Benzinga - Rapper Drake has become known in the sports betting community as a potential curse with several large wagers placed on teams or athletes he’s a fan of turning into losing bets.
A million-dollar bet on the NFL Playoffs over the weekend may have broken the Drake curse and netted him a nice return.
What Happened: With a net worth estimated around $250 million, Drake had been known to bet millions on the outcome of huge sporting events or plunk down $200,000 on a three-game NFL parlay during the regular season.
Many of Drake’s recent large bets have turned into losing bets, including a bet on Argentina to win the 2022 World Cup. Despite Argentina being the victorious team in the game, Drake’s bet cashed out at $0 due to the game going to extra time and eventually a penalty shootout.
Drake shared on his Instagram over the weekend that he had bet $1.1 million in Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) on the Kansas City Chiefs to beat the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game of the NFL Playoffs, which was held on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023.
The $1.1 million bet had odds of 1.87 and paid out $2,057,000 with the Chiefs winning the game 23-20.
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Why It’s Important: The win by the Chiefs came as the team was the favorite, but faced several notable obstacles to overcome.
The Bengals beat the Chiefs in the last three matchups, including the previous season’s conference championship game.
The Chiefs also faced a question mark of how an ankle sprain for quarterback Patrick Mahomes could impact the game. The injury to Mahomes and the bet by Drake could call into question the line from the 2009 song “Forever” by Drake that also featured Eminem, Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne.
In the song, Drake raps “Last name Ever, first name Greatest. Like a sprained ankle, boy, I ain’t nothin’ to play with.”
Despite playing at less than 100%, Mahomes passed for 326 yards, completing 29 of 43 pass attempts and posting a quarterback rating of 105.4. Mahomes also had a five-yard rush near the end of the game that may have sealed the final outcome, putting the Chiefs in a position to kick the game-winning field goal.
The NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl remain some of the highest-bet sporting events in the calendar year.
Last year’s Super Bowl between the Bengals and Los Angeles Rams saw Drake bet $1.26 million in Bitcoin on Stake in several outcomes.
Drake bet on the Rams to win, Odell Beckham Jr. to have over 62.5 receiving yards and Beckham Jr. to score a touchdown. The Rams won the game 23-20 with Beckham Jr. scoring a touchdown but falling shy of the yards prop with 52.
Drake is a partner with Stake and his large bets offer exposure to the crypto sports betting platform. The rapper will likely place wagers on Super Bowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
Some bettors may bet alongside Drake after his win on the Chiefs Sunday and others may fade the rapper and attempt to play out the Drake betting curse.
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