Most Proline bettors didn't see the Eastern Conference winning the NBA's annual all-star game.
The East defeated the Western Conference 211-186 on Sunday, the first time one team has cracked the 200-point plateau.
According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., just 23 per cent of Proline players picked the East to win while only 16 per cent had the squad +3.5 points. But 66 per cent expected a high-scoring affair, correctly taking the total over 355.5 points.
On Saturday night, Damian Lillard (three-point contest) and Mac McClung (dunk) were repeat winners. Thirty-six per cent of bettors took McClung to defend his title while Lillard garnered 24 per cent of the action in his.
Steph Curry captured the three-point challenge versus Sabrina Ionsecu. Sixty-three per cent of wagers were on underdog Ionescu.
Both super boosts cashed, with Curry's three-point challenge win and Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 20-plus points in the all-star game. The Oklahoma City Thunder star had 31 points for the Western Conference.
Meanwhile in the NHL, Auston Matthews had three goals to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 9-2 win over Anaheim on Saturday night. Ninety per cent of bettors had Toronto -1.5 while 69 per cent had the total over 6.5 goals.
On Monday, Toronto extended its win streak to four games with a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Sixty-eight per cent of customers took the Leafs to win while 59 per cent had them -1.5 goals,
But just 32 per cent correctly picked the total under 6.5 goals.
The NFL season ended with last weekend's Super Bowl but despite their loss the San Francisco 49ers (+500) opened as the early pick for next year's title. Defending-champion Kansas City (+700) and the Buffalo Bills (+800) were just behind.
A Proline digital player cashed in by correctly predicting 12 different American university basketball totals. That turned a $5 bet into a $16,140 payout.
A retail player won $2,774 from a $2 wager on a nine-pick soccer/hockey parlay.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2024.
The Canadian Press
