A futures wager often demands patience, but sometimes the smartest move is to know when to cash out early without waiting for the final result.
One FanDuel Sportsbook customer decided that moment had arrived for the Los Angeles Lakers, turning a free bonus bet into a five-figure payday by bailing out before the playoffs went any further.
Here’s a closer look at that story, along with other notable futures bets from the NBA and NHL playoffs, plus a WNBA preview as the 2026 season tips off.
The parlay began on April 4, with the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four games: UConn vs. Illinois and Michigan vs. Arizona. A bettor known as @Indiana_Cers on X placed a three-leg parlay, starting with UConn moneyline (+136) and Michigan moneyline (-111). Those two outcomes alone would have paid only a modest amount. To boost the stakes, he added the Lakers at +50000 to win the NBA title — effectively 500/1 odds.
Better yet, he used a $250 bonus bet to place the wager, meaning no real money was at risk. The combined odds hit +224654, or nearly 2247/1, with a potential payout of $561,635.
UConn beat Illinois 71-62, and Michigan crushed Arizona 91-73. Then came the long wait for the Lakers.
In the first round, Los Angeles was shorthanded without Luka Dončić and with Austin Reaves largely unavailable. LeBron James and company managed to beat Houston 4-2 in a best-of-seven series. That set up a second-round showdown with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who posted a league-best 64-20 record in the regular season and swept the Suns 4-0.
In Game 1, the Lakers fell 108-90. It was L.A.’s fifth meeting with the Thunder this season, and they lost all five by an average of 27 points.
So the bettor faced a decision: ride out the series in hope of a miracle, or accept FanDuel’s cashout offer of $12,599.26. He chose the latter.
“The white flag was waived,” he said on X.
What started as a free bonus bet turned into a nice five-figure profit. The move looked even smarter after the Lakers lost Game 2, 125-107, on Thursday.
**Knicks of Time**
After the Celtics blew a 3-1 lead to the 76ers and exited the playoffs, the Knicks (+750) now hold the best NBA championship odds among Eastern Conference teams still alive. That leaves a DraftKings customer in a promising spot.
He placed a modest $67 on a seven-leg parlay involving three MLB games, a hockey game, a soccer match, and even a snooker contest. Six legs have already hit — including Shaun Murphy defeating John Higgins in a dramatic snooker battle.
The final leg depends on the Knicks winning the NBA title. New York already leads the 76ers 2-0 in the second round. If they go all the way, the ticket’s odds of +82937 would turn that $67 into $55,634.79.
Even now, the bettor could cash out for a few thousand dollars, and that amount will likely rise if the Knicks reach the Finals as oddsmakers expect.
**Hockey Hope**
In the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Canadiens entered the first round as +195 underdogs against the Lightning. But after stealing Game 1 on the road with a 4-3 win, Montreal boosted its chances of advancing.
