NBA betting controversy erupts after Mikal Bridges barely plays

Mikal Bridges was upset that coach Jacque Vaughn rested the Nets starters Wednesday, but bettors loved it.

Alerted to it by a few X accounts, notably @DK_DFS, who was sharp to the Nets looking to keep their star wing’s consecutive active games streak intact, bettors flocked to their betting apps in the early afternoon Wednesday.

Many bettors posted a same-game parlay on Bridges’ player prop unders, including his points, rebounds, assists and 3-pointers made.

One NBA bettor who saw the tweet early bet $20 at +1400 to payout $300 on Bridges under 23.5 points, 1.5 3-pointers made, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists.

These wagers hit easily, with Bridges playing only 12 minutes in the 144-122 loss to the Bucks.

The fact that Bridges played at all is noteworthy, as when a player checks in as active all player props stand regardless of sport or minutes played.

His final stat line ended at six points, three rebounds, one assist and 0-for-1 from 3-point land. That third rebound is the only thing that saved the bookies from likely thousands more of losses.

Bridges’ “max alternate unders” parlay was paying out at 65/1, meaning a $1,000 parlay would’ve profited $65,000. Many bettors tweeted that parlay: Under 21.5 points + Under 1.5 3-pointers made + Under 2.5 rebounds + Under 1.5 assists.

It just missed.

But not everyone is thrilled that this opportunity was leaked on social media.

Several followers posted their $5 parlay to win a few hundred dollars, while some sharp bettors with big bankrolls were upset at the opportunity missed thanks to this information bust.

“Some touts on Twitter passed on the opportunity to make six figures on Mikal Bridges SGPs for clout and pumping subscriptions while they bet $50 on ‘em. Truly mind blowing risk management and general lack of opportunity awareness,” Joey Knish said on X.

Knish’s stance is that real bettors with big bankrolls – think enough to bet $10,000 on this and win upwards of six figures — couldn’t properly capitalize because that information leaked.

“What am I reading on this app. I ruined an opportunity for others by tweeting the edge I saw? I’m also apparently just in it for clout. Noted,” @DK_DFS .

Perhaps the opportunity was far greater than the $5 bettors that likely flooded the market on Bridges’ props, signaling to oddsmakers that the market needed to be pulled down.

In the past, we saw Draymond Green check into a Jan. 9, 2022 game just the tip-off to ceremoniously celebrate the return of Klay Thompson and then sit for the rest of the game.

Bettors got word of this and immediately bet all of Green’s unders, which cashed for millions of dollars of losses for DraftKings, who fought paying out the bets for weeks but eventually paid out the parlays as winners for bettors.