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          Betting buzz: 85-cent parlay needs Buckeyes for six-figure payday

          Jeremiah Smith and the Ohio State Buckeyes host Tennessee in the College Football Playoff opening round. Ben Jackson/Getty Images
          • ESPN
          Dec 21, 2024, 09:00 AM ET

          Everything that happens in sports has some additional context when viewed from a sports betting perspective. From season-changing injuries to record-setting moments and so much more, the sports news cycle will constantly and significantly affect the sports betting industry.

          Our betting buzz file, with contributions from David Purdum, Doug Greenberg and others, aims to provide fans a look at the sports betting stories that are driving the conversation.

          Key links: Sports betting home | NFL odds page | College football odds page | ESPN BET

          Dec. 20: 85-cent parlay needs Buckeyes for six-figure payday

          David Purdum: An 85-cent, 14-leg parlay that was placed in February is an Ohio State college football championship away from a six-figure jackpot.

          The unidentified bettor on Thursday put the ticket up for sale at PropSwap, an online secondary market that allows people to buy and sell pending bets. The largest offer as of Friday morning, according to PropSwap, was $13,550.

          The bet would later sell Friday on online secondary market WagerWire for $16,650.

          The bet was placed Feb. 12 with FanDuel in Maryland, a PropSwap representative told ESPN. The parlay features NBA, NHL, boxing, college basketball and college football legs. The first 13 have won, leaving only Ohio State to be determined. If the Buckeyes win the College Football Playoff, the ticket will pay $147,507.44.

          Ohio State hosts Tennessee on Saturday in chilly Columbus, Ohio. Temperatures are expected to be in mid-20s at kickoff. The Buckeyes were consensus 7.5-point favorites Friday and around 5-1 to win the national championship.

          Sportsbooks were reporting more action on the Volunteers than the Buckeyes. ESPN BET said Thursday that about 63% of the money wagered on the game's money line -- the odds to win straight up -- was on the underdog Volunteers, and BetMGM said Ohio State winning Saturday was the book's "biggest need of the first round of the College Football Playoff" due to action on Tennessee.

          The Buckeyes and Volunteers cap a monster football Saturday, with a pair of meaningful NFL games and a CFP tripleheader:

          • SMU travels to Penn State for a noon ET kickoff. The Nittany Lions were 8.5-point favorites entering the weekend.

          • The Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans at 1 p.m. Sportsbooks opened the Texans as 2.5-point favorites early in the week, when Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' status was in question due to a reported high ankle sprain. Mahomes practiced this week and is expected to play. Kansas City was a 3.5-point favorite Friday.

          • Texas hosts Clemson at 4 p.m. The line grew during the week with the Longhorns up to as high as -13 on Friday. John Murray, vice president of the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, told ESPN on Thursday that sharp money showed up on Texas. The Longhorns opened as consensus 11-point favorites.

          • The Baltimore Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a big AFC North clash at 4:30 p.m. The Ravens were 5-point favorites as of Friday.

          "These games are going to be bet very, very heavily," said Johnny Avello, sportsbook director for DraftKings. "We're seeing a lot of volume. A lot of volume and a lot of bets."

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