Rapper Drake hasn’t had the best track record when it comes to sports betting. The rapper placed a $500,000 bet on the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup, but he ended up losing that wager when the Florida Panthers won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final by a 2-1 decision on Monday.
If the bet would’ve cashed, the rapper would’ve won $1.025 million.
This comes after Drake had also placed a $500,000 bet on the Dallas Mavericks to beat the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. He came out on the losing end of that wager as well as the Celtics defeated the Mavericks in five games to win their 18th NBA title.
If the Mavericks bet came through, Drake would’ve taken home $1.375 million.
These two were the latest in what’s become known as the “Drake Curse,” where teams and athletes tend to lose when he either publicly supports or bets money on them.
After looking like a brutal bet earlier in the series, the Oilers roared back and nearly erased a 3-0 series deficit. Star forward Connor McDavid, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL playoff MVP, tallied three goals and five assists in Games 4 and 5 to help the Oilers climb back into the series.
If the Oilers would’ve completed the comeback, they would’ve been just the second team in NHL history to rally from a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final. However, the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs remain the only team in league history that has accomplished that feat.
Canadian rapper Drake is known for his love of sports and his unwavering support for his hometown teams, but it seems that his enthusiasm may have backfired once again. According to reports, Drake recently placed a $1 million bet on both the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup and the Dallas Mavericks to win the NBA Finals, only to see both teams fall short of their championship dreams.
This unfortunate turn of events has reignited the infamous ‘Drake Curse’ trend, which suggests that any team or athlete that Drake publicly supports is doomed to fail. Over the years, numerous examples have surfaced to support this theory, including the Toronto Raptors losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA playoffs after Drake was seen taunting LeBron James from the sidelines.
While it’s unclear whether Drake truly has the power to jinx teams with his support, there’s no denying that his betting choices have not panned out in his favor. The Edmonton Oilers were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round, while the Dallas Mavericks fell short in the NBA playoffs despite a strong showing from star player Luka Dončić.
Despite this setback, Drake remains a passionate sports fan and will likely continue to support his favorite teams with the same level of enthusiasm. Whether or not the ‘Drake Curse’ is real, one thing is for certain – betting against the odds can be a risky game, even for a superstar like Drake.
