A lucky bettor turned $5 into nearly $500,000 after correctly picking 14 different NFL players to score during Christmas week

| American Football | 12/27/2023

Story by [email protected] (Meredith Cash)

One lucky NFL fan is nearly $500,000 richer after his improbable parlay hit on Christmas Day.

A very Merry Christmas, indeed.

The bettor, who identified himself as Travis Dufner on social media, placed a $5 bet that 14 different players would score touchdowns during Week 16 of the NFL season. In order to cash the half-million-dollar payout, he’d need all 14 players to find their ways into the end zone by the end of Christmas.

Philadelphia Eagles RB D’Andre Swift scores a touchdown to keep Travis Dufner’s parlay alive. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Eleven of his guesses had proven correct throughout the week, as stars like Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf helped him inch closer to victory. And when he woke up on Christmas morning, Dufner needed just three more players — Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Isiah Pacheco, Philadelphia Eagles running back D’Andre Swift, and San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey — to score in order to win the massive prize.

Pacheco and Swift both pulled through during their respective games Monday afternoon. By the time most Americans were sitting down for Christmas dinner, a festively dressed Dufner shared on social media that he was on his way to a holiday party to anxiously await his fate.

It all came down to McCaffrey to score a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens Monday night. Dufner expressed confidence in the top MVP candidate and the NFL’s leader in rushing yards ahead of the final game of the week:

“I couldn’t ask for a better guy to have my bet on the line with than Christian McCaffrey tonight,” Dufner said in a clip shared with BR Betting. “Merry Christmas everyone. Let’s go CMC.”

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Dufner previously shared on social media that he’d “put plenty of these parlays down” in the past and that he’d found success with “a few small ones,” but he’d never come close to achieving a feat of this magnitude. But just before halftime, his Christmas wish came true as the superstar running back cut through the stalwart Ravens defense and dove into the end zone to score on a nine-yard run.

When he had officially won $489,383 from DraftKings Sportsbook, Dufner threw his hands up in victory and held his head in disbelief as his pals embraced him. Check out the video, which BR Betting posted on social media, below:

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