[h=1]Mayweather-McGregor odds are like ...[/h]Mackenzie Kraemer
ESPN Staff Writer
The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has opened Floyd Mayweather as a -2500 favorite over Conor McGregor (+1100 underdog) if they met in a boxing match. How lopsided of a line is that? Here are some recent games and series that had similar betting odds.
Sept. 12, 2015: Floyd Mayweather (-2500) vs Andre Berto (+1100)
Ironically, Mayweather is just as big a favorite over McGregor as he was against his most recent opponent, Andre Berto. Berto entered the Mayweather bout with a 30-3 record, but few gave him any shot to beat Mayweather. The -2500 closing line was the largest Mayweather had been favored by in the past 10 years, and it showed in the fight, as he cruised to a unanimous decision victory.
Feb. 13, 2017: Connecticut women's basketball (-2500) vs South Carolina (+1100)
Earlier this month, the Connecticut Huskies put their 99-game winning streak on the line against No. 6 South Carolina as 25-1 favorites. UConn failed to cover the 17.5-point spread, but it still won by 11 points over the Gamecocks. Similar to UConn, Mayweather would enter the McGregor fight on a long win streak, as Mayweather is 49-0 in his career.
April 2016: Cleveland Cavaliers (-2500) vs Detroit Pistons (+1100) to win first round playoff series
The Cavaliers were 25-1 favorites over the Pistons in the first round of the 2016 Eastern Conference Playoffs. Cleveland swept the Pistons that series, although the Pistons did cover two of the four games.
Aug. 21, 2016: USA Basketball (-2000) vs Serbia (+1000) in gold medal game
The U.S. men's basketball team was a 20-1 favorite over Serbia in the 2016 Olympic gold medal game. USA won the game by 30 points, the largest victory in a gold medal game since the 1992 Dream Team won by 32 over Croatia.
Sept. 11, 2015: Serena Williams (-3000) vs Roberta Vinci (+1200) in US Open semifinals
Serena Williams entered the US Open semifinals on a quest to complete a calendar slam. Her semifinal opponent was unseeded Roberta Vinci, who came in as a massive 12-1 underdog. However, Vinci stunned Williams with a three-set victory. It was the first time a player ranked outside the top 30 beat a world No. 1 in the quarterfinals or later at a Grand Slam since the WTA rankings began in 1975.
If taking McGregor at 11-1 appeals to you, here are some other potential bets you could have placed at similar odds over the past 18 months.
2016 Chicago Bears to win NFC North (12-1)
The Bears entered 2016 coming off back-back last-place finishes in the NFC North, including a 6-10 mark in 2015. This bet never had a chance, as the Bears started 1-6 and finished 3-13.
2016 Atlanta Falcons to win NFC South (10-1)
Atlanta had missed the playoffs each of the previous three seasons entering 2016. However, Atlanta quickly asserted itself as the class of the NFC South with a 4-1 start. The Falcons went on to win the division by two games over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Carolina Panthers to win Super Bowl LI (12-1)
While Atlanta was 10-1 to win the NFC North, their division rival Carolina was 12-1 to win the Super Bowl before the season. The Panthers started 1-5 after going 15-1 in 2015 as their odds plummeted to 80-1. They could not recover from that slow start, finishing 6-10.
Pittsburgh Penguins to win 2016 Stanley Cup (12-1)
After back-to-back early postseason exits, the Penguins could have been backed at 12-1 before the start of the 2015-16 NHL season. The Penguins rewarded those bettors with a Stanley Cup victory. However, the Penguins were available at 30-1 as late as February, so 12-1 was not peak value.
2016 Tennessee Volunteers to win College Football Playoff (12-1)
Tennessee entered the 2016 season with the sixth-best odds to win the College Football Playoff at 12-1, but it was all downhill from there. A sluggish Week 1 victory over Appalachian State set the tone for a four-loss season. By Halloween, Tennessee was off the board entirely.
ESPN Staff Writer
The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has opened Floyd Mayweather as a -2500 favorite over Conor McGregor (+1100 underdog) if they met in a boxing match. How lopsided of a line is that? Here are some recent games and series that had similar betting odds.
Sept. 12, 2015: Floyd Mayweather (-2500) vs Andre Berto (+1100)
Ironically, Mayweather is just as big a favorite over McGregor as he was against his most recent opponent, Andre Berto. Berto entered the Mayweather bout with a 30-3 record, but few gave him any shot to beat Mayweather. The -2500 closing line was the largest Mayweather had been favored by in the past 10 years, and it showed in the fight, as he cruised to a unanimous decision victory.
Feb. 13, 2017: Connecticut women's basketball (-2500) vs South Carolina (+1100)
Earlier this month, the Connecticut Huskies put their 99-game winning streak on the line against No. 6 South Carolina as 25-1 favorites. UConn failed to cover the 17.5-point spread, but it still won by 11 points over the Gamecocks. Similar to UConn, Mayweather would enter the McGregor fight on a long win streak, as Mayweather is 49-0 in his career.
April 2016: Cleveland Cavaliers (-2500) vs Detroit Pistons (+1100) to win first round playoff series
The Cavaliers were 25-1 favorites over the Pistons in the first round of the 2016 Eastern Conference Playoffs. Cleveland swept the Pistons that series, although the Pistons did cover two of the four games.
Aug. 21, 2016: USA Basketball (-2000) vs Serbia (+1000) in gold medal game
The U.S. men's basketball team was a 20-1 favorite over Serbia in the 2016 Olympic gold medal game. USA won the game by 30 points, the largest victory in a gold medal game since the 1992 Dream Team won by 32 over Croatia.
Sept. 11, 2015: Serena Williams (-3000) vs Roberta Vinci (+1200) in US Open semifinals
Serena Williams entered the US Open semifinals on a quest to complete a calendar slam. Her semifinal opponent was unseeded Roberta Vinci, who came in as a massive 12-1 underdog. However, Vinci stunned Williams with a three-set victory. It was the first time a player ranked outside the top 30 beat a world No. 1 in the quarterfinals or later at a Grand Slam since the WTA rankings began in 1975.
If taking McGregor at 11-1 appeals to you, here are some other potential bets you could have placed at similar odds over the past 18 months.
2016 Chicago Bears to win NFC North (12-1)
The Bears entered 2016 coming off back-back last-place finishes in the NFC North, including a 6-10 mark in 2015. This bet never had a chance, as the Bears started 1-6 and finished 3-13.
2016 Atlanta Falcons to win NFC South (10-1)
Atlanta had missed the playoffs each of the previous three seasons entering 2016. However, Atlanta quickly asserted itself as the class of the NFC South with a 4-1 start. The Falcons went on to win the division by two games over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Carolina Panthers to win Super Bowl LI (12-1)
While Atlanta was 10-1 to win the NFC North, their division rival Carolina was 12-1 to win the Super Bowl before the season. The Panthers started 1-5 after going 15-1 in 2015 as their odds plummeted to 80-1. They could not recover from that slow start, finishing 6-10.
Pittsburgh Penguins to win 2016 Stanley Cup (12-1)
After back-to-back early postseason exits, the Penguins could have been backed at 12-1 before the start of the 2015-16 NHL season. The Penguins rewarded those bettors with a Stanley Cup victory. However, the Penguins were available at 30-1 as late as February, so 12-1 was not peak value.
2016 Tennessee Volunteers to win College Football Playoff (12-1)
Tennessee entered the 2016 season with the sixth-best odds to win the College Football Playoff at 12-1, but it was all downhill from there. A sluggish Week 1 victory over Appalachian State set the tone for a four-loss season. By Halloween, Tennessee was off the board entirely.
