After an uncustomary loss, BetMGM’s anonymous ladder bettor scored more than $300,000 in profit as the New York Knicks advanced to the NBA Finals.
The bettor, who had won roughly $1.6 million since the start of the NBA playoffs, won $500,000 worth of tickets on Monday night.
Key Takeaways
- The bettor won nearly $1.2 million from the Eastern Conference Finals alone.
- BetMGM’s anonymous user suffered a rare loss on Sunday when the Spurs beat the Thunder.
- The Thunder are still favored to win the NBA Finals.
The bettor – whose identity still hasn’t been revealed – has frequently wagered six figures on laddered spread lines throughout the NBA postseason. The bettor bought back in ahead of the Knicks’ Game 4 showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday, backing New York on lines ranging from +3.5 to the original line of -2.5.
It ended up being one of the user’s most sweat-free days in recent months, as the Knicks crushed the Cavaliers by 37 points to send them packing. The bettor ended up profiting $305,533, with the largest individual win being $75,000 from a $150,000 wager on the Knicks at +3.5 (-200).
A bettor at @BetMGM wagered $500,000 on @nyknicks to cover in Game 4
— John Ewing (@johnewing) May 26, 2026
$150,000 on Knicks +3.5 (-200) ✅
$75,000 on Knicks +3.5 (-185) ✅
$75,000 on Knicks +2.5 (-175) ✅
$50,000 on Knicks +2.5 (-160) ✅
$35,000 on Knicks +1.5 (-145) ✅
$35,000 on Knicks +1.5 (-150) ✅
$20,000 on…
Monday’s matchup was not competitive at any point. The Knicks raced out to a 12-point lead after the first quarter and were ahead 68-49 by halftime before eventually winning 130-93. They did all of that without having a single player reach 20 points.
The Knicks must hold a soft spot in the BetMGM bettor’s heart after they secured close to $1.2 million in wins during the conference finals. That included a leading mark of $466,718 from $775,000 in wagers that were obtained after the Knicks became the second team in NBA playoff history to recover from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit.
NEW YORK WENT ON A 44-11 RUN TO COMPLETE A 22-POINT COMEBACK WIN IN GAME 1 💨
— NBA (@NBA) May 20, 2026
DOWN 22 WITH UNDER 8 TO PLAY IN Q4.
30-8 RUN TO FORCE OT.
WON BY 11.
1-0 SERIES LEAD IN THE EAST FINALS 🍿 pic.twitter.com/0InzFeaG4M
The BetMGM customer’s wins by game were as follows.
- Game 1: $466,718 from $775,000
- Game 2: $176,883 from $300,000
- Game 3: $217,172 from $350,000
- Game 4: $305,533 from $500,000
Rare losses and NBA Finals odds
The ladder bettor has been nearly flawless throughout the playoffs. Though, a rare loss occurred on Sunday when the user lost $350,000 backing the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs tied the series at 2-2 after securing a 103-82 victory.
BetMGM reported that the user went 0-for-6 on bets that night, including a $150,000 loss on Thunder +6.5.
The Spurs were favored on their home court when they broke the bettor’s hot streak in their most dominant victory of the series. They find themselves back on the road for Game 5 as a 4.5-point underdog with +150 moneyline odds on Tuesday.
Although the Thunder are still the team in power, their odds are sliding. Ajay Mitchell was already ruled out of tonight’s action, and Jalen Williams is questionable with a hamstring strain. The 4.5-point line is the shortest of the series among games played at OKC, and the Thunder have slipped from being odds-on favorites to +105 in NBA Finals odds.
The Knicks are second in odds to win the Finals at +220, while the Spurs are third at +270.
Spurs vs. Thunder betting trends
There are very few trends to judge by entering Game 5. Both the Thunder and Spurs are 1-1 as favorites, underdogs, at home, and on the road in this series.
The Game 5 winner of an NBA playoff series that is tied 2-2 wins the series more than 82% of the time. The outcome of tonight’s matchup will put one team on the doorstep of competing for a league championship and the other on their last leg.
