Darren Rovell, a popular American sports business analyst and sports betting enthusiast, has quite a reputation for his audacious sports betting forecasts.
Known for being unreserved about his storied history of sports gambling misses, he made another bold prediction at the outset of the new year, which he termed as the ‘easiest bet of 2024."
Darren Rovell's "easiest bet of 2024" was naturally a catastrophic loss. ⬇️https://t.co/3x1Xtqs9BA
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 2, 2024
Unfortunately, the bet did more than just miss the mark; it spiraled out of control pretty quickly.
Rovell used the social media platform, X [formerly known as Twitter] ahead of the New Year"s Day college football bowl games, staking his reputation on a prediction involving the Wisconsin Badgers and the LSU Tigers playing in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Easiest bet of 2024:
Wisconsin-LSU
Under 57.5.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) January 1, 2024
Remarkably, he labeled the bet as the ‘easiest bet of 2024". “Wisconsin-LSU Under 57.5," he posted. However, it didn"t take much time for this audacious claim to look absurd.
The two teams collectively raked in a 35 points in the first half of the game alone, quickly deflating Rovell"s prediction.
But despite the visible signs of an impending failure, Rovell remained stubborn, insisting that his ill-fated prediction was actually a legitimate bet.
In an attempt to defend his bet, Rovell made another post, explaining that he had been working with some insider information.
According to him, the bet was not unfounded, as he explained, "Other info I was operating with here.
Nabors wasn’t going to play second half after he beat the record." Remarkably, he maintained that gambling was about spotting tiny edges.
This statement raised eyebrows: “That a bet loses doesn’t mean the handicap was wrong."
What followed was a major embarrassment as the two teams exceeded the 57.5 points in less than three quarters of the game.
The revelation made Rovell admit his misjudgment and respond with a solemn pledge of not using the term ‘easy bet" ever again.
Other info I was operating with here. Nabors wasn’t going to play second half after he beat the record.
Doesn’t seem to matter now.
Gambling is about small edges. That a bet loses doesn’t mean the handicap was wrong. https://t.co/jPyS5JxatZ
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) January 1, 2024
“With a live over of 77.5, I am going to fall on my sword. And vow to never make an ‘easy bet’ prediction again.
No bet is easy. Ever," Rovell conceded. This disaster helped remind all the sports betting enthusiasts who had followed his ‘easy bet" advice of one important thing there are no easy bets in sports.
