
Jay-Z loses $1 million NBA Finals bet on Thunder as Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers spoil wager
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Jay-Z is living the Hard Knock Life.
The music mogul, who is married to Beyonce, is winning off the court, but essentially lit $1 million on fire when he wagered on the Thunder to win the NBA Finals in five games at Fanatics Sportsbook.
With the Thunder's loss in Game 3 dropping them into a 2-1 series hole, his bet, which would have profited $2.3 million, is now dead.
Jay-Z is an investor in Fanatics, with Darren Rovell pointing out on X that Jay-Z invested $350 million into the sports memorabilia giant turned betting company in 2021.
The Thunder were 5.5-point favorites entering Wednesday's Game 3 but fell short in a 116-107 loss.
Jay-Z lost a $1 millon bet on the Thunder in just a week.
Getty Images for The Recording A
Indiana wore the young-gun Thunder down by the end of the fourth quarter by turning Wednesday's game a track meet, just like they did to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.
Coach Rick Carlisle's strategy of full-court defense combined with fast-paced offense gave the Thunder fits by the time the fourth quarter rolled around while Oklahoma City protected a five-point lead.
Tyrese Haliburton went for 22 points nine rebounds and 11 assists in Game 3.
Getty Images
The Pacers are still big series underdogs despite the win, coming in at +195 odds at Fanatics while the Thunder are -235 favorites.
The Over/Under for games played in this series is 6.5, with the series to go seven games having +100 odds at Fanatics and Under six games sitting at -125.
Betting on the NBA?
It is still possible the series ends in five games, as the Pacers would just need to win the next two games to close out Oklahoma City in a gentleman's sweep, although that's the least likely series outcome.
Pacers to win in five games has +1000 odds at Fanatics.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he's showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.

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