BetMGM’s Wildest Bets of 2025: Epic Wins, Shocking Upsets
Christmas is often a good time for people to reflect on the previous year, its highs and lows, its successes and disappointments. Sportsbooks are no different; they look back at the most lucrative events, the top games where consumers won the most, and the particular athletes that brought in the most money for wagerers.
That's precisely what BetMGM's 2025 betting insights do. While some of what they disclose is unexpected, others are not. It should come as no surprise that the NFL dominates sports betting.
"2025 has been an exceptional year for our sportsbook,” said Don Forbes, BetMGM’s Senior Director of Trading. “The traditionally slower months this summer were anything but slow with book-friendly MLB outcomes helping propel us to record results.
“The favorable results combined with our commitment to offering competitive pricing on select NFL and college football games drove extremely strong customer engagement and handle growth, which makes our trading team very proud.”
The most bet event was the Super Bowl
Highlights:
The most popular event in 2025 (by tickets) was Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, where the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22. The Buffalo Bills at the Chiefs AFC Championship game (Chiefs 32, Bills 29) and the Washington Commanders at the Eagles NFL Championship game (Eales 55, Commanders 23) came next. In fact, all ten of the most popular events were covered by the NFL.
By handle, it was Commanders vs. Eagles, Bills vs. Chiefs, and Super Bowl LIX.
Best Wagers for Clients
The biggest game for bettors in 2025 was the wild opening night Bills-Baltimore Ravens game in Buffalo in September (Bills 41, Ravens 40). This was followed by the Toronto Blue Jays' 13-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. In that game, the Jays rallied behind six innings of pitching from Shane Bieber and scored five home runs to win the series in seven games.
The third-best game for fans in 2025 was the Western Conference Final Game 6 between the Oklahoma Thunder and Denver Nuggets (Nuggets 119, Thunder 107).
Top Sportsbook Bets
The Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl, the Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams NFC Wildcard game (Rams 27, Vikings 9), and the Detroit Lions vs. Vikings Sunday night game in January (Lions 31, Vikings 9) were the top three games for the sportsbook in 2025.
Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in March (Ankalaev unanimous decision), Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in August (Chimaev unanimous decision), and Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 318 in July (Holloway unanimous decision) were the most popular combat sports matches (by tickets) in 2025.
The majority of bettors
Unsurprisingly, the most bet player (by tickets) in 2025 was MLB phenom Shohei Ohtani of the World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers, followed by Yankees hitter Aaron Judge and Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. In 2025, the Washington Commanders' Terry McLaurin, the Chiefs/Ravens' DeAndre Hopkins, the Eagles' Jalen Hurts, and the Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon were the most lucrative players for the client.
The San Francisco 49ers' McLaurin, Hopkins, Hurts, MacKinnon, and Jake Tonges were the most lucrative players for the book in 2025.
