the odds or potential payout on specific bets. They are used to attract customers and encourage betting activity, often on parlays or featured events.

Why is March Madness so popular for betting?

March Madness is popular for betting due to its single-elimination format, which creates unpredictability and excitement, along with a high volume of games in a short period. This leads to diverse betting opportunities, from moneyline bets to complex props and parlays.

Is sports betting legal in all U.S. states?

No, sports betting is not legal in all U.S. states. Since the 2018 Supreme Court decision, over 30 states have legalized it, but regulations vary by state, with some prohibiting it entirely or allowing it only in specific venues like casinos.

Status: Partially Verified
Confidence: 80%
Source: FOX Sports / Patrick Everson (FOX Sports Betting Analyst)

Source Scoring

75 Overall
Decision
Normal
Low Norm High Push

Detailed Metrics

Reliability 88/100
Importance 65/100
Corroboration 40/100
Scope Clarity 95/100
Volatility Risk (Low is better) 10/100

Key Claims Verified

A Fanatics Sportsbook customer won $327,300 profit ($332,300 total payout) on a $5,000, five-leg parlay with boosted odds of +6546 during 2026 March Madness, including VCU beating North Carolina 82-78 and Iowa covering a 2-point spread. Unclear

Confirmed within the article, which serves as the primary report from a reputable betting analyst. External independent verification of specific customer betting records is not feasible.

A DraftKings Sportsbook customer won $5,000 profit ($5,500 total payout) on a $500 prop bet at +1000 odds for a buzzer-beater, which occurred with St. John's beating Kansas 67-65 on a Dylan Darling layup. Unclear

Confirmed within the article. External independent verification of specific customer betting records is not feasible.

A Hard Rock Bet customer lost $110,000 by betting on Prairie View +35.5, as Prairie View lost 114-55 to Florida, failing to cover the spread by 24 points. Unclear

Confirmed within the article. External independent verification of specific customer betting records is not feasible.

A Fanatics customer won $10,302 on a $3.42, 22-leg parlay with odds of +301141, with Michigan State beating Louisville 77-69 completing the final leg. Unclear

Confirmed within the article. External independent verification of specific customer betting records is not feasible.

Another Fanatics customer won $16,723 on a $100, eight-leg parlay with odds of +16623, including Utah State beating Villanova 86-76 and the Iowa-Clemson game going Under 131 points (total 128 points). Unclear

Confirmed within the article. External independent verification of specific customer betting records is not feasible.

A DraftKings customer won $250 profit on a $50,000 bet on Duke moneyline -20000 against Siena, which Duke barely won 71-65 after trailing at halftime. Unclear

Confirmed within the article. External independent verification of specific customer betting records is not feasible.

A DraftKings customer won $30,000 profit ($210,000 total payout) on a $180,000 bet on St. John’s moneyline -600 against Northern Iowa, which St. John's won 79-53. Unclear

Confirmed within the article. External independent verification of specific customer betting records is not feasible.

A DraftKings customer won $250 profit on a $20,000 bet on Illinois moneyline -8000 against Penn, which Illinois won 105-70. Unclear

Confirmed within the article. External independent verification of specific customer betting records is not feasible.

On one specific Friday of 2026 March Madness, favorites went 16-0 straight up and 12-4 against the spread. Unclear

Confirmed within the article from DraftKings data. External independent verification of specific statistical aggregates is not feasible without access to raw data.

A $100,000 bet on Purdue -7.5 vs. Miami resulted in a $90,909 profit ($190,909 total payout) as Purdue won 79-69 and covered the spread. Unclear

Confirmed within the article. External independent verification of specific customer betting records is not feasible.

A $55,000 bet on St. John’s -3.5 vs. Kansas was a loss, as St. John's won by only two points (67-65) and did not cover the spread. Unclear

Confirmed within the article. External independent verification of specific customer betting records is not feasible.

A $54,100 bet on Texas Tech -1.5 vs. Alabama was a loss, as Texas Tech lost 90-65. Unclear

Confirmed within the article. External independent verification of specific customer betting records is not feasible.

Supporting Evidence

Caveats / Notes

  • The specific claims involve individual customer betting activities and proprietary sportsbook data, which are inherently difficult to independently corroborate externally.
  • The 'published_at' date (Mar. 23, 2026) is in the future relative to the current evaluation date. However, the content describes past events of '2026 March Madness,' implying evaluation from a future perspective where these events have already occurred.
}
Original Source
- No Data Available - BROWSE BY SPORTS & TEAMS PLAYERS SHOWS PERSONALITIES TOPICS Built on College Basketball College Basketball March Madness Big Bets Report: $5k, 5-leg Parlay Cashes for $330k Updated Mar. 23, 2026 6:53 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link Patrick Everson FOX Sports Betting Analyst With 48 games spread across four days, bettors were plenty enthused to jump on 2026 March Madness odds. So there were plenty of notable winners. Among the largest: A Fanatics Sportsbook customer who banked more than $300,000 on a five-leg parlay. More on that winning wager, a banger of a buzzer-beater, other notable parlays, major wagers and more as we recap betting on NCAA Tournament odds. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports . Five Alive Betting $5,000 on a parlay isn’t a highly recommended activity. But at least the Fanatics customer didn’t try to string together 10 or 15 outcomes. Rather, it was a relatively reasonable five-leg parlay, tying together five first-round games across Thursday and Friday. The ticket had two moneyline plays — meaning that team just had to win the game — and three plays against the spread. Odds on that ticket were +3421, or about 34/1. But the customer utilized a profit boost to ostensibly double the odds to +6546. The bettor got a great sweat out of the first two games. VCU trailed North Carolina by 19 points with 15 minutes remaining, but rallied to tie it at 75 and force overtime. The Rams went on to an 82-78 victory. TCU moneyline was tight, as well, with the Horned Frogs beating Ohio State 66-64 on a layup with four seconds remaining. Texas Tech and Tennessee were no sweat, with the Red Raiders rolling 91-71 over Akron, and the Vols dumping Miami-Ohio 78-56. Iowa capped it off with a 67-61 win to cover as a 2-point favorite. And with that, $5,000 turned into a whopping $327,300 profit, for a t...
Read full article at source

Source

foxsports.com

More from USA

News from Other Countries

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🇺🇦 Ukraine