Sports betting is flourishing in the United States right now. You don’t have to look too long or hard to find a dedicated site and a bonus or two. And that got us thinking about the biggest sports odds ever—the ones that you wish you had wagered using a Caesars promo code.
We’re not just talking about rare outcomes either. We’re talking about the probability-defying results that shocked the oddsmakers and returned fortunes from bets of just $10.
Leicester City Win Premier League (5,000-1)
Leicester City winning the Premier League is easily the biggest shock in sporting history. They were one of the outsiders in a field of 20, and that’s saying something when you consider that the EPL title is nearly always won by one of the top 4 teams.
Leicester City was a recently promoted team stitched together with some EPL rejects and a handful of promising leaders. The team’s top scorer was actually purchased from a lower league team where he was earning peanuts and working part-time.
But despite all of that, the Foxes were able to climb to the top of the table and stay there. They overcame a last-ditch effort from Tottenham and also got the better of world-class teams like Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal.
It was an epic achievement that no one could have predicted. A few people did bet on the outcome, but most were Leicester City fans wagering just for the fun of it.
St. Louis Rams Win the Super Bowl (150-1)
Going into the 1999 season, the regular season win total for the St. Rams was just 5.5 games, with many expecting them to be one of the worst performers of the year. It’s no surprise considering they finished the previous season 4-12, but it was a season that defied expectations.
With Kurt Warner at QB, the Rams raced to a 13-3 season, overcame the odds in the Conference Championship, and then beat the Titans in the Super Bowl.
St. Louis Cardinals Win the World Series (200-1)
The Cardinals trailed 10.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the 2011 Wild Card race and all hope was lost. But in an unlikely turn of events, the Braves collapsed, the Cards got going, and they made it all of the way to the World Series. That feat in itself was highly unlikely and returned massive odds, but for the Cards to actually get the win was astonishing.
Buster Douglas Knocks Out Mike Tyson (42-1)
Compared to the results above, this might not seem that impressive. But for boxing, odds like that are unheard of. In fact, this fight is one of the main reasons you don’t see such huge odds for boxing outsiders anymore.
James “Buster” Douglas was a no-hoper. A warm-up fight. Tyson was expecting an easy victory and the world watched thinking that it would be an early knockout for Iron Mike.
In a fight reminiscent of a Rocky movie, Douglas fought hard and was knocked down, only to get to his feet and finish by knocking Tyson out.
Many sportsbooks refused to take odds on Douglas at the time, deeming it too unlikely and knowing they would have to offer stupid amounts. Some actually offered those stupid amounts, but the average was around +4200.
