While the NBA Playoffs might be unpredictable to the masses, BetMGM bettors are wallowing in money following several six-figure wins on Thursday.
According to BetMGM’s John Ewing, more than $700,000 was claimed in select spread bets from yesterday’s playoff matchups.
Key Takeaways
- BetMGM reported a series of nine ascending spread bets, all worth at least $20,000, on Thursday.
- The largest individual payout was $110,000 for a $100,000 wager on the Pistons at -4.5 (+110).
- The Thunder have a 62% implied chance to win the championship.
At least one bettor put their money where their mouth was, supporting the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 of their ongoing series with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The first in the series of bets was headlined by a $100,000 wager on the Pistons to cover a 4.5-point spread at +110 odds. The full breakdown is shown below.
A bettor at @BetMGM wagered $225,000 on the @DetroitPistons in Game 2:
— John Ewing (@johnewing) May 7, 2026
$50,000 on Pistons +1.5 (-190)
$35,000 on Pistons -1.5 (-150)
$20,000 on Pistons -2.5 (-130)
$20,000 on Pistons -3.5 (-102)
$100,000 on Pistons -4.5 (+110)
Pistons won Game 1 by 10 points
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The user’s confidence paid off as the Pistons stormed ahead to a 2-0 series lead. Cade Cunnignham dropped 25 points and 10 rebounds in the winning effort, while Donovan Mitchell’s 31 points and six rebounds weren’t enough to overcome a 10-point disaster by James Harden.
The $225,000 in total spread bets that were submitted resulted in a $419,641.58 payout, or $194,641.58 in profit.
A little over two hours after the Pistons wagers were reported, Ewing shared that another $190,000 in Thunder tickets had been accepted. Once again, the bold bettor was on the money.
A bettor at @BetMGM wagered $190,000 on the @okcthunder to cover in Game 2:
— John Ewing (@johnewing) May 8, 2026
$100,000 on Thunder -9.5 (-230)
$50,000 on Thunder -11.5 (-165)
$20,000 on Thunder -12.5 (-145)
$20,000 on Thunder -13.5 (-140)
Thunder won by 18 points in Game 1
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The Thunder logged their second straight 18-point victory over the Lakers as three OKC members scored at least 20 points. Austin Reaves had 31 points in a losing effort scarred by controversial refereeing decisions.
PrizePicks, who is a OFFICIAL PARTNER OF THE NBA is calling out the refs for helping the Oklahoma City Thunder
— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) May 8, 2026
That’s how bad this has become https://t.co/6NYNdTTKYJ
The winning bets produced a $291,860.10 payout and $101,860.10 in profit.
Altogether, BetMGM paid $711,501.68 total and $296,501.68 in profit to the holder(s) of the tickets. It is unclear if the bets were placed by the same or different individuals.
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Tracking the NBA playoff odds
Both the Pistons and Lakers were favored to win Games 1 and 2 at home. With both now up 2-0, they are unsurprisingly huge favorites to close out their series and advance to the Conference Finals.
The Thunder were the largest second-round favorites in the playoff bracket. They are now -10000 (99% implied chance) in odds to advance, while the Lakers are +1800 (5.3% chance).
The Pistons are a much longer -450, comparatively speaking, although they still have a 81.8% chance to advance. The Cavaliers are +340 (22.7% chance).
Elsewhere around the league, the San Antonio Spurs are -4.5 favorites entering Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves with their series tied, 1-1. They’re also -325 (76.5% chance) to win the series despite dropping Game 1 as a 10.5-point favorite at home. The Timberwolves are +250 (28.6% chance) to win the series.
The Knicks, the second-largest favorite of the second round with -1200 series odds (7.7% chance), are 1.5-point underdogs in a road Game 3 on Friday night. Joel Embiid, who played in Game 1 but missed Game 2, is questionable.
NBA Finals odds picture
BetMGM has the Thunder leading NBA Finals odds at -165 (62.3% chance). The Spurs (+325), Knicks (+800), and Pistons (+1500) are the only teams with odds shorter than +5000.
While the Thunder are the clear-cut favorites, they still face a tall task getting out of the Western Conference. They are 6-0 against the Lakers across the regular and postseason, but they were only 2-2 against the Timberwolves and 1-4 against the Spurs.
